The Free Software Definition describes the four software freedoms:

• The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Replimat seeks to extend the paradigm of Free, Libre, and Open Source Software into Open Hardware and the open design movement by applying the four software freedoms to physical goods and processes. Re-contextualized around physical goods, the freedoms become:

• The freedom to use. Run or otherwise execute the software, product, or process.
• The freedom to inspect or view how the object functions in the preferred format for making changes. This stems from the freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish. Access to the source code such as CAD files, text documents, spreadsheets, calculations, instructions, etc. is a necessary prerequisite for making substantive changes.
• The freedom to modify. This is a big point: making improvements or adaptation is a key to distributing value.
• Economic freedom. The freedom to sell. Freedom distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

The four essential freedoms enable the fundamental creative processes: copying, transformation, and combination as outlined in Everything is a Remix:

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Replimat Licenses

References