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

On Wed, 2003-10-08 at 11:29, 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. :-(

As I understand it, that paragraph does not "clear" mysql under the
DFSG.  Requirement 1 of the DFSG is:

     Free Redistribution

     The license of a Debian component may not restrict any party from
selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate
software distribution containing programs from several different
sources. The license may not require a royalty or other fee for
such sale.

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.

In any case, it's a stupid, self-inconsistent license and really needs
to be changed immediately.