Editing Obfuscation (software) (section)

=== Obfuscation and copyleft licenses ===
There has been debate on whether it is illegal to skirt [[copyleft]] [[software license]]s by releasing source code in obfuscated form, such as in cases in which the author is less willing to make the source code available. The issue is addressed in the [[GNU General Public License]] by requiring the "preferred form for making modifications" to be made available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reasoning behind the "preferred form of the work for making modifications to it" language in the GPL |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/431651/ |access-date=2013-11-25 |publisher=Lwn.net |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231646/http://lwn.net/Articles/431651/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The GNU website states "Obfuscated 'source code' is not real source code and does not count as source code."<ref>{{cite web |title=What is free software? |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |access-date=2014-12-18 |publisher=gnu.org |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014132149/http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |url-status=live }}</ref>