%%
%%

\section*{GNU Lesser General Public License}
\label{_ChapterStart49}
\index[general]{GNU Lesser General Public License }
\index[general]{License!GNU Lesser General Public }
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{GNU Lesser General Public License}

\elink{image of a Philosophical
GNU}{http://www.gnu.org/graphics/philosophicalgnu.html} [  
\elink{English}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html} | 
\elink{Japanese}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.ja.html} ] 

\begin{itemize}
\item 
   \elink{Why you shouldn't use the Lesser GPL for your next
   library}{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html}  
\item 
   \elink{What to do if you see a possible LGPL
   violation}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl-violation.html}  
\item 
   \elink{Translations of the
   LGPL}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html\#translationsLGPL}  
\item The GNU Lesser General Public License as a  
   \elink{text file}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.txt}  
\item The GNU Lesser General Public License as a  
   \elink{Texinfo}{http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.texi} file 
   \end{itemize}


This GNU Lesser General Public License counts as the successor of the GNU
Library General Public License. For an explanation of why this change was
necessary, read the 
\elink{Why you shouldn't use the Lesser GPL for your next
library}{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html} article. 

\subsection*{Table of Contents}
\index[general]{Table of Contents }
\index[general]{Contents!Table of }
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{Table of Contents}

\begin{itemize}
\item 
   \label{TOC12}
   \ilink{GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE}{SEC12} 

\begin{itemize}
\item 
   \label{TOC23}
   \ilink{Preamble}{SEC23} 
\item 
   \label{TOC34}
   \ilink{TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND
MODIFICATION}{SEC34} 
\item 
   \label{TOC45}
   \ilink{How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries}{SEC45} 
\end{itemize}

\end{itemize}


\subsection*{
\ilink{GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE}{TOC12}}
\label{SEC12}
\index[general]{LICENSE!GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC }
\index[general]{GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE }
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE}

Version 2.1, February 1999 

\footnotesize
\begin{verbatim}
Copyright (C) 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.]
\end{verbatim}
\normalsize

\subsection*{
\ilink{Preamble}{TOC23}}
\label{SEC23}
\index[general]{Preamble }
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{Preamble}

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\verb:--: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\verb:--:typically libraries\verb:--: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 have the
freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if
you wish); that you receive source code or can get it if you want it; that you
can change the software and use pieces of it in new free programs; and that
you are informed that you can do these things. 

To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid distributors
to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender these rights. These
restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute
copies of the library or if you modify it. 

For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis or for a
fee, you must 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 you link
other code with the library, you must provide complete object files to the
recipients, so that they can relink them with the library after making changes
to the library and recompiling it. And you must show them these terms so they
know their rights. 

We protect your rights with a two-step method: (1) we copyright the library,
and (2) we offer you this license, which gives you legal permission to copy,
distribute and/or modify the library. 

To protect each distributor, we want to make it very clear that there is no
warranty for the free library. Also, if the library is modified by someone
else and passed on, the recipients should know that what they have is not the
original version, so that the original author's reputation will not be
affected by problems that might be introduced by others. 

Finally, software patents pose a constant threat to the existence of any free
program. We wish to make sure that a company cannot effectively restrict the
users of a free program by obtaining a restrictive license from a patent
holder. Therefore, we insist that any patent license obtained for a version of
the library must be consistent with the full freedom of use specified in this
license. 

Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary GNU
General Public License. This license, the GNU Lesser General Public 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 permit linking those libraries into non-free programs. 

When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using a shared
library, the combination of the two is legally speaking a combined work, a
derivative of the original library. The ordinary General Public License
therefore permits such linking only if the entire combination fits its
criteria of freedom. The Lesser General Public License permits more lax
criteria for linking other code with the library. 

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 reason we use the
ordinary General Public License for many libraries. However, the Lesser
license provides advantages in certain special circumstances. 

