Version 1.1 of the definition has been released. Please help updating it, contribute translations, and help us with the design of logos and buttons to identify free cultural works and licenses!
History
The definition was initiated by Erik Möller as a means to resolve ambiguity about the phrase "free content" in the context of the Wikimedia project family. It was inspired by the Free Software Definition. Helpful feedback was provided during the initial authoring process (in this chronological order) by Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation, Lawrence Lessig of Creative Commons, and Angela Beesley, board member of the Wikimedia Foundation and Vice President of Wikia, 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 was announced on May 1, 2006.