Legal 69
Somedevicesaredesignedtodenyusersaccesstoinstallorrunmodifiedversionsofthesoftware
insidethem,althoughthemanufacturercandoso.Thisisfundamentallyincompatiblewiththeaimof
protectingusers'freedomtochangethesoftware.Thesystematicpatternofsuchabuseoccursin
theareaofproductsforindividualstouse,whichispreciselywhereitismostunacceptable.
Therefore,wehavedesignedthisversionoftheGPLtoprohibitthepracticeforthoseproducts.If
suchproblemsarisesubstantiallyinotherdomains,westandreadytoextendthisprovisiontothose
domainsinfutureversionsoftheGPL,asneededtoprotectthefreedomofusers.
Finally,everyprogramisthreatenedconstantlybysoftwarepatents.Statesshouldnotallowpatents
torestrictdevelopmentanduseofsoftwareongeneral-purposecomputers,butinthosethatdo,we
wishtoavoidthespecialdangerthatpatentsappliedtoafreeprogramcouldmakeiteffectively
proprietary.Topreventthis,theGPLassuresthatpatentscannotbeusedtorendertheprogram
non-free.
Theprecisetermsandconditionsforcopying,distributionandmodificationfollow.
TERMSANDCONDITIONS
0. Definitions
“ThisLicense”referstoversion3oftheGNUGeneralPublicLicense.
“Copyright”alsomeanscopyright-likelawsthatapplytootherkindsofworks,suchassemiconductor
masks.
“TheProgram”referstoanycopyrightableworklicensedunderthisLicense.E achlicenseeis
addressedas“you”.“Licensees”and“recipients”maybeindividualsororganizations.
To“modify”aworkmeanstocopyfromoradaptallorpartoftheworkinafashionrequiring
copyrightpermission,otherthanthemakingofanexactcopy.Theresultingworkiscalleda
“modifiedversion”oftheearlierworkorawork“basedon”theearlierwork.
A“coveredwork”meanseithertheunmodifiedProgramoraworkbasedontheProgram.
To“propagate”aworkmeanstodoanythingwithitthat,withoutpermission,wouldmakeyou
directlyorsecondarilyliableforinfringementunderapplicablecopyrightlaw,exceptexecutingitona
computerormodifyingaprivatecopy.Propagationincludescopying,distribution(withorwithout
modification),makingavailabletothepublic,andinsomecountriesotheractivitiesaswell.
To“convey”aworkmeansanykindofpropagationthatenablesotherpartiestomakeorreceive
copies.Mereinteractionwithauserthroughacomputernetwork,withnotransferofacopy,isnot
conveying.
Aninteractiveuserinterfacedisplays“AppropriateLegalNotices”totheextentthatitincludesa
convenientandprominentlyvisiblefeaturethat(1)displaysanappropriatecopyrightnotice,and(2)
tellstheuserthatthereisnowarrantyforthework(excepttotheextentthatwarrantiesare
provided),thatlicenseesmayconveytheworkunderthisLicense,andhowtoviewacopyofthis
License.Iftheinterfacepresentsalistofusercommandsoroptions,suchasamenu,aprominent
iteminthelistmeetsthiscriterion.
1. Source Code.