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Williams, Sam

"Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software"

He said he was willing to ignore
whatever software the publisher or its third-party
vendors employed just so long as the company specified
within the copyright that readers were free to make and
distribute verbatim copies of the e-book's content.
Stallman pointed to Stephen King's The Plant as a
possible model. In June, 2000, King announced on his
official web site that he was self-publishing The Plant
in serial form. According to the announcement, the
book's total cost would be $13, spread out over a
series of $1 installments. As long as at least 75% of
the readers paid for each chapter, King promised to
continue releasing new installments. By August, the
plan seemed to be working, as King had published the
first two chapters with a third on the way.
"I'd be willing to accept something like that,"
Stallman said. "As long as it also permitted verbatim copying."
I forwarded the information to Tracy. Feeling confident
that she and I might be able to work out an equitable
arrangement, I called up Stallman and set up the first
interview for the book.


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