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Software which is distributed for zero price is often termed "free", but that English word is also associated with liberty. A definition for Free Software already exists; it is confusing to use the word "free" to refer to a restrictively-licensed program that merely has a zero price tag.

Note that whether a particular program is zero cost is a function of an individual act of distribution -- the same identical program may be distributed to different people, or at different times, for various prices, including zero.

In contrast, whether a program is Free Software is a function of whether its users are able to exercise their freedoms.

2026-02-14 16:15