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

Oliver Elphick wrote:

> But as far as Debian is concerned, paragraph 1 applies:
>
>1. Free use for those who are 100% GPL
>
>If your application is licensed under GPL or compatible OSI license
>approved by MySQL AB, you are free and welcome to ship any GPL software
>of MySQL AB with your application. By "application" we mean any type of
>software application, system, tool or utility. For doing this, you do
>not need a separate signed agreement with MySQL AB, because the GPL text
>is sufficient...
>
>That makes it free under the Debian Free Software Guidelines, so I have
>no grounds for requesting its removal. :-(
>
>
Just out of curiosity, what does Debian make MySQL's rather bizarre
interpretaion of the GPL:

http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_Introduction.html#Copyright
--- begin quote ----

You need a commercial license:
[...]
When you distribute a non-|GPL| application that *only* works with
the |MySQL| software and ship it with the |MySQL| software. This type of
solution is considered to be linking even if it's done over a network.

--- end quote ----
"Linking over a network"? What stops some GPL'ed web server (or
commercial one for that matter) from demanding non-free licensing for
web clients that connect to it?

- Marsh