doc/LGPL.texi

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@center GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
@center Version 2.1, February 1999

@sp 1

Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA 

Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
license document, but changing it is not allowed.

[This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL.  It also counts
as the successor of the GNU Library Public License, version 2, hence the
version number 2.1.]

@sp 1
@center Preamble
@sp 1

The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to
share and change it.  By contrast, the GNU General Public Licenses are
intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to
make sure the software is free for all its users.

This license, the Lesser General Public License, applies to some
specially designated software packages--typically libraries--of the Free
Software Foundation and other authors who decide to use it.  You can use
it too, but we suggest you first think carefully about whether this
license or the ordinary General Public License is the better strategy to
use in any particular case, based on the explanations below.

When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom of use, not
price.  Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
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To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
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For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis or
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must show them these terms so they know their rights.

We protect your rights with a two-step method: (1) we copyright the
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Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary
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License, applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different
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When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using a
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License permits more lax criteria for linking other code with the
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We call this license the ``Lesser'' General Public License because it does
Less to protect the user's freedom than the ordinary General Public
License.  It also provides other free software developers Less of an
advantage over competing non-free programs.  These disadvantages are the
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For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to encourage
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In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free
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as well as its variant, the GNU/Linux operating system.

Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the
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with the Library has the freedom and the wherewithal to run that program
using a modified version of the Library.

The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
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former contains code derived from the library, whereas the latter must
be combined with the library in order to run.

@page

@center GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
@center TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION

@enumerate 0

@sp 1
@item
This License Agreement applies to any software library or other program
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program that uses the Library does.

@sp 1
@item
You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete
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You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and
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@sp 1
@item
You may modify your copy or copies of the Library or any portion of it,
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you also meet all of these conditions:

@enumerate a

@item
The modified work must itself be a software library.

@sp 1
@item
You must cause the files modified to carry prominent notices stating
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@sp 1
@item
You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no charge to all
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@sp 1
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If a facility in the modified Library refers to a function or a table of
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@end enumerate

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@sp 1
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You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public
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@sp 1
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@sp 1
@item
A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but
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@sp 1
@item
As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or link a
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@enumerate a

@sp 1
@item
Accompany the work with the complete corresponding machine-readable
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@sp 1
@item
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@sp 1
@item
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@sp 1
@item
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@sp 1
@item
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@end enumerate

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@sp 1
@item
You may place library facilities that are a work based on the Library
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@enumerate a

@sp 1
@item
Accompany the combined library with a copy of the same work based on the
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@sp 1
@item
Give prominent notice with the combined library of the fact that part of
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@end enumerate

@sp 1
@item
You may not copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the
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@sp 1
@item
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@sp 1
@item
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@sp 1
@item
If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
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If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under
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It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any
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This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be
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@sp 1
@item
If the distribution and/or use of the Library is restricted in certain
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@sp 1
@item
The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of
the Lesser General Public License from time to time.  Such new versions
will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in
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Each version is given a distinguishing version number.  If the Library
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version number, you may choose any version ever published by the Free
Software Foundation.

@sp 1
@item
If you wish to incorporate parts of the Library into other free programs
whose distribution conditions are incompatible with these, write to the
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sometimes make exceptions for this.  Our decision will be guided by the
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@sp 1
@center NO WARRANTY
@sp 1

@item
BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR
THE LIBRARY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.  EXCEPT WHEN
OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
PROVIDE THE LIBRARY ``AS IS'' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
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YOU.  SHOULD THE LIBRARY PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL
NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

@sp 1
@item
IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
REDISTRIBUTE THE LIBRARY AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR
DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
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(INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED
INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF
THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR
OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

@end enumerate

@sp 1
@center END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
@sp 1
@page
@center How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries

If you develop a new library, and you want it to be of the greatest
possible use to the public, we recommend making it free software that
everyone can redistribute and change.  You can do so by permitting
redistribution under these terms (or, alternatively, under the terms of
the ordinary General Public License).

To apply these terms, attach the following notices to the library.  It
is safest to attach them to the start of each source file to most
effectively convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have
at least the ``copyright'' line and a pointer to where the full notice is
found.

@format
@t{
<one line to give the library's name and a brief idea of what it does.>
Copyright (C) <year>  <name of author>

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307  USA
}
@end format

Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.

You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your
school, if any, to sign a ``copyright disclaimer'' for the library, if
necessary.  Here is a sample; alter the names:

@format
@t{
Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the
library `Frob' (a library for tweaking knobs) written by James Random Hacker.

<signature of Ty Coon>, 1 April 1990
Ty Coon, President of Vice
}
@end format

That's all there is to it!

@c @bye