Re: Humor me: Postgresql vs. MySql (esp. licensing)

On Wed, 2003-10-08 at 17:56, Bill Gribble wrote:
> The mysql license restricts the distribution of mysql if the aggregate
> distribution contains non-GPL software. DFSG #1 does not allow for a
> distinction between free and non-free software among the "components of
> an aggregate system". Neither does the GPL make such distinctions.
>
> The "Commercial use for everyone else" term is either (1) completely
> incompatible with the GPL, or (2) completely circumventable, since if I
> received MySQL sources under the GPL, under section 2.b. of the GPL I
> have the obligation to use GPL (with no MySQL AB additions) for any
> third party I distribute to, for any purpose. So I put my noncommercial
> GPL sources for MySQL on my noncommercial FTP server, and anyone can
> download and use them for any purpose, commercial or not, solely under
> the terms of the GPL, because the GPL is how I got the source from MySQL
> AB.

You do misunderstand this, I'm afraid. The MySQL user has a choice of 2
mutually exclusive licences if he is going to distribute: either GPL,
which means opening his own code, or commercial. MySQL's option 2 (free
for internal use) is meaningless and unenforceable (what on earth is
internal distribution as opposed to use?), but not relevant to Debian
which only cares if the software is DFSG-compliant. Option 1 (GPL) is
available and makes it DFSG-free, so the other licence options don't
need to be examined.

Debian's copy of MySQL is therefore distributed under GPL. I don't
think we do reproduce the other licence options. Any copy obtained from
Debian is therefore automatically GPL. To get a commercial copy, you
would, strictly, have to go back to MySQL's site.

--
Oliver Elphick Oliver(dot)Elphick(at)lfix(dot)co(dot)uk
Isle of Wight, UK http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
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"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man; But every man is tempted, when he
is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
James 1:13,14