Don't cry for me oh mySQL (the truth is Oracle can't have you)

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MySQL between rock and hard place

I wish it were that simple. Here's what I posted in another thread about this. People who think MySQL can just keep going merrily along on its way don't understand how MySQL AB's business model works.

MySQL is being squeezed here. Here is the short version.

MySQL holds ALL the copyrights to the code in MySQL OR they license it from other vendors (like innodb).

MySQL releases their database under two licenses. If you use the GPL version, then the database AND the connection libs are GPL'd. Note that if the connection libs were LGPL'd, you could write closed source software linked to MySQL and be ok. But they're not. They're GPL'd, which means when you write code that links to the MySQL connection libs, you have to GPL your own code.

OR you can buy it with a commercial license. Since MySQL has rights to all the code in the database, they can do this. Note that they don't hold the copyright to the innodb and bdb portions, they pay money to another company to have these rights.

So, MySQL uses a carrot (no GPL on your private code) to get you to buy a commercial license.

But, in order to sell the commercial version, some percentage of what you pay to them goes back to the folks at innodb and sleepycat (bdb).

So, if Oracle buys sleepycat and innodb, and raises the cost to something really huge, then MySQL cannot sell the commercial version of MySQL with that code in it.

Yes, you and I and anyone else is still free to use the GPL version and fork away. BUT! All the code you write has to be GPL'd if it links to MySQL. Because of the connection libraries.

So, companies that use the commercial version and write a non-GPL piece of code that they sell or distribute with MySQL commercially are left out in the cold.

Now, MySQL can rip out those table handlers, and keep on selling the commercial version without them, but the, do they leave them in the GPL version, making the commercial version a red-headed step child, or do they rip them out of both, thus inviting some outside group to start maintaining an innodb / bdb enabled fork?

The more I think about this, the happier I am I use PostgreSQL... BSD may be easier to steal from, but it's harder to co-opt.

Posted by: Sxooter_z   Posted on: 02/20/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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