What is the right way to attribute original copyright when modifying code under GPLv2 license?

Question

I'm creating a new project based on a previous Perl script that is covered by GPLv2.

What is the "correct" way to provide proper attribution to original author? For the life of me I can't find this anywhere, even on the GPL site.

Answer 1

The GPL doesn't force attribution, so it's really up to you. The standard approach would be to just put a line in your COPYING file along the lines of:

Based on xyz.pl by J. Random Hacker.