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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.
GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
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".)
544
ETERNUS CS800
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