copyleft

Definition

The philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.

Etymology

A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent.

Example Sentences

• "They believe in copyleft because they want their software to be used freely by anyone."
• "I have placed my program under copyleft."
• "The GNU General Public License is a copyleft licence."