GNU Lesser General Public License, 1st discussion draft
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johns
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last modified
2007-06-29 16:30
LGPLv3 was released on 2007 June 29. The drafting process is closed; these materials are here for archival purposes. Thank you for your support.
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GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Discussion Draft of Version 3, 27 July 2006
THIS IS A DRAFT, NOT A PUBLISHED VERSION OF THE GNU LESSER GENERAL
PUBLIC LICENSE.
Copyright © 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
This version of the GNU Lesser General Public License incorporates
the terms and conditions of version 3 of the GNU General Public
License, supplemented by the additional permissions listed below.
0. Additional Definitions.
As used herein, "this License" refers to version 3 of the GNU Lesser
General Public License, and the "GNU GPL" refers to version 3 of the
GNU General Public License.
"The Library" refers to the Program as defined in section 0 of the
GNU GPL. An "Application" is any work that makes use of an interface
provided by the Library but which is not otherwise based on the
Library. Defining a subclass of a class defined by the Library is
deemed a mode of using an interface provided by the Library. A
"Combined Work" is a work containing portions of the Library, produced
by combining or linking an Application with the Library.
The "Minimal Corresponding Source" for a Combined Work means the
Corresponding Source for the Combined Work, excluding:
- a. any source code for portions of the Combined Work that, considered in
isolation, are based on the Application and not on the Library; and
- b. any keys, other than keys that are necessary to install and/or execute
a modified version of the Combined Work produced by recombining or relinking
the Application with a modified version of the Library.
The "Corresponding Application Code" for a Combined Work means the
object code and/or source code for the Application, including any data
and utility programs needed for reproducing the Combined Work from the
Application, but excluding the System Libraries of the Combined Work.
1. Exception to Section 3 of the GNU GPL.
You may convey a covered work under sections 3 and 4 of this License
without being bound by the second paragraph of section 3 of the GNU
GPL.
2. Conveying Modified Versions.
If you modify a copy of the Library, and, in your modifications, a
facility refers to a function or data to be supplied by an Application
that uses the facility (other than as an argument passed when the
facility is invoked), then you may convey a copy of the modified
version:
- a. under this License, provided that you make a good faith effort to
ensure that, in the event an Application does not supply the function or
data, the facility still operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose
remains meaningful, or
- b. under the GNU GPL, with none of the additional permissions of this
License applicable to that copy.
3. Object Code Incorporating Material from Library Header Files.
The object code form of an Application may incorporate material from
a header file that is part of the Library. You may copy and convey
such object code under any terms of your choice, provided that, if the
incorporated material is not limited to numerical parameters, data
structure layouts and accessors, or small macros, inline functions and
templates (ten or fewer lines in length), you do both of the
following:
- a. Give prominent notice with each copy of the object code that the
Library is used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by this
License.
- b. Accompany the object code with a copy of the GNU GPL and this
License.
4. Combined Works.
You may copy and convey a Combined Work under any terms of your
choice that, taken together, effectively do not prohibit modification
of the portions of the Library contained in the Combined Work and
reverse engineering for debugging such modifications, if you also do
each of the following:
- a. Give prominent notice with each copy of the Combined Work that the
Library is used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by this
License.
- b. Accompany the Combined Work with a copy of the GNU GPL and this
License.
- c. For a Combined Work that displays copyright notices during execution,
include the copyright notice for the Library among these notices, as well as
a reference directing the user to the copies of the GNU GPL and this
License.
- d. Do one of the following:
- 0) Convey the Minimal Corresponding Source under the terms of this
License, and the Corresponding Application Code in a form suitable for, and
under terms that permit, the user to recombine or relink the Application
with a modified version of the Library to produce a modified Combined Work,
in the manner specified by section 6 of the GNU GPL for conveying
Corresponding Source.
- 1) Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the
Library. A suitable mechanism is one that (a) uses at run time a copy of
the Library already present on the user's computer system, and (b) will
operate properly with a modified version of the Library that is
interface-compatible with the version of the Library with which the
Combined Work was made.
5. Combined Libraries.
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 that are not Applications and are not covered by this
License, and convey such a combined library under terms of your
choice, if you do both of the following:
- a. Accompany the combined library with a copy of the same work based on
the Library, uncombined with any other library facilities, conveyed under the
terms of this License.
- b. Give prominent notice with the combined library that part of it is a
work based on the Library, explaining where to find the accompanying
uncombined form of the same work.
6. Revised Versions of the GNU Lesser General Public License.
The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
of the GNU 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 that a certain numbered version of the GNU Lesser General Public
License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of
following the terms and conditions either of that published version or of any
later version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the Library does
not specify a version number of the GNU Lesser General Public License, you
may choose any version of the GNU Lesser General Public License ever
published by the Free Software Foundation.