Why Copyleft Matters
Have you ever wondered who controls the software you use? In a world increasingly reliant on software, the answer to this question is more crucial than ever and has profound implications for our freedom.
Imagine a world where every piece of software you use comes with strings attached. You may be forbidden from using it however you want, from studying, changing, or sharing it, from any combination of those things, or even all at once. Your software controls you, not the other way around.
Enter the GNU General Public License (GPL), a cornerstone of the free software movement. This dystopian scenario is precisely what the GPL seeks to prevent. The idea behind copyleft comes from Richard Stallman. The GPL provides a legal framework to require that software remains free to use, study, change, and share-not just for ourselves but for everyone. It's a powerful legal safeguard for software freedom.