Java Reference
In-Depth Information
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 free-
dom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service 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 make restrictions that forbid anyone
to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. These restrictions
translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute copies of the
software, or if you modify it.
For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or
for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. 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.
We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and
(2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy, distribute
and/or modify the software.
Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain that
everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free software. If the
software is modified by someone else and passed on, we want its recipients to
know that what they have is not the original, so that any problems introduced
by others will not reflect on the original authors' reputations.
Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software patents. We
wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free program will individually
obtain patent licenses, in effect making the program proprietary. To prevent
this, we have made it clear that any patent must be licensed for everyone's free
use or not licensed at all.
The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution, and
modification follow.
T
ERMS AND
C
ONDITIONS FOR
C
OPYING
, D
ISTRIBUTION
,
AND
M
ODIFICATION
0.
This License applies to any program or other work which contains a no-
tice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the
terms of this General Public License. The “Program,” below, refers to any
such program or work, and a “work based on the Program” means either
