Path: utzoo!yunexus!telly!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!AI.MIT.EDU!rms
From: rms@AI.MIT.EDU
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Two separate issues
Message-ID: <8906071718.AA00282@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 7 Jun 89 17:18:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: sugar-bo.8906071718.AA00282
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Distribution: gnu
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Someone sent me this message:

   You write:
   > The difference between this and China is a matter of degree.  The
   > spirit is the same.

   I disagree.  Your definitions of ``free'' and ``freedom'' intrigue me.
   Here you are conducting a holy war against ``evil software hoarders''...

This indicates a confusion of two separate issues which I suspect shows
I didn't distinguish them clearly enough.  So I will try to do so now.

For 6 years I have been working on a project to make software free,
but not by coercing anyone, only by writing free software.  And, in
general, they have not tried to coerce me either.

I believe software should be free.  But my message quoted above is
about a different issue, where traditionally accepted rights are in
danger.

Apple and others wish to take away people's freedom to write software,
whether free or not.  And Apple does plan to use coercion to get their
way, if they can.  They hope to get injunctions, and then others will
have the choice of obeying Apple or being imprisoned.