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The GPL License

Many people misunderstand the GPL license. If, for example, your application merely uses a GPL licensed component, such as MySQL, and you never intend to distribute your software to other parties, then you do not need to license it under the GPL and you do not need to worry about distributing it for free.

For example, let's say your company, Yoyodyne Inc., runs a web site, yoyodynecentral.com, that uses MySQL. You may be letting the public freely use the web site, but typically you are not distributing the software which implements yoyodynecentral.com. That is, you are not providing copies of the software to the public, so the GPL license does not apply.

Here is some of the relevant text from the GPL Version 2 (the full text may be found at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html):
"Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License....In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this License."

On the other hand, suppose Yoyodyne Inc. wants to permit the public to download and use the source code that implements yoyodynecentral.com and they do not permit the public to download database software, then they need not offer the yoyodynecentral.com code under the GPL. This is because the yoyodynecentral.com code is not derived from the database software. It only uses the database software -- an example of "aggregation" referred to above.

Now, suppose instead that Yoyodyne Inc. wishes to permit the public to download Yoyodyne's own custom version of the MySQL database, then they must provide the modified source code for free under the GPL with appropriate notices about the particular portions which have been modified, or, alternatively, must purchase a commercial license from MySQL AB that would permit such distribution.

Here is a relevant statement from MySQL AB included with their database software:
"`InnoDB' is published under the same GNU GPL License Version 2 (of June
1991) as MySQL. If you distribute MySQL/InnoDB, and your application
does not satisfy the provisions of the GPL license, you must purchase a
commercial *MySQL Pro* license from
`https://order.mysql.com/?sub=pg&pg_no=1'."

-- Craig Johannsen

Posted by: cwjohan   Posted on: 03/31/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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