Re: gplv3 files and updates

[Bruno Haible]

Karl Berry wrote:
> I haven't heard specifically about anything besides glibc and gnutls
> staying at v2.

As mentioned in 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2007-07/msg00077.html,
libintl and libiconv will also stay under LGPLv2+ for some time.

Brett Smith explained to me that essentially

  - A distributor wishing to link a library licensed under the LGPLv3 with
    a proprietary application, and distribute that (assuming he has the
    rights to distribute the proprietary application): can do so, if the
    library is linked with as a shared lib, and the distributor adds
    "installation information" (i.e. basically a .spec file), and fulfills
    some other advertising requirements.

  - A distributor wishing to link a library licensed under the LGPLv3 with
    a GPLv2 application, and distribute that: cannot do so legally, because
    it would violate GPLv2.

Therefore, distributing a library under LGPLv3 or LGPLv3+ at this point in
time means a free ride for proprietary programs and for BSD-licensed programs,
and major trouble for GPLv2 programs.

Bruno