[ggt-devel] Updated license - allow static linking and template code inclusion

[Allen B. <al...@vr...>]

I just checked in a change to the license for GMTL.  This change is 
meant to address several issues that have come up over the last several 
months related to using GMTL in non-GPL'ed applications/libraries.

There is an issue with the LGPL license that makes it difficult to use 
this license with libraries composed entirely of inline and templated code.

GMTL is still licensed under the LGPL, but it now has a license addendum 
that softens some of the LGPL restrictions and explicitly allows for 
static linking of the code.

If everyone is happy with this addendum, then we can start using it 
immediately.

-Allen


The addendum reads as follows:

                  ADDENDUM TO LICENSE
                        February 2004

                     Copyright (C) 2004

Everyone is permitted to create and distribute verbatim copies of this
license addendum document, but changing it is not allowed.

GMTL License Addendum:

0. GMTL ("The Library") is licensed under GNU Lesser General Public
License as published by the Free Software Foundation, version 2.1 of
the License, or (at your option) any later version, with the following
additional conditions. The following conditions take precedence over
any conditions or restrictions stipulated by the Lesser General Public
License insofar as a conflict exists.

1. The GMTL License Agreement ("License") covers only GMTL ("The Library").
Other libraries which the Library may use are covered by their own
respective licenses.

2. Statically linking of a copy of the Library against any work using
the Library, i.e. the inclusion of (parts of) the Library into a program
or binary, is functionally equivalent to a work using the Library by
linking to it dynamically, and therefore does not constitute creating
a modified or derivative work based on the Library.

This specifically extends paragraph 5 of the GNU Lesser General Public
License to allow for inclusion of code in excess of 10 lines in length.
There is no limit on the length of the code segements that are statically
linked into an application.  This clause is meant to allow for the use
of large inline methods, templated code, and template meta programs.

3. Otherwise, if the work is a derivative of the Library, you may
distribute the object code for the work under the terms of the GNU
Lesser General Public License. Any executables containing that work
  also may be distributed under the Lesser General Public License
  whether or not if they are linked directly with the Library itself.

4. Programs or binaries linked with the Library must be identified as
such by including, in the Documentation or by other means (for example
in the About Box or Online Help), the following statement:

"This software uses GMTL (http://ggt.sourceforge.net)."