www/copyleft copyleft.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       09/10/18 03:40:32

Modified files:
        copyleft       : copyleft.html 

Log message:
        Update explanation of LGPL compatibility.
        Minor changes.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/copyleft/copyleft.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.74&r2=1.75

Patches:
Index: copyleft.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/copyleft/copyleft.html,v
retrieving revision 1.74
retrieving revision 1.75
diff -u -b -r1.74 -r1.75
--- copyleft.html       8 Jun 2009 20:45:45 -0000       1.74
+++ copyleft.html       18 Oct 2009 03:40:28 -0000      1.75
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 <h2>What is Copyleft?</h2>
 
 <p>
-<em>Copyleft</em> is a general method for making a program or
-other work free, and requiring all modified and extended versions of the
+Copyleft is a general method for making a program (or
+other work) free, and requiring all modified and extended versions of the
 program to be free as well.</p>
 
 <p>
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 Copyleft also helps programmers who want to contribute
 <a href="/prep/tasks.html">improvements</a> to
 <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a> get permission to
-do that.  These programmers often work for companies or universities
+do so.  These programmers often work for companies or universities
 that would do almost anything to get more money.  A programmer may
 want to contribute her changes to the community, but her employer may
 want to turn the changes into a proprietary software product.</p>
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 To copyleft a program, we first state that it is copyrighted; then we
 add distribution terms, which are a legal instrument that gives
 everyone the rights to use, modify, and redistribute the program's
-code <em>or any program derived from it</em> but only if the
+code, <em>or any program derived from it</em>, but only if the
 distribution terms are unchanged.  Thus, the code and the freedoms
 become legally inseparable.</p>
 
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@
 <p>
 Copyleft is a way of using of the copyright on the program.  It
 doesn't mean abandoning the copyright; in fact, doing so would make
-copyleft impossible.  The word &ldquo;left&rdquo; in
+copyleft impossible.  The &ldquo;left&rdquo; in
 &ldquo;copyleft&rdquo; is not a reference to the verb &ldquo;to
-leave&rdquo; &mdash; only to the direction which is the inverse of
+leave&rdquo;&mdash;only to the direction which is the inverse of
 &ldquo;right&rdquo;.</p>
 
 <p>
@@ -121,18 +121,19 @@
 
 <p>
 Using the same distribution terms for many different programs makes it
-easy to copy code between various different programs.  Since they all
-have the same distribution terms, there is no need to think about
-whether the terms are compatible.  The Lesser GPL includes a
-provision that lets you alter the distribution terms to the ordinary
-GPL, so that you can copy code into another program covered by the
-GPL.</p>
+easy to copy code between various different programs.  When they all
+have the same distribution terms, there is no problem.  The Lesser
+GPL, version 2, includes a provision that lets you alter the
+distribution terms to the ordinary GPL, so that you can copy code into
+another program covered by the GPL.  Version 3 of the Lesser GPL is
+built as an exception added to GPL version 3, making the compatibility
+automatic.</p>
 
 <p>
 If you would like to copyleft your program with the GNU GPL or the GNU
 LGPL, please see the <a href="/copyleft/gpl-howto.html">license
 instructions page</a> for advice.  Please note that you must use the entire
-text of our licenses, if you use one.  Each is an integral whole, and
+text of the license you choose.  Each is an integral whole, and
 partial copies are not permitted.</p>
 
 <p>
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2009/06/08 20:45:45 $
+$Date: 2009/10/18 03:40:28 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>