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consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the
library. If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Lesser General
Public License instead of this License.
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 3, 29 June 2007
Copyright © 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <http://fsf.org/>
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license
document, but changing it is not allowed.
Preamble
The GNU General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software
and other kinds of works.
The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed
to take away your freedom to share and change the works. By contrast,
the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom
to share and change all versions of a program--to make sure it remains
free software for all its users. We, the Free Software Foundation, use the
GNU General Public License for most of our software; it applies also to
any other work released this way by its authors. You can apply it to your
programs, too.
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, 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 them if
you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that
you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs,
and that you know you can do these things.
To protect your rights, we need to prevent others from denying you
these rights or asking you to surrender the rights. Therefore, you have
certain responsibilities if you distribute copies of the software, or if you
modify it: responsibilities to respect the freedom of others.
For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis
or for a fee, you must pass on to the recipients the same freedoms that
you received. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the
source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their
rights.
Developers that use the GNU GPL protect your rights with two steps:
(1) assert copyright on the software, and (2) offer you this License giving
you legal permission to copy, distribute and/or modify it.
For the developers’ and authors’ protection, the GPL clearly explains
that there is no warranty for this free software. For both users’ and
authors’ sake, the GPL requires that modified versions be marked as
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Some devices are designed to deny users access to install or run
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Therefore, we have designed this version of the GPL to prohibit the
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Finally, every program is threatened constantly by software patents.
States should not allow patents to restrict development and use of
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patents cannot be used to render the program non-free.
The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
modification follow.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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