Re: [Trisquel-users] Ralink drivers under GPL license but still considered non-free?

[mikko . viinamaki]

Without knowing this case it could be the same as with Linux, which is under  
GPL v2 and yet non-free, because it contains binary blobs possibly in breach  
of it's own license. These proprietary firmwares are purged in Linux-Libre,  
which is what the free distros use. Debian also uses a sanitized kernel,  
unlike Ubuntu.

Related reading  
http://mako.cc/writing/hill-when_free_software_isnt_better.html