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Is GNU Lesser GPL v2.1 compatible with Mozilla Public License 2.0?

It depends.

Both GNU Lesser GPL v2.1 and Mozilla Public License 2.0 are weak (file- or library-level) copyleft licenses. Combining them is usually feasible, but the obligations of each apply to its own files. Have a lawyer review if you intend to redistribute the combined work.

About these licenses

LicenseFamilyPatent grant
GNU Lesser GPL v2.1 (LGPL-2.1) weak-copyleft No (implicit at most)
Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0) weak-copyleft Yes

GNU Lesser GPL v2.1: Library copyleft: dynamic linking permitted from non-LGPL code without triggering full copyleft.

Mozilla Public License 2.0: File-level copyleft: modifications to MPL files must be MPL, but linking with non-MPL code is fine.

What to do next

If you found this page because you're trying to figure out whether shipping a particular dependency is safe, the answer above is a starting point — not a substitute for reading the actual licenses or talking to a lawyer when stakes are high.

LicenseHound walks every transitive dependency in your repo, maps each to its SPDX license, and flags pairs like this one in PR comments. The CLI is free; the team dashboard is paid.

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