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What does the GNU Lesser Public License mean?
This license, the GNU Lesser General Public License, applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different from the ordinary General Public License. We use this license for certain libraries in order to permit linking those libraries into non-free programs.
What kind of license does the GNU Project have?
Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary GNU General Public License. This license, the GNU Lesser General Public License, applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different from the ordinary General Public License.
Can You Copy and distribute the GNU general public license?
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. This version of the GNU Lesser General Public License incorporates the terms and conditions of version 3 of the GNU General Public License, supplemented by the additional permissions listed below.
What does GPL stand for in the GNU license?
“GPL” stands for “General Public License”. The most widespread such license is the GNU General Public License, or GNU GPL for short. This can be further shortened to “GPL”, when it is understood that the GNU GPL is the one intended.
Do you need special permission to use the GNU GPL?
Yes, you do. “Fair use” is use that is allowed without any special permission. Since you don’t need the developers’ permission for such use, you can do it regardless of what the developers said about it—in the license or elsewhere, whether that license be the GNU GPL or any other free software license.
Which is the current version of the GPL?
This page contains answers to commonly asked questions about the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2. The FAQ for the current version of the GPL is here. To learn more about the Free Software Foundation’s other licenses, please see our licenses page.
Is it better to use the GNU GPL or the GPL?
Using the GNU GPL will require that all the released improved versions be free software. This means you can avoid the risk of having to compete with a proprietary modified version of your own work. However, in some special situations it can be better to use a more permissive license.