Recordings about GNU Philosophy and History

We only list here recordings that are hosted on audio-video.gnu.org. Introductory videos explaining basic notions come first, and are marked with an asterisk. The other recordings are in reverse chronological order. Associated resources (transcripts, subtitles, etc., if any) are also listed.

Select recordings







Play * La educación y el conocimiento libres (2008)

Copyright © 2008 Richard M. Stallman
License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)

In this six-min video Richard Stallman explains briefly and to the point the principles of Free Software and how they connect to education.


Play Software Libre: Libertad, Autonomı́a, Soberanı́a (Parlamento Centroamericano, Guatemala, 2023)

Copyright © 2023 Alexandre Oliva (speech)
License:  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Inmediatamente nosotros nos comunicamos con Alexandre Oliva, él estuvo positivo en compartir sus conocimientos, pero cuando le expresamos que había que utilizar un software privativo, inmediatamente ahí puso un llamado de atención. Y desde ahí comenzó a enseñarnos cómo no debemos depender de este software privativo.

Alexandre no utiliza software privativo, está utilizando un software libre. El sistema lo está interconectando con la plataforma que estamos utilizando. Nos enseña que debemos priorizar la libertad, la autonomía y la soberanía.

--Diputado Luis Coronado


Play Resisting Unjust Platforms and Systems (Lisbon, 2019)

Copyright © 2019 Richard Stallman and Juan Paulo Branco Lopez
License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)

0:00:00 to 0:01:57:  Introduction by Juan Branco, in Portuguese
0:01:57 to 0:51:42:  Speech by Richard Stallman, in English
0:51:42 to 0:57:38:  Auction, in English
0:57:38 to 1:17:42:  Conversation between Juan Branco and RMS, in English


Play Pour une société numérique libre (Choisy-le-Roi, 2016)

License:  Creative Commons attribution, pas de modification, 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)


Play Richard Stallman inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame – his short acceptance speech (Berlin, 2013)

License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)

The Internet Hall of Fame celebrates Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders from around the world who believed in the design and potential of an open Internet and, through their work, helped change the way we live and work today.


Play Solutions to the Software Patent Problem (Santa Clara, 2012)

License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)


Play What Makes Digital Inclusion Good or Bad? (Paris, 2011)

License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)

Activities directed at “including” more people in the use of digital technology are predicated on the assumption that such inclusion is invariably a good thing. It appears so, when judged solely by immediate practical convenience. However, if we also judge in terms of human rights, whether digital inclusion is good or bad depends on what kind of digital world we are to be included in. If we wish to work towards digital inclusion as a goal, it behooves us to make sure it is the good kind.


Play Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks (Christchurch, 2009)

Copyright © 2009 Richard Stallman
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play The Danger of Software Patents (Wellington, 2009)

Copyright © 2009 Richard Stallman
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play Logiciel libre : les droits de l'homme de l'utilisateur (Paris, 2007)

License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 (CC BY-ND 3.0)


Play The Dangers of Software Patents (Sydney, 2004)

Copyright © 2004 Richard Stallman (speech)
Copyright © 2004 John Jacobs (recording)
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play Free Software, Free Society! (interview Edinburgh, 2004)

Copyright © 2004 Richard Stallman, anarchobabe (IMC Scotland)
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play Software Patents – Obstacles to software development (Cambridge, UK, 2002)

Copyright © 2002 Richard Stallman
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play L'éthique du système GNU/Linux et de la communauté des logiciels libres, les tâches à accomplir et les risques à envisager (Paris, 2002)

Copyright © 2002 Richard Stallman
License:  La reproduction et la distribution à l'identique de cet enregistrement sont permises pourvu que le présent avis soit conservé.


Play The Danger of Software Patents (Thrikkakara, Kerala, 2001)

Copyright © 2001 Richard Stallman
License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 United States License (CC BY-ND 3.0)


Play Free Software: Freedom and Cooperation (New York, 2001)

Copyright © 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.


Play Copyright and Globalization in the Age of Computer Networks (Cambridge, MA, 2001)

Copyright © 2001 Richard Stallman
License:  Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.