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MySQL's Influence On the GPL

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the throwing-your-weight-around dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Ex-MySQL'er Brian Aker goes into the history of MySQL and the GPL. His point is that MySQL used the GPL in an over-reaching manner; and now that MySQL is gone as an entity, and the campaigns are over, that the GPL may return to an accurate definition."

5 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Re:If MySQL over-reached with the GPL, tell the FS by teg · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't think the "overreached" was about the contributor agreements, but rather the MySQL claim that the protocol for talking to the database (sending SQL queries) was GPL. Thus non-GPL software was not allowed to use the database, and you should buy the commercial versions.

  2. Re:If MySQL over-reached with the GPL, tell the FS by cduffy · · Score: 5, Informative

    [citation needed]

    Vendors selling knock-off print cartridges have been allowed to use code copied outright from legitimate cartridges in order to fulfill a "security protocol" between the cartridge and printer -- a finding which has held up on appeal.

    You might also find Groklaw's analysis of whether the set of values found in the SysV UNIX headers (not the comments, but the functional portions) are copyrightable interesting. Hint: they're not; this is because there's no artistic choice in making them what they are -- their form is precisely dictated by their function.

    In the same way, the minimal necessary set of similarities between a 3rd-party MySQL driver and the official one compromises the MySQL protocol, and that protocol (as opposed to documentation describing it or code implementing it at an abstract enough level that the implementer has choices to make in the process) is uncopyrightable for the reason given above.

  3. It's Monty again, having his cake and eating it. by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Informative

    Brian works for Monty. Monty made something around USD$130M selling MySQL to Sun, who then sold themselves to Oracle. Monty, instead of buying a yacht and taking a vacation, wants to stay in the MySQL business. The problem is that he sold his rights. If someone was "over-reaching" with the GPL at MySQL, Monty was one of the three people behind that. Now, Monty wants to both take back the licensing scheme that made him a very rich man, and keep the money.

    Give it up, Monty. Work on something else.

    --
    Bruce Perens.
  4. Re:It's Monty again, having his cake and eating it by krow · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hi Bruce!

    I don't work for Monty :)

    I also don't work on MariaDB (and never have).

    Please get your facts straight.

    Cheers,
          -Brian

    --
    You can't grep a dead tree.
  5. Re:It's Monty again, having his cake and eating it by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, protocols are the subject of patents rather than copyright so I never felt any need to listen to Monty about that particular point. It's more his protesting the GPL's terms now that they are being applied to him rather than by him. And in that regard your presentation sounds really familiar.

    Bruce

    --
    Bruce Perens.