Can't use with GPLv2 under LGPLv3? [LWN.net]

Can't use with GPLv2 under LGPLv3?

Posted Jul 10, 2007 13:37 UTC (Tue) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270)
In reply to: Can't use with GPLv2 under LGPLv3? by khim
Parent article: Samba Adopts GPLv3 for Future Releases

Actually, the exception is for things that are normally distributed *with* a major component and the "unless" is about the component itself. Examples would be a library that normally accompanies a compiler versus the compiler itself. So, you presumably could distribute a GPLv2 program with a GPLv3 version of a library that normally accompanies the compiler, so long as you didn't also include the compiler itself.

Also, the "mere aggregation" clause provides another exception, so long as the library is not "a work based on the program" and is not combined (linked) into the program to form a work based on the program.

[Also, I suppose the copyright holder for a program could ship a GPLv2 program with a GPLv3 library, because such conveying does not rely on the terms of the license. However, a downstream recipient would not have the same freedom, making the use of a free license somewhat meaningless...]

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