is it allowed to deny access to obsolete GPL2 source packages?

[Harald Dunkel <harri@afaics.de>]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Hi folks,

Theoretical question: If a package in Sid is obsoleted for whatever
reason, can the right to obtain the sources be taken away?

Assuming the obsolete package is licensed using GPL2:

:
  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
:

I am no lawyer, but AFAICS it doesn't tell when this is going to end.
The package itself or "some work based on it", i.e. some dependent
packages or some other code relying upon it, might still exist on the
user's machine (or even on ftp.debian.org).


Regards

Harri
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.11 (GNU/Linux)

iEYEARECAAYFAk6uQ78ACgkQUTlbRTxpHjfBpwCfWV0qX5onL60K+tn3s1uxQOCI
sr8AnjHr7wxwmOAUNexJpGoSHXGCSWUL
=U9Bp
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----