Free Software (also called Libre, or FOSS/FLOSS) is software that respects your freedom to:
- 1. Run: Use the program for any purpose.
- 2. Study: Examine how it works and modify it.
- 3. Improve: Distribute your modified versions.
- 4. Share: Redistribute copies to help others.
These are also known as the Four Essential Freedoms.
What Makes Free/Libre Software Different From Open-Source Software?
Not all “open-source” software is truly free.
At LibreTech Collective (LTC), we support only free/libre software – software that guarantees users the four essential freedoms: to run, study, share, and modify the code. These freedoms are safeguarded by copyleft licenses such as the GPL & MPL, which ensure that any derivative work always remains free/libre. But we fully allow the use of acceptable permissive licenses like MIT, BSD, & Apache 2.0 – since they also respect and uphold your users’ freedoms without imposing a copyleft requirement.
While all such licensed software is free/libre, not all open-source software meets this standard. Open-source as a movement often focuses on practical & monetary benefits, but we prioritize ethics: technology must empower users, not restrict them. For us, it’s not just about access – it’s about liberty.
Contrary to what the name might suggest, you absolutely can develop free/libre software and charge money for it – you simply have to ensure the freedoms to use, study, modify, and share the software remain intact. Charging a fee doesn’t conflict with these principles, because the focus is on preserving user freedom, not on making the software free of cost! In practice, this means that anyone who receives the software – whether they paid for it or not – must also receive access to its source code and the right to redistribute it under the same terms.
We believe that both copyleft and permissive licenses serve the greater public good, and we will support you as long as your chosen license respects your users’ four freedoms. We’re more than just another open-source community — we’re a Libre Tech Collective!
The distinction matters. At LTC, we stand for freedom, both through copyleft and principled permissive licensing, because software should serve people – never control them. LTC is an open-source club (as required by freedoms 2 and 4 listed above), but we’d proudly consider ourselves a Free Software club!
The Core Difference: Philosophy
| Free/Libre Software | Open-Source Software |
| Focuses on user freedom and ethical computing. | Focuses on maximizing development collaboration and practical benefits. |
| Asks: “Do the users have control over the technology they use?” | Asks: “Can the technology be improved by the broadest possible community?” |
| Emerged in 1985 as a social movement started by Dr. Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation. | Emerged in 1998 as a rebranding effort to make collaborative software development more appealing to businesses. |
💬 As Dr. Richard Stallman says: Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of ‘free speech,’ not ‘free beer.’
📺 Want to learn more? Watch this short TED-talk and find out!
⚠️ Most Open Source Initiative approved licenses are free/libre software (but not always), we recommend consulting the GNU Project’s licensing guidelines for all projects first. For more licenses that are free/libre software – but not always copyleft, see the GNU Project’s Various License List.
What Does This Mean For You?
At LibreTech Collective, we’re not just building code – we’re building a movement. Our mission is rooted in freedom, ethical collaboration, and shared knowledge.
- For internal projects (e.g., LTC specific: documentation, tools, graphics, etc.), we require copyleft licenses (e.g., MPL, GPL, etc) or Sharealike-Creative-Commons to protect the freedom of all our users.
- But for member-led projects? You choose your own license – as long as the source is public for viewing, modification, and distribution. Whatever you choose, we’re here to help!
Here’s how our licensing policy translates into real action—and what it means for you as a member creating or updating projects with the LTC:
- ✅ Copyleft License: Any GPL-compatible copyleft licenses (e.g., GPLv3, LGPLv3, MPL 2.0, etc.) – 100% allowed, and preferred!
- ✅ Permissive License: Any GPL-compatible permissive licenses (e.g., BSD, MIT, Apache 2.0, etc.) — 100% allowed, but not ideal for our mission.
- ❌ Source-Available Only License: Never allowed for use.
Free & Open-Source software comes with an important additional benefit: security. Releasing and reviewing the source code is the only reliable way to ensure that a program is not hiding malicious behavior. Closed software requires blind trust in its creators, but free software invites verification by anyone who is curious or concerned. When you release free/libre software, you are not only sharing your work – you are also making a statement about the integrity and security of your project, demonstrating confidence that it can withstand scrutiny.
We define copyleft as a licensing arrangement that allows software or artistic works to be used, modified, and distributed freely, provided that all derivative works are subject to the same terms.
We define permissive as a licensing arrangement that allows software or artistic works to be used, modified, and distributed freely, with minimal restrictions. Derivative works may be released under any terms, including proprietary licenses, as long as the original license conditions (such as attribution) are met.
Note: Source-Available Only Licenses
You cannot use Source-Available only (e.g., BSL, SSPL, etc.) or similar licenses in any LTC-affiliated project. If you do, you forfeit access to club support, hosting, promotion, and funding for your project.
- Why? Because source-available ≠ open-source. And at LTC, we stand for true openness – not marketing loopholes!
- This commitment to freedom is enshrined in our club’s constitution, and is non-negotiable. No exceptions will be made.