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Is MySQL Planning a Change of Tune?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the license-switcheroo dept.

Iggy writes "After reading the article on 'The MySQL License Question' by Timothy R. Butler at Open for Business I just have to wonder, is this company's wording on the MySQL site indicating the company is backing away from Free Software, specifically, the GPL? Great reading and certainly thought provoking."

4 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. Forking? by headkase · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Couldn't anyone create their own fork from the last GPL'd source?

    --
    Shh.
  2. Good for them... by SnapShot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If a prorietary software vendor wants to package MySQL with their product I'm glad MySQL AG is getting a few bucks out of it.

    It doesn't seem to negatively affect the free software developers.

    I've always liked the idea that you could release a product under a Free license but keep the option to sell versions to companies as well.

    I realize that this doesn't answer the question of whether the GPL itself allows this kind of dual license but it seems to me that TrollTech does something similar and that has never bothered me either.

    --
    Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
    1. Re:Good for them... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Interesting

      See, here's the problem. MySQL AG seems to have reinterpreted the GPL to mean that any use of their software means that your software should be open source. Run a small website with the MySQL database? If all the source to that site is not GPLed, you're in violation. That's despite the fact that your site should be a clear and separate product from MySQL.

      MySQL has made sure to cement their interpretation in two ways:

      1. They "purchased" the LGPL JDBC driver and relicensed it as GPL. This ensures that physical linking will occur with their software (and thus the warning in the article about "circumventing" the drivers).

      2. They keep their own variation of SQL (with the #$^@ing backticks) so that software must be designed for use with MySQL. While some of us use config files on a per driver basis, many software developers have fallen for the bait and tied their software to MySQL. Doing so invalidates certain GPL clauses that may allow you to get around the "linking" issue.

      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  3. Re:Brings to mind a question.... by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'll give you my reading, because the other followup didn't catch all your questions:

    You are welcome to license your new versions or the same version under licenses other than the GPL, because the GPL is non-exclusive. You can re-license the original code to yourself, if you feel like getting that far into it, under any license you like. What you cannot do is revoke the GPL rights on copies already distributed. This parallel licensing, where projects are released under the GPL and then sublicensed to private entities under non free licenses in exchange for bling is probably ( imho ) the best way to make money on a free software project.

    Anyone else have a better grasp of the issues?

    YLFI
    --
    One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.