[techtalk] [rms@gnu.org: Using the GNU FDL]

[Tami Friedman]

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From: Richard Stallman <rms at gnu.org>
To: info-gnu at gnu.org
Subject: Using the GNU FDL
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 02:22:51 -0400

If you know someone who is writing a manual about free software, and looking
towards commercial publication, you have a chance to help the Free Software
Movement a great deal with a small amount of work: by suggesting the idea of
publishing the manual under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Until recently, commercial book publication almost always implied a non-free
book.  But just as free commercial software has been increasing for a while,
now free commercial documentation is starting to take off as well.  Some of
the major commercial publishers of documentation about the GNU/Linux system,
and about free software in general, are now willing to publish books under
the GNU FDL, and pay the authors in the usual way--IF the authors are firm
about this.

But publishers are likely to first propose an ordinary proprietary book.
And if the authors agree, that's what it will be.  So it is essential for
authors to take the lead; to say, "We want to use the GNU FDL for this
book".  So when your friend mentions writing a manual, you can influence the
course of events simply by pointing out this possibility.

If a publisher rejects the request at first, the GNU Project may be able to
help the authors prevail.  They can contact us at <gnu at gnu.org>.

There are other legitimate free documentation licenses, but sometimes using
them requires care.  For example, one license is equipped with two optional
clauses that can be enabled; the license is free if neither optional clause
is used, but enabling either of them makes the book non-free.  (See
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html.)  Authors that want to
publish free documentation, but using a license other than the GNU FDL, can
contact us so we can check that the license really qualifies for free
documentation.

When a commercial manual is free and relates to the GNU system, the GNU
Project can recommend it to the public.  So if the authors or publisher set
up a web page to describe it and/or sell copies, we can make a link to that
page from www.gnu.org, provided the page meets our usual criteria (for
instance, it should not link to other pages about non-free software or
documentation, and should not be obnoxious about trying to persuade people
to buy).  Please inform <webmasters at gnu.org> about such pages.
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