mirror of https://github.com/CGAL/cgal
56 lines
2.4 KiB
TeX
56 lines
2.4 KiB
TeX
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\section{License Issues}
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\cgal\ is distributed under a dual license scheme, that is under the
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{\sc Gpl/\sc Lgpl} open source license, as well as under commercial licenses.
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\cgal\ consists of different parts covered by different open source licenses.
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In this section we explain the essence of the different licenses, as well as
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the rationale why we have chosen them.
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The fact that \cgal\ is Open Source software does not mean that users are free
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to do whatever they want with the software. Using the software means to accept
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the license, which has the status of a contract between the user and the owner
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of the \cgal\ software.
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\subsection{GPL \label{licenses:GPL}}
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The {\sc Gpl} is an Open Source license that, if you distribute your software
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based on {\sc Gpl}ed \cgal\ data structures,you are obliged to distribute the
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source code of your software under the {\sc Gpl}.
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The exact license terms can be found at the Free Software Foundation
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web site: \path'http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html'.
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\subsection{LGPL \label{licenses:LGPL}}
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The {\sc Lgpl} is an Open Source license that obliges you to distribute
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modifications you make on \cgal\ software accessible to the users.
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In contrast to the {\sc Gpl} , there is no obligation to make the source
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code of software you build on top of {\sc Lgpl}ed \cgal\ data structures
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The exact license terms can be found at the Free Software Foundation web site:
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\path'http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html'.
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\subsection{Rationale of the License Choice}
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We have chosen the {\sc Gpl} and the {\sc Lgpl} as they are well known
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and well understood open source licenses. The former restricts
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commercial use, and the latter allows to promote software as de facto standard
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so that people can build new higher level data structures on top.
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Therefore, the packages forming a foundation layer are distributed under
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the {\sc Lgpl}, and the higher level packages under the {\sc Gpl}.
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The package overview states for each package under which license
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it is distributed.
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\subsection{Commercial Licenses \label{licenses:Commercial}}
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Users who cannot comply to the Open Source license terms can buy individual
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data structures under various commercial licenses from GeometryFactory:
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\path'http://www.geometryfactory.com/'. License fees paid by commercial
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customers are reinvested in R\&D performed by the \cgal\ project partners,
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as well as in evolutive maintenance.
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