libstdc++-v3/docs/html/17_intro/license.html

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   9    <meta name="AUTHOR" content="pme@gcc.gnu.org (Phil Edwards)" />
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  11    <meta name="DESCRIPTION" content="Copying restrictions for libstdc++." />
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  19
  20 <h1 class="centered"><a name="top">Licenses for the Library</a></h1>
  21
  22 <p>There are two licenses affecting GNU libstdc++:  one for the code, and
  23    one for the documentation.  Here we will describe both of them, and try
  24    to answer some of the widespread questions.  If you have more questions,
  25    ask the FSF or the
  26    <a href="http://gcc.gnu.org/lists.html">gcc mailing list</a>; the person
  27    writing this page is a programmer, not a lawyer.
  28 </p>
  29
  30 <hr />
  31
  32 <h2>The Code:  Runtime GPL</h2>
  33
  34 <p>The source code of libstdc++ is distributed under version 2 of the
  35    <a href="COPYING">GNU General Public License</a>, with the so-called
  36    &quot;runtime exception,&quot; as follows (or see any header or
  37    implementation file):
  38 </p>
  39 <pre>
  40    As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software
  41    library without restriction.  Specifically, if other files instantiate
  42    templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile
  43    this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this
  44    file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by
  45    the GNU General Public License.  This exception does not however
  46    invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by
  47    the GNU General Public License.
  48 </pre>
  49
  50 <p>Hopefully that text is self-explanatory.  If it isn't, you need to speak
  51    to your lawyer, or the Free Software Foundation.
  52 </p>
  53
  54 <!-- Most of the Q&A's are based on, paraphrased from, and outright stolen
  55      from this thread:
  56      http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/libstdc++/2000-q2/subjects.html#00050
  57 -->
  58 <p><strong>Q:  So any program which uses libstdc++ falls under the GPL?</strong>
  59  <br />A:  <strong>No.</strong>  The special exception permits use of the
  60      library in proprietary applications.
  61 </p>
  62
  63 <p><strong>Q:  How is that different from the GNU {Lesser,Library}
  64    GPL?</strong>
  65  <!-- Quoting Jason Merrill from the thread above: -->
  66  <br />A:  The LGPL requires that users be able to replace the LGPL code with a
  67      modified version; this is trivial if the library in question is a C
  68      shared library.  But there's no way to make that work with C++, where
  69      much of the library consists of inline functions and templates, which
  70      are expanded inside the code that uses the library.  So to allow people
  71      to replace the library code, someone using the library would have to
  72      distribute their own source, rendering the LGPL equivalent to the GPL.
  73 </p>
  74
  75 <p><strong>Q:  I see.  So, what restrictions <em>are</em> there on
  76    programs that use the library?</strong>
  77  <br />A:  None.  We encourage such programs to be released as open source,
  78      but we won't punish you or sue you if you choose otherwise.
  79 </p>
  80
  81 <hr />
  82
  83 <h2>The Docs:  GPL, FDL</h2>
  84
  85 <p>The documentation shipped with the library and made available over the
  86    web, excluding the pages generated from source comments, are copyrighted
  87    by the Free Software Foundation, and placed under
  88    the <a href="COPYING.DOC">GNU Free Documentation License version 1.1</a>.
  89    There are no Front-Cover Texts, no Back-Cover Texts, and
  90    <!-- as far as I know -->
  91    no Invariant Sections.
  92 </p>
  93
  94 <p> For documentation generated by doxygen or other automated tools
  95 via processing source code comments and markup, the original source
  96 code license applies to the generated files. Thus, the doxygen
  97 documents are licensed GPL.
  98 </p>
  99
 100 <p>If you plan on making copies of the documentation, please let us know.
 101    We can probably offer suggestions.
 102 </p>
 103
 104
 105 <!-- ####################################################### -->
 106
 107 <hr />
 108 <p class="fineprint"><em>
 109 Comments and suggestions about this page are welcome, and may be sent to
 110 <a href="mailto:libstdc++@gcc.gnu.org">the libstdc++ mailing list</a>.
 111 Comments or questions about the licenses themselves are also welcome, and
 112 should be directed to the GCC list as descibed above.
 113 </em></p>
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