Version 1.1 of thedefinition has been released. Pleasehelp updating it, contributetranslations, and help us with the design oflogos and buttons to identify free cultural works and licenses!

Thedefinition was initiated byErik Möller as a means to resolve ambiguity about the phrase "free content" in the context of theWikimedia project family. It was inspired by theFree Software Definition. Helpful feedback was provided during the initial authoring process (in this chronological order) byRichard Stallman of theFree Software Foundation,Lawrence Lessig ofCreative Commons, andAngela Beesley, board member of theWikimedia Foundation and Vice President ofWikia, Inc.Benjamin Mako Hill, who had been pursuing similar goals (as exemplified in his paper"Towards a Standard of Freedom") quickly joined the project and helped to actively improve the definition even before the launch of the open editing phase, becoming a co-initiator.

The beginning of the open editing phase wasannounced on May 1, 2006.