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or asking you to surrender the rights.
Therefore, you have certain responsibilities
if you distribute copies of the software, or if
you modify it: responsibilities to respect the
freedom of others.
For example, if you distribute copies of
such a program, whether gratis or for a
fee, you must pass on to the recipients
the same freedoms that you received. 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.
Developers that use the GNU GPL protect
your rights with two steps: (1) assert
copyright on the software, and (2) offer you
this License giving you legal permission to
copy, distribute and/or modify it.
For the developers' and authors'
protection, the GPL clearly explains that
there is no warranty for this free software.
For both users' and authors' sake, the GPL
requires that modifi ed versions be marked
as changed, so that their problems will
not be attributed erroneously to authors of
previous versions.
Some devices are designed to deny users
access to install or run modifi ed 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 modifi cation
follow.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
0. Defi nitions.
“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. Each
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 “modifi ed version” of the earlier
work or a work “based on” the earlier work.
A “covered work” means either the unmodifi ed
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
modifi cation), 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.