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

On Wed, 2003-10-08 at 20:28, Vivek Khera wrote:
> >>>>> "OE" == Oliver Elphick <olly@lfix.co.uk> writes:
>
> OE> But as far as Debian is concerned, paragraph 1 applies:
>
> OE> 1. Free use for those who are 100% GPL
>
> [[ ... ]]
>
> OE> That makes it free under the Debian Free Software Guidelines, so I have
> OE> no grounds for requesting its removal. :-(
>
> So if I build and sell an appliance (hardware+software) based on
> debian and using the 'free' collection of software, suddenly I'm not
> in compliance with their license.  Sounds like a time-bomb waiting to
> explode.

It's licensed under the GPL, which means that you can indeed sell it, SO
LONG AS you make your own source code available to your customer under
the GPL or a compatible licence.  Nothing in the GPL stops you demanding
money for the software; what it requires is that you make your source
code available.  It's whole purpose is to force the freeing of source
code; it is not much concerned with money.  For example, I remember
years ago installing a DG Aviion operating system upgrade, where I found
that the compiler was gcc, with the GPL prominently attached.  And every
embedded-Linux device is in the same situation.

MySQL's licence does not require you to buy a licence for _any_
commercial use, but only for commercial use where you do not release
your source code under a GPL-compatible licence.

There seems to be an awful lot of confusion about the GPL.  Maybe
Microsoft's campaign has been bearing fruit in unlikely quarters...

--
Oliver Elphick                                Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight, UK                             http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
GPG: 1024D/3E1D0C1C: CA12 09E0 E8D5 8870 5839  932A 614D 4C34 3E1D 0C1C
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     "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
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