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GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2.1, February 1999
( opyright _- 1991 1999 Free Softv_are Foundation Inc.
59 Tenrpte Place. Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatmr copies of this license
docunrent, 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 .]
PreamNe
The licenses lPr most softr,_are are designed to take away your freedom
to share and change it By contrast, the GNU General Public Licenses are
intended to guarantee your freedonr to share and change free soi_r_are-to
nrake sure the sofrr_are is fiee for all its users.
This license, the Lesser General Public License. applies to some specially
designated software packages--typically libraries--of the Free Sol'r _ are
Foundation and other authors r_ho decide to use it. You can use it too, but r_e
suggest you first think carelhlly about r,_hether this license or the ordinar_c
General K_lblic Lice_rse is the better strategy to use m any particular case,
based on the explanations belor_.
When r,_e speak of free software, we are rel_rring to freedonr of use, not price
Our General Ptfblic Licenses are designed to nrake sure that you have the
freedonr to distribute copies of free software (and charge lbr this sepdce if yon
_ ish): that you receive sonrce code or can get it if you r_am it: that you can
change the soiir,_are and use pieces of it in new free programs: and that you
are inlbrmed that you can do these things
To protect your rights, _ e need to nrake restrictions that lbrbid distributors to
deas_ you these rights or to ask you to surrender these rights. These restrictions
trar_slate to certain responsibilities lbr yon if you distribnte copies of the
library or if you nrodil_ it
For exanrple, if you dislribute copies of the library, whether gratis or lPr a fee.
yon nrust give the recipients all the rights that we gave you You must make
sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code If yon link other code
vdth the library, you must provide complete object files to the recipients, so
that they can relink them r_ith the library after nrakmg changes to the library
and reconrpilmg it. And you nrust show them these terms so they know their
rights
We protect yonr rights with a tr,_o-step nrethod: (I) r_e copyright then library.
and (2) we ol"l_ryou this license, which gives yon legal permission to copy,
distribute an_or nrodil_, the library.
To protect each distributor, we want to nrake it ver_" clear that there is no
r_arranty fk)r the free libracv. Also. if the library is modified by sonreone
else and passed on, the recipients should know that r_hat they have is not the
original version, so that the original author's reputation r_ill not be affected by
problenrs that nright be introduced by others
Finally, softr_ are patents pose a constant threat to the existence of any free
progranr We wish to make snre that a conrpany cannot efl_ctively reslrict the
users of a free progranr by obtaining a restrictive license fronr a patent holder.
Therefore. we insist that any patent liceL_seobtained l"_r a version of the
library nrust be consistem r_ith the ihll freedom of use specified m this license.
Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordina U
G'qU General Public License This license, the GNU Lesser General Ptlblic
License. applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different from the
ordinary General Public License. We use this license for certain libraries in
order to pernrit linking those libraries into non-free programs.
When a program is linked _ith a library, whether statically or using a shared
library, the conrbination of the tr_ o is legally speaking a combined work,
a derivafive of the original library. The ordinary General Public License
therelPre permits such linking only if the entire conrbmation fits its criteria
of freedonr. The Lesser General Public License permits nrore lax criteria fbr
linking other code with the library.
We call this license the "Lesser" General Public License because it does Less
to protect the user's freedonr than the ordinary General Public License. It also
provides other free solh,_are developers Less of an advantage over conrpetmg
non-free progranrs. These disadvantages are the reason we use the ordinary
General Public License fk_rnrany libraries. However. the Lesser license
provides advantages m certain special circumstances
For example, on rare occasions, there nray be a special need to encourage the
widest possible use of a certain library, so that it beconres a de-facto standard
To achieve this, non-li'ee progranrs nrnst be allor_ ed to use the librari,. A more
frequent case is that a li_ee library does the sanre job as widely used non-free
libraries. In this case. there is little to gain by Imriting the fiee library to free
software only, so r_e use the Lesser General Public License.
In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-f?ee programs
enables a greater murrber of people to use a large body of free software. For
exanrple, permission to use the GNU ( Library m non-free programs enables
nrany more people to use the whole GNU operating system, as well as its
variant, the GNUiLinux operating systenr.
Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the users'
freedonr, it does ensure that the user ofa progranr that is linked with the
Libracv has the freedom and the r_herer_ ithal to run that progranr using a
modified version of the Library
The precise terms and conditions lbr copying, distribution and modification
foltor_ Pay close attention to the difi?rence between a 'r,_ork based on the
library" and a 'work that _ses the library". The 1briner contains code derived
fronr the fibrin% whereas the latter nrust be conrbined r_ith the library in order
to run
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