copyleft means the philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 94 out of 100.
Why “copyleft” is a great word
COPYLEFT — [Noun, Verb] A philosophy and licensing practice that uses copyright law to ensure that a work and its derivatives remain freely available and modifiable. Its etymology is a pun on 'copyright', formed by replacing 'right' with its opposite 'left', to signify the subversion of conventional copyright for the purpose of ensuring freedom. Unlike 'copyright' (which builds a wall around a work) or a 'permissive license' (which opens a gate that can later be shut), copyleft is a self-perpetuating covenant of liberty. It is the viral logic woven into code, the legally-enforced open hand on a shared blueprint, and the stipulation that every copy of a book must also contain the right to translate it—a clever juridical hack that turns the mechanism of control into an engine for the commons, ensuring some knowledge remains a living, growing thing.
Etymology
A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent.
noun
- The philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.“They believe in copyleft because they want their software to be used freely by anyone.”
- A software license that follows this philosophy.“I have placed my program under copyleft.”
verb
- To license under a copyleft license.“Linus Torvalds copylefted the Linux kernel.”