> If I'm writing a program under GPL, and I want to incorporate a component with a BSD license, I can do that and continue to license the entire program to my u

> If I'm writing a program under GPL, and I want to incorporate a component with a BSD license, I can do that and continue to license the entire program to my users under the GPL. If “the entire program” includes the BSD component, then this is not correct. You cannot change the license for a work if you do not hold the copyright for that work. Your license applies only to the code you hold the copyright to. I agree with torstenvl here. This is not a meaningless distinction. You can distribute BSD components with your GPL software but they retain their own license and you must abide by the license (hence all the attribution notes you’ll find in software that uses others’ components).