Keywords: ISO C++ , library

License
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## License

There are two licenses affecting GNU libstdc++: one for the code, and one for the documentation.

There is a license section in the FAQ regarding common questions. If you have more questions, ask the FSF or the gcc mailing list.

### The Code: GPL

The source code is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3, with the addition under section 7 of an exception described in the “GCC Runtime Library Exception, version 3.1” as follows (or see the file COPYING.RUNTIME):

GCC RUNTIME LIBRARY EXCEPTION
Version 3.1, 31 March 2009
Copyright (C) 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
license document, but changing it is not allowed.
This GCC Runtime Library Exception ("Exception") is an additional
permission under section 7 of the GNU General Public License, version
3 ("GPLv3"). It applies to a given file (the "Runtime Library") that
bears a notice placed by the copyright holder of the file stating that
the file is governed by GPLv3 along with this Exception.
When you use GCC to compile a program, GCC may combine portions of
certain GCC header files and runtime libraries with the compiled
program. The purpose of this Exception is to allow compilation of
non-GPL (including proprietary) programs to use, in this way, the
header files and runtime libraries covered by this Exception.
0. Definitions.
A file is an "Independent Module" if it either requires the Runtime
Library for execution after a Compilation Process, or makes use of an
interface provided by the Runtime Library, but is not otherwise based
on the Runtime Library.
"GCC" means a version of the GNU Compiler Collection, with or without
modifications, governed by version 3 (or a specified later version) of
the GNU General Public License (GPL) with the option of using any
subsequent versions published by the FSF.
"GPL-compatible Software" is software whose conditions of propagation,
modification and use would permit combination with GCC in accord with
the license of GCC.
"Target Code" refers to output from any compiler for a real or virtual
target processor architecture, in executable form or suitable for
input to an assembler, loader, linker and/or execution
phase. Notwithstanding that, Target Code does not include data in any
format that is used as a compiler intermediate representation, or used
for producing a compiler intermediate representation.
The "Compilation Process" transforms code entirely represented in
non-intermediate languages designed for human-written code, and/or in
Java Virtual Machine byte code, into Target Code. Thus, for example,
use of source code generators and preprocessors need not be considered
part of the Compilation Process, since the Compilation Process can be
understood as starting with the output of the generators or
preprocessors.
A Compilation Process is "Eligible" if it is done using GCC, alone or
with other GPL-compatible software, or if it is done without using any
work based on GCC. For example, using non-GPL-compatible Software to
optimize any GCC intermediate representations would not qualify as an
Eligible Compilation Process.
1. Grant of Additional Permission.
You have permission to propagate a work of Target Code formed by
combining the Runtime Library with Independent Modules, even if such
propagation would otherwise violate the terms of GPLv3, provided that
all Target Code was generated by Eligible Compilation Processes. You
may then convey such a combination under terms of your choice,
consistent with the licensing of the Independent Modules.
2. No Weakening of GCC Copyleft.
The availability of this Exception does not imply any general
presumption that third-party software is unaffected by the copyleft
requirements of the license of GCC.

Hopefully that text is self-explanatory. If it isn't, you need to speak to your lawyer, or the Free Software Foundation.

### The Documentation: GPL, FDL

The documentation shipped with the library and made available over the web, excluding the pages generated from source comments, are copyrighted by the Free Software Foundation, and placed under the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.2. There are no Front-Cover Texts, no Back-Cover Texts, and no Invariant Sections.

For documentation generated by doxygen or other automated tools via processing source code comments and markup, the original source code license applies to the generated files. Thus, the doxygen documents are licensed GPL.

If you plan on making copies of the documentation, please let us know. We can probably offer suggestions.

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