Re: Will Open Source be forced to go Proprietary

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Bruce Momjian wrote:

> Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>As is MySQL.  They say you can't produce a non-GPL client that talks to
> > >>their server via the protocol.  They say they will enforce this via
> > >>patents.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > Uhhh perhaps we should verify this first?
>
> I think this does:
>
>     http://www.edwardbear.org/serendipity/archives/1193_My_Beef_with_MySQLs_License.html
>
> It includes an analysis from PHP's Sterling saying that MySQL
> interpretation that anything that "depends" on MySQL prevents such a
> client, and quotes from MySQL's CEO.

We have a new motto for the GPL.  "A litigious license for litigious
people."  ;-)  Sorry, but I think MySQL's interpretation of the GPL is
unenforceable.  As long as I don't distribute MySQL or their lib codes, I
owe them nothing.  So, I can now reverse engineer their client libs.
Since I'm not distributing MySQL, I still owe them nothing.  A user
installs MySQL for free under the GPL, they buy my product, everything
works.  The fact that my product, in fact, "depends" on their GPL software
means nothing, as I did not distribute it.  I can now charge a gazillion
dollars and not show anyone a single line of code.

At the same time, distribution makers are nervous about including MySQL,
especially the BSDs, because it appears they are trying to "poison the
well".

It's a lose - lose situation for MySQL.