The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software - to make sure the software is free for all its users. This General Public License applies to most of the Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it to your programs, too.
Softwarea partekatzeko eta aldatzeko askatasuna kentzeko diseinatuta daude software-lizentzia gehienak. Aitzitik, software librea partekatu eta aldatzeko duzun askatasuna bermatzea da GNU Lizentzia Publiko Orokorraren xedea, hau da, softwarea erabiltzaile guztientzat librea izango dela ziurtatzea. Lizentzia Publiko Orokor hau Free Software Foundation-en software gehienari aplikatzen zaio, baita beste edozein programari ere, egileek hala aginduz gero. (Free Software Foundation-en beste zenbait softwareri GNU Liburutegien Lizentzia Publiko Orokorra aplikatzen zaio horren ordez) Zure programei ere aplika diezaiekezu.