> suggesting they actually think "public domain" means "freely redistributable" or something like that I definitely recall some people understanding "public do

> suggesting they actually think "public domain" means "freely redistributable" or something like that I definitely recall some people understanding "public domain" in that sense in the 1980s. Other people, frustrated with that understanding, did try to encourage adoption of "freeware" for "freely redistributable" software that was still subject to copyright. I don't recall seeing a great deal of distinction between the two prior to the publication of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar".