X-Git-Url: https://git.lyx.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=COPYING;h=288ac6991c961560260da8fb7d195d57d06363c1;hb=a6dba65cd33cb81ae4b26602d667fd64ca3626ea;hp=2b853081d787438cebb86f7d4db525dde1fcc350;hpb=27de1486ca34aaad446adb798d71a77d6f6304da;p=lyx.git

diff --git a/COPYING b/COPYING
index 2b853081d7..288ac6991c 100644
--- a/COPYING
+++ b/COPYING
@@ -1,41 +1,27 @@
-While LyX has been released nominally under the GPL in the past, it 
-has in fact never been truly GPL.  Particularly, it has always been 
-linked to a closed source library.  While some have taken a view that 
-such actions violate the GPL, this is a legal impossibility.  The law 
-is quite clear that the release of the software by the original authors 
-and copyright holders changed the licenses. 
- 
-Rather than leaving the issue to be debated, the following 
-clarifications are given.  This is *not* a change of license, but a 
-clarification of the license that LyX has always used.  All patches 
-submitted to LyX fall under this same license.
-
-1) LyX is quasi-GPL software.  The terms of the GPL apply save where 
-they conflict with this statement.
- 
-2) There is no limitation on the license or nature of any software, 
-source, binary, library, or other, that may be linked to LyX, or to 
-which LyX may be linked.  Particularly, the second full paragraph of
-section 2, from 'These requirements apply to the modified work' 
-through 'who wrote it.' is rejected in its entirety. 
-
-3) There is no limitation on combining LyX source code with code 
-subject to any other license, provided that the LyX source remains 
-under this same license.  Particularly,  Section 3 of the GPL is 
-rejected in its entirety. To redistribute a modified version of LyX, 
-the entire source code of the modified LyX must be made available under
-the terms of this license or such other licenses as apply to portions 
-of the original or modified code.
- 
-4) Any other clause or interpretation of the GPL limiting the 
-combination of other software of any type and LyX is rejected in its 
-entirety, provided that the LyX code and modifications to the LyX 
-source code remains under this same license, or such other licenses as
-apply to portions of the original or modified code.
- 
-5)  Nothing in this statement purports to alter or interpret the 
-license of any other software.  Any combination of other software with 
-LyX must also meet the requirements of that software.
+    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+
+    In addition, as a special exception, the LyX Team gives permission to
+    link the code of this program with the XForms library (or with modified
+    versions of XForms that use the same license as XForms), and distribute
+    linked combinations including the two.  You must obey the GNU General
+    Public License in all respects for all of the code used other than XForms.
+    If you modify this file, you may extend this exception to your version of
+    the file, but you are not obligated to do so.  If you do not wish to do so,
+    delete this exception statement from your version.
+
+    The GNU General Public License version 2 is included below for your reference.
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE