On 12 Feb 2004, Greg Stark wrote:
>
> "scott.marlowe" <scott(dot)marlowe(at)ihs(dot)com> writes:
>
> > Now, if you don't mind using the ODBC connector, you're scott free. but
> > you WILL be bound by the GPL, and the GPL (not MySQL's interpretation,
> > just the GPL in general) being applied to connect libs seriously limits
> > your ability to distribute code, since you'd have to GPL your own code if
> > you distributed it outside your own private organization.
>
> Note that in the case in question it's not entirely clear that the GPL is at
> all a problem. The original poster was talking about a vertical market
> application delivered for to a single user. That user is probably not
> interested in reselling the software, so any restrictions on them reselling it
> wouldn't actually bother them.
>
> This is in fact precisely the type of consultant market that the GPL
> envisions. And it's more common than one might think. Cygnus had various
> clients for gcc/binutils/gdb targets who weren't concerned about what
> restrictions the source came with as long as they got the software they
> needed. The GPL is after all a heck of a lot less restrictive than the typical
> EULA that accompanies binary software products.
Very good point.