Re: lynx-dev On invitations and pressure

[Richard Stallman]

    All of my objections center around one insurmountable obstacle.  You (I
    think more RMS than GNU/FSF) insist that if GNU software is included
    into a "proprietary" project, that project must become "free" by your
    definition.

I think what you have in mind is the GNU GPL, rather than me or the
GNU Project.  The GPL is the preferred license for GNU software
generally; in addition, many other projects and people that are not
part of GNU also choose to use the GNU GPL.  But your description of
the GNU GPL is not quite accurate.

The GPL does not actually insist that "You must make your program
free"--there is no way anyone can insist on that.  What the GPL does
insist on is that if you write a non-free program, you must not use
our code in it.

People often choose to make a program free, in order to have
permission to use GPL-covered code in it.  We who use the GPL
typically hope to *influence* others in this way--I certainly do.  But
the GPL doesn't *force* anyone to do so.  People who firmly refuse to
make their software free still have the legal option of not using our
code, or removing our code if they did use it without permission.