For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to encourage the
widest possible use of a certain library, so that it becomes a de-facto
standard. To achieve this, non-free programs must be allowed to use the
library. A more frequent case is that a free library does the same job as
widely used non-free libraries. In this case, there is little to gain by
limiting the free library to free software only, so we use the Lesser General
Public License. 

In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free programs
enables a greater number of people to use a large body of free software. For
example, permission to use the GNU C Library in non-free programs enables many
more people to use the whole GNU operating system, as well as its variant, the
GNU/Linux operating system. 

Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the users'
freedom, it does ensure that the user of a program that is linked 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 modification
follow. Pay close attention to the difference between a "work based on the
library" and a "work that uses the library". The former contains code
derived from the library, whereas the latter must be combined with the library
in order to run. 

\subsection*{
\ilink{TERMS AND CONDITIONS}{TOC34}}
\label{SEC34}
\index[general]{CONDITIONS!TERMS AND }
\index[general]{TERMS AND CONDITIONS }
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{TERMS AND CONDITIONS}

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION 

{\bf 0.} This License Agreement applies to any software library or other
program which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder or other
authorized party saying it may be distributed under the terms of this Lesser
General Public License (also called "this License"). Each licensee is
addressed as "you". 

A "library" means a collection of software functions and/or data prepared so
as to be conveniently linked with application programs (which use some of
those functions and data) to form executables. 

The "Library", below, refers to any such software library or work which has
been distributed under these terms. A "work based on the Library" means
either the Library or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to say,
a work containing the Library or a portion of it, either verbatim or with
modifications and/or translated straightforwardly into another language.
(Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term
"modification".) 

"Source code" for a work means the preferred form of the work for making
modifications to it. For a library, complete source code means all the source
code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition
files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the
library. 

Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered
by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running a program
using the Library is not restricted, and output from such a program is covered
only if its contents constitute a work based on the Library (independent of
the use of the Library in a tool for writing it). Whether that is true depends
on what the Library does and what the program that uses the Library does. 

{\bf 1.} You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete
source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously
and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and
disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License
and to the absence of any warranty; and distribute a copy of this License
along with the Library. 

You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may
at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee. 

{\bf 2.} You may modify your copy or copies of the Library or any portion of
it, thus forming a work based on the Library, and copy and distribute such
modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you
also meet all of these conditions: 

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf a)}  The modified work must itself be a software library.  
\item {\bf b)}  You must cause the files modified to carry prominent notices 
   stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.  
\item {\bf c)}  You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no 
   charge to all third parties under the terms of this License.  
\item {\bf d)}  If a facility in the modified Library refers to a function or
   a  table of data to be supplied by an application program that uses  the
   facility, other than as an argument passed when the facility  is invoked, then
you must make a good faith effort to ensure that,  in the event an application
does not supply such function or  table, the facility still operates, and
performs whatever part of  its purpose remains meaningful.  

(For example, a function in a library to compute square roots has  a purpose
that is entirely well-defined independent of the  application. Therefore,
Subsection 2d requires that any  application-supplied function or table used
by this function must  be optional: if the application does not supply it, the
square  root function must still compute square roots.)  

These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If  identifiable
sections of that work are not derived from the Library,  and can be reasonably
considered independent and separate works in  themselves, then this License,
and its terms, do not apply to those  sections when you distribute them as
separate works. But when you  distribute the same sections as part of a whole
which is a work based  on the Library, the distribution of the whole must be
on the terms of  this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to
the  entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote 
it.  

Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest  your
rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to  exercise the
right to control the distribution of derivative or  collective works based on
the Library.  

In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Library  with
the Library (or with a work based on the Library) on a volume of  a storage or
distribution medium does not bring the other work under  the scope of this
License. 
\end{itemize}

{\bf 3.} You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public
License instead of this License to a given copy of the Library. To do this,
you must alter all the notices that refer to this License, so that they refer
to the ordinary GNU General Public License, version 2, instead of to this
License. (If a newer version than version 2 of the ordinary GNU General Public
License has appeared, then you can specify that version instead if you wish.)
Do not make any other change in these notices. 

Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that copy, so
the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all subsequent copies and
derivative works made from that copy. 

This option is useful when you wish to copy part of the code of the Library
into a program that is not a library. 

{\bf 4.} You may copy and distribute the Library (or a portion or derivative
of it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you accompany it with the complete
corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under
the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software
interchange. 

If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy from a
designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source code from
the same place satisfies the requirement to distribute the source code, even
though third parties are not compelled to copy the source along with the
object code. 

{\bf 5.} A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library,
but is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it,
is called a "work that uses the Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not
a derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls outside the scope of
this License. 

However, linking a "work that uses the Library" with the Library creates an
executable that is a derivative of the Library (because it contains portions
of the Library), rather than a "work that uses the library". The executable
is therefore covered by this License. Section 6 states terms for distribution
of such executables. 

When a "work that uses the Library" uses material from a header file that is
part of the Library, the object code for the work may be a derivative work of
the Library even though the source code is not. Whether this is true is
especially significant if the work can be linked without the Library, or if
the work is itself a library. The threshold for this to be true is not
precisely defined by law. 

If such an object file uses only numerical parameters, data structure layouts
and accessors, and small macros and small inline functions (ten lines or less
in length), then the use of the object file is unrestricted, regardless of
whether it is legally a derivative work. (Executables containing this object
code plus portions of the Library will still fall under Section 6.) 

Otherwise, if the work is a derivative of the Library, you may distribute the
object code for the work under the terms of Section 6. Any executables
containing that work also fall under Section 6, whether or not they are linked
directly with the Library itself. 

{\bf 6.} As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or link a
"work that uses the Library" with the Library to produce a work containing
portions of the Library, and distribute that work under terms of your choice,
provided that the terms permit modification of the work for the customer's own
use and reverse engineering for debugging such modifications. 

You must give prominent notice with each copy of the work that the Library is
used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by this License. You
must supply a copy of this License. If the work during execution displays
copyright notices, you must include the copyright notice for the Library among
them, as well as a reference directing the user to the copy of this License.
Also, you must do one of these things: 

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf a)} Accompany the work with the complete corresponding 
   machine-readable source code for the Library including whatever  changes were
   used in the work (which must be distributed under  Sections 1 and 2 above);
and, if the work is an executable linked  with the Library, with the complete
machine-readable "work that  uses the Library", as object code and/or source
code, so that the  user can modify the Library and then relink to produce a
modified  executable containing the modified Library. (It is understood  that
the user who changes the contents of definitions files in the  Library will
not necessarily be able to recompile the application  to use the modified
definitions.)  
\item {\bf b)} Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the 
   Library. A suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at run time a  copy of the
   library already present on the user's computer system,  rather than copying
library functions into the executable, and (2)  will operate properly with a
modified version of the library, if  the user installs one, as long as the
modified version is  interface-compatible with the version that the work was
made with.  
\item {\bf c)} Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at  least
   three years, to give the same user the materials  specified in Subsection 6a,
   above, for a charge no more  than the cost of performing this distribution.  
\item {\bf d)} If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy 
   from a designated place, offer equivalent access to copy the above  specified
   materials from the same place.  
\item {\bf e)} Verify that the user has already received a copy of these 
   materials or that you have already sent this user a copy. 
   \end{itemize}

For an executable, the required form of the "work that uses the Library"
must include any data and utility programs needed for reproducing the
executable from it. However, as a special exception, the materials to be
distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either
source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on)
of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
itself accompanies the executable. 

It may happen that this requirement contradicts the license restrictions of
other proprietary libraries that do not normally accompany the operating
system. Such a contradiction means you cannot use both them and the Library
together in an executable that you distribute. 

{\bf 7.} You may place library facilities that are a work based on the Library
side-by-side in a single library together with other library facilities not
covered by this License, and distribute such a combined library, provided that
the separate distribution of the work based on the Library and of the other
library facilities is otherwise permitted, and provided that you do these two
things: 

\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf a)} Accompany the combined library with a copy of the same work 
   based on the Library, uncombined with any other library  facilities. This must
   be distributed under the terms of the  Sections above.  
\item {\bf b)} Give prominent notice with the combined library of the fact 
   that part of it is a work based on the Library, and explaining  where to find
   the accompanying uncombined form of the same work. 
\end{itemize}

{\bf 8.} You may not copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the
Library except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise
to copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the Library is void, and
will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties
who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have
their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance. 

{\bf 9.} You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute
the Library or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by law if
you do not accept this License. Therefore, by modifying or distributing the
Library (or any work based on the Library), you indicate your acceptance of
this License to do so, and all its terms and conditions for copying,
distributing or modifying the Library or works based on it. 

{\bf 10.} Each time you redistribute the Library (or any work based on the
Library), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original
licensor to copy, distribute, link with or modify the Library subject to these
terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the
recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for
enforcing compliance by third parties with this License. 

{\bf 11.} If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise)
that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from
the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy
simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent
obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the Library at all.
For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution
of the Library by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through
you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
refrain entirely from distribution of the Library. 

If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under any
particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to apply, and
the section as a whole is intended to apply in other circumstances. 

It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any patents or
other property right claims or to contest validity of any such claims; this
section has the sole purpose of protecting the integrity of the free software
distribution system which is implemented by public license practices. Many
people have made generous contributions to the wide range of software
distributed through that system in reliance on consistent application of that
system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing to
distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot impose that
choice. 

This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be a
consequence of the rest of this License. 

{\bf 12.} If the distribution and/or use of the Library is restricted in
certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original
copyright holder who places the Library under this License may add an explicit
geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, so that
distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus excluded. In
such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if written in the body
of this License. 

{\bf 13.} 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 detail to
address new problems or concerns. 

Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Library
specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later
version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of
that version or of any later version published by the Free Software
Foundation. If the Library does not specify a license version number, you may
choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation. 

{\bf 14.} If you wish to incorporate parts of the Library into other free
programs whose distribution conditions are incompatible with these, write to
the author to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the
Free Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals of
preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and of
promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. 

{\bf NO WARRANTY} 

{\bf 15.} 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 EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO
THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE LIBRARY IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE LIBRARY
PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR
CORRECTION. 

{\bf 16.} 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 DAMAGES ARISING
OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE LIBRARY (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 OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

\subsection*{
\ilink{How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries}{TOC45}}
\label{SEC45}
\index[general]{Libraries!How to Apply These Terms to Your New }
\index[general]{How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries }
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{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. 

\footnotesize
\begin{verbatim}
{\it one line to give the library's name and an idea of what it does.}
Copyright (C) {\it year}  {\it 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 2.1 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{verbatim}
\normalsize

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: 

\footnotesize
\begin{verbatim}
Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in
the library "Frob" (a library for tweaking knobs) written
by James Random Hacker.
{\it signature of Ty Coon}, 1 April 1990
Ty Coon, President of Vice
\end{verbatim}
\normalsize

That's all there is to it! 
Return to 
\elink{GNU's home page}{http://www.gnu.org/home.html}. 

FSF \& GNU inquiries \& questions to 
\elink{gnu@gnu.org}{mailto:gnu@gnu.org}. Other 
\elink{ways to contact}{http://www.gnu.org/home.html\#ContactInfo} the FSF. 

Comments on these web pages to 
\elink{webmasters@www.gnu.org}{mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org}, send other
questions to 
\elink{gnu@gnu.org}{mailto:gnu@gnu.org}. 

Copyright notice above.
Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111,
USA 

Updated: 27 Nov 2000 paulv 
