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9   <meta name="AUTHOR" content="pme@gcc.gnu.org (Phil Edwards)" />
10   <meta name="KEYWORDS" content="libstdc++, license, licence" />
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
95via processing source code comments and markup, the original source
96code license applies to the generated files. Thus, the doxygen
97documents 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>
109Comments 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>.
111Comments or questions about the licenses themselves are also welcome, and
112should be directed to the GCC list as descibed above.
113</em></p>
114
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