Z:gnu-www-ja-rms-comment-longs-article--645df1-Free software is a matter of f/en

Free software is a matter of freedom. From our point of view, precisely which legal mechanism is used to deny software users their freedom is just an implemementation detail. Whether it is done with copyright, with contracts, or in some other way, it is wrong to deny the public the freedoms necessary to form a community and cooperate. This is why it is inaccurate to understand the Free Software Movement as specifically a matter of opposition to copyright on software. It is both more and less than that.