Re: Sun buys out MySQL

Arne Vajhøj <arne@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>David Segall wrote:
>> Roedy Green <see_website@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>> Sun bought out opensource MySQL on 2008-02-28.
>>>
>>> http://mysql.com/news-and-events/sun/marten_mickos.html
>> Yes, but they don't seem to have changed the license to conform with
>> their other open source products. It seems that you can still only
>> distribute MySQL with an open source application and you need to buy a
>> commercial license to use it with a commercial product. Has anyone
>> seen any indication that Sun intends to change this?
>
>SUN are already using the same model as MySQL !
>
>First of all: MySQL is dual licensed GPL with FLOSS exception and
>commercial license.
>
>But the name is a slightly misleading - the GPL version can be used
>with open source - the commercial version can be used with closed
>source - it is all about open versus closed source - it does not
>matter whether it is commercial or not.
>
>SUN has released their JVM and Java tool chain under GPL license. But I
>believe they still sell it under a different license to companies that
>want to use it as a basis for Java on their platform.
>
>Same basic model as far as I can tell.
>
>There is a small but im****tant difference. MySQL changed the license
>of the client libraries from LGPL to GPL some years ago. If they follow
>SUN's model for Java libraries that should be changed to GPL with
>classpath exception.
I should have followed your nomenclature and used "closed source"
instead of "commercial".

My post was really only about the "small but im****tant difference" in
your paragraph above. I can distribute a version of all of MySQL's
competitors, including the closed source ones, with my closed source
application. (See <http://database.profectus.com.au>).
If I want to
use MySQL without paying for it I must open source my application. I
can use the NetBeans platform, GlassFish, JavaDB and Solaris with my
closed source application and I expected Sun to change the license of
MySQL to conform to this model. Is there any indication that they will
do so?