Free Software
Jam is free as in freedom. We believe that free software is an imperative for a free society, which is why Jam is released under a free software license.
Bitcoin is financial software. Consequently, any financial liberation that is enabled by Bitcoin rests on the four essential freedoms granted by free software.
“Free software” means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. Thus, “free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech,” not as in “free beer.”
Free software puts the users in control, both collectively and individually. Free software is not only about being "open" and "more secure." While these are nice side-effects, the main issue is about control and respecting user's freedoms.
Why Free Software Is Even More Important Now
Freedom means having control over your own life. If you use a program to carry out activities in your life, your freedom depends on your having control over the program. You deserve to have control over the programs you use, and all the more so when you use them for something important in your life.
Most software and software products force the user into a master-slave relationship, as do most monetary systems and financial products. Bitcoin is freedom money because the software that makes Bitcoin possible is free software—free as in freedom. There are no masters, only peers.