diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1b47981..d517444 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   * pdf.py now correctly retains DPI from input images (thanks to RubyPDF)
   * autotools support, VC++ 2008 solution
   * fix binary file open mode on Windows
+  * version info (-V --version)
 
 0.27:
   * Update to the latest Leptonica (1.58)
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 214ac50..fe05e77
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
 #
 # All the rest is auto-generated.
 
+# create m4 directory if it not exists
+if [ ! -d m4 ];  then
+	mkdir m4
+fi
+
 bail_out()
 {
 	echo 
@@ -39,19 +44,20 @@ bail_out()
 echo "Running aclocal"
 aclocal || bail_out
 
+# --- Step 2:
 
 echo "Running libtoolize"
 libtoolize -f -c || glibtoolize -f -c || bail_out
 libtoolize --automake || glibtoolize --automake || bail_out
 
-# --- Step 2: Generate Makefile.in, 
+# --- Step 3: Generate Makefile.in, 
 # Using --add-missing --copy makes sure that, if these files are missing,
 # they are copied from the system so they can be used in a distribution.
 
 echo "Running automake --add-missing --copy"
 automake --add-missing -c > /dev/null || bail_out
 
-# --- Step 3: Generate configure from:
+# --- Step 4: Generate configure from:
 #             . configure.ac
 #
 
diff --git a/doc/PATENTS b/doc/PATENTS
index 674c97a..261dcf9 100644
--- a/doc/PATENTS
+++ b/doc/PATENTS
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 This software is a description of processes which may be patented.
 
 Use of this software may require patent licenses in some countries.
-
 You are directed to annex I of the JBIG2 specification for information.
+
+Some information could be found at:
+    http://www.jpeg.org/jbig/index.html
+    http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/jbigkit/patents/
+    http://www.jpeg.org/public/fcd14492.pdf
+    http://itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/open/29view/29n55161.doc
diff --git a/src/jbig2.cc b/src/jbig2.cc
index b5311f1..f04b523 100644
--- a/src/jbig2.cc
+++ b/src/jbig2.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ usage(const char *argv0) {
   fprintf(stderr, "  -4: upsample 4x before thresholding\n");
   fprintf(stderr, "  -S: remove images from mixed input and save separately\n");
   fprintf(stderr, "  -j --jpeg-output: write images from mixed input as JPEG\n");
+  fprintf(stderr, "  -V --version: version info\n");
   fprintf(stderr, "  -v: be verbose\n");
 }
 
@@ -224,6 +225,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
       continue;
     }
 
+    if (strcmp(argv[i], "-V") == 0 ||
+        strcmp(argv[i], "--version") == 0) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "jbig2enc %s\n", getVersion());
+      return 0;
+    }
+
     if (strcmp(argv[i], "-b") == 0 ||
         strcmp(argv[i], "--basename") == 0) {
       basename = argv[i+1];
diff --git a/src/jbig2enc.cc b/src/jbig2enc.cc
index 0780f8c..13d9124 100644
--- a/src/jbig2enc.cc
+++ b/src/jbig2enc.cc
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
 #include "jbig2structs.h"
 #include "jbig2segments.h"
 
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Returns the version identifier as a static string.
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+char const *getVersion() {
+  return VERSION;
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Removes spots which are less than size x size pixels
 //
diff --git a/src/jbig2enc.h b/src/jbig2enc.h
index 1c0bfff..8c0256c 100644
--- a/src/jbig2enc.h
+++ b/src/jbig2enc.h
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #endif
 
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Returns the version identifier as a static string.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+char const *getVersion();
+
 struct Pix;
 // This is the (opaque) structure which handles multi-page compression.
 struct jbig2ctx;