Why Programs Should be Shared

byRichardStallman

Editor's note: This text was found in a file dated May1983, though it is not clear whether it was written then or earlier.In May 1983 Richard Stallman was privately considering plans to develop afree operating system, but he may not yet have decided to make it aUnix-like system rather than something like the MIT Lisp Machine.

He had not yet conceptually distinguished the two meanings of“free”; this message is formulated in terms of gratis copies, but take for granted that this means users also have freedom.

Five years ago one could take for granted that any useful programwritten at SAIL, MIT, CMU, etc. would be shared. Since then, theseuniversities have started acting just like software houses—everythinguseful will be sold for an arm and a leg (usually after being writtenat gov't expense).

People find all sorts of excuses why it's harmful to give awaysoftware. These supposed problems never bothered us back when wewantedto share, and haven't affected EMACS, so I suspect they arebogus.

For example, people say that companies will “steal” itand sell it. If so, that would be no worse than Stanford selling it!At least people would have the choice of getting a free copy. Userswant to buy maintained software? Then let people sell servicecontracts—but give the software itself free.

I think I can dispose of any reasons you may think existfor not sharing software. But more important is the reasonwhy weshouldshare:

We would get more done with the same amount of work, ifartificial obstacles were removed. And we would feelmore in harmony with everyone else.

Sharing software is the form that scientific cooperationtakes in the field of computer science. Universities usedto defend the principle of scientific cooperation.Is it right for them to throw it over for profit?

Should we let them?

Right now graduate students here are working on programmingprojects that are specifically intended for sale. But ifwe create a climate of opinion like that of five years ago,the university wouldn't dare to do this. And if you startsharing, other people might start sharing with you.

So let's start sharing again.