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<title>Proprietary Incompatibility
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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<h2>Proprietary Incompatibility</h2>
<div class="infobox">
<hr class="full-width" />
<p>Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to
mistreat the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers,
which puts them in a position of power over the users; <a
href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">that is the
basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise
that power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve.</p>
<p>This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.</p>
<hr class="full-width" />
</div>
<div class="article">
<p>One of these malicious functionalities is the deliberate
incompatibility of a program with third party software that operates on
the same data types.</p>
<p>A fairly common sort of incompatibility is the use of secret formats
or protocols. This directly blocks or hinders users from switching to
any other program—and, in particular, from switching to free
software which can liberate the device the software runs on.</p>
<p>Apart from being deliberately anticompetitive, secret formats put users'
digital data at risk. For instance, retrieval of old data will become very
difficult if support for the proprietary software that can read it is
discontinued.</p>
<p>Another sort of incompatibility occurs when a system makes some 
important operation which would be necessary for migrating data to any
other system so cumbersome or so slow that it isn't doable for more than
a small amount of data.</p>
<p>More generally, the major tech companies tend to impose <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/interoperability-fix-internet-not-tech-companies">
artificial restrictions</a> on the interoperability of their products to
monopolize the market, and this is often achieved through proprietary
malware.</p>
<div class="important">
<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
here, please write
to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>
to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or (削除) two (削除ここまで) (追記) two, 
preferably in English, (追記ここまで) to serve as specific substantiation.</p>
</div>
<div class="column-limit" id="proprietary-incompatibility"></div>
<ul class="blurbs">
(追記) <!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary-incompatibility.html. -->
 <li id="M202507250">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2025-07</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>Echelon forcefully <a
 href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/firmware-update-hinders-echelon-smart-home-gym-equipments-ability-to-work-offline/">
 downgraded the firmware of its home gym equipment</a>
 so that the devices will provide their full capabilities
 only if connected to Echelon's servers and only with a
 paid subscription, all the while breaking compatibility
 with third party apps that offer additional functionalities. <a
 href="https://www.404media.co/developer-unlocks-newly-enshittified-echelon-exercise-bikes-but-cant-legally-release-his-software/">
 Efforts to restore offline functionality</a> were successful, but
 the fix can't be released due to section 1201 of the DMCA.</p>
 <p><small>Note that those articles mention “open
 source”; the GNU Project recommends the expression <a
 href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">free/libre
 software</a> instead.</small></p>
 </li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary-incompatibility.html. -->
 <li id="M202401280">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2024-01</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>Apple repeatedly <a
 href="https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/rip-beeper-mini-imessage-on-android-is-now-truly-done">
 sabotaged Beeper Mini</a>, a client to replace its iMessage instant
 messaging service, interfering with people's ability to use their
 installed software just to keep a dominant position in that market
 by avoiding competition.</p>
 </li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary-incompatibility.html. -->
 <li id="M202311070">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2023-11</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>Chamberlain Group <a
 href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/chamberlain-blocks-smart-garage-door-opener-from-working-with-smart-homes/">blocks
 users from using third-party software</a> with its garage
 openers. This is an intentional attack on using free software. The
 official garage opener proprietary mobile app is now also <a
 href="https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain">infested
 with ads, including up-selling its other services and devices.</a></p>
 </li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary-incompatibility.html. --> (追記ここまで)
 <li id="M201803300">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2018-03</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>In MacOS and iOS, the procedure for <a
 href="https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/export-photos-videos-and-slideshows-pht6e157c5f/mac">
 converting images from the Photos format</a> to a free format is so
 tedious and time-consuming that users just give up if they have a
 lot of them.</p>
 </li>
 (削除) <li id="M201802120">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2018-02</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>Apple devices lock users (削除ここまで)
(追記) <!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit (追記ここまで) in (削除) <a
 href="https://gizmodo.com/homepod-is-the-ultimate-apple-product-in-a-bad-way-1822883347">
 solely to Apple services</a> by being designed to be incompatible
 with all other options, ethical or unethical.</p>
 </li> (削除ここまで) (追記) proprietary-incompatibility.html. --> (追記ここまで)
 <li id="M201605044">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2016-05</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>iWork (office software that runs on MacOS,
 iOS and iCloud) uses secret formats and <a
 href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWork">provides no means of
 converting them to or from Open Document Formats</a>. iWork
 formats have changed several times since they were first
 introduced. This may have had the effect of thwarting <a
 (削除) href="https://github.com/obriensp/iWorkFileFormat">reverse (削除ここまで)
 (追記) href="/gothub/obriensp/iWorkFileFormat/">reverse (追記ここまで) engineering
 efforts</a>, thus preventing free software from fully supporting
 them.</p>
 <p>iWork formats are considered <a
 href="https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/download/attachments/204385883/Format%20profile%20-%20Apple%20iWork%20Pages%20v04.docx?version=1&modificationDate=1459873751000&api=v2">
 unfit for document preservation</a>.</p>
 </li>
(追記) <!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary-incompatibility.html. --> (追記ここまで)
 <li id="M201602110">
 <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2016-02</small>'
 --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
 <p>A pacemaker running proprietary code <a
 href="https://www.wired.com/2016/02/i-want-to-know-what-code-is-running-inside-my-body/">was
 misconfigured and could have killed the implanted person</a>. In order
 to find out what was wrong and get it fixed, the person needed to break
 into the remote device that sets parameters in the pacemaker (possibly
 infringing upon manufacturer's rights under the DMCA). If this system
 had run free software, it could have been fixed much sooner.</p>
 </li>
</ul>
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<p class="unprintable">Updated:
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