Free software movement

Definition
The free software movement is a social and political movement with the goal of ensuring software users' four basic freedoms: the freedom to run it, to study and change it, and to redistribute copies with or without changes.

Overview
The alternative terms "software libre", "open source", and "FOSS" are associated with the free software movement. Although drawing on traditions and philosophies among members of the 1970s hacker culture, Richard Stallman is credited with launching the movement in 1983 by founding the GNU Project.