Peter Suber points to new Definition of Free Cultural Works, that, adapting the Free Software Definition, says:
[…] works of authorship should be free, and by freedom we mean:
- the freedom to use the work and enjoy the benefits of using it
- the freedom to study the work and to apply knowledge acquired from it
- the freedom to make and redistribute copies, in whole or in part, of the information or expression
- the freedom to make changes and improvements, and to distribute derivative works
Doing exactly this same exercise, I wrote back in October 2003 what I thought were The four kinds of freedom of free knowledge, namely:
- The freedom to use the knowledge, for any purpose (freedom 0).
- The freedom to study how the knowledge applies, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source information is a precondition for this.
- The freedom to redistribute knowledge so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
- The freedom to improve the knowledge, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source information is a precondition for this.
Same thing with only a different approach: Benjamin Mako Hill and Erik Möller focus on content, and I do in knowledge :)
If you need to cite this article in a formal way (i.e. for bibliographical purposes) I dare suggest:
Peña-López, I. (2007) “Definition of Free Cultural Works” In ICTlogy,
#41, February 2007. Barcelona: ICTlogy.
Retrieved month dd, yyyy from
https://ictlogy.net/review/?p=506
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We are a little bit more specific in articulating these freedoms by distinguishing between licenses and works. Licenses can be used to secure freedoms, but works can be non-free even if covered by a free license (e.g. a closed source computer program that can be freely copied, but is effectively not modifiable).
See also: http://communities.libre.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libre_knowledge