I was looking through the various contrib packages and pgfoundry
projects. I noticed that many of them are GPL like PostGIS or LGPL
like Npgsql. I have questions.
If you make create a PostgreSQL database that uses PostGIS and you
distribute that database, than your database (tables, stored
procedures, views, etc) are GPL? Like wise if you create a client that
connects to that database, do they also become GPL? Does PostgreSQL in
effect become GPL when using PostGIS because PostGIS accesses parts of
PostgreSQL?
Npgsql is LGPL. It means you must release the source of Npgsql when
distributing it, and if you modify Npgsql, but not have to release the
source under the (L)GPL of the software that calls Npgsql functions?
If you provide the source on a CD and the (GPL/LGPL) license as a text
file on that CD if you distribute, then are your obligations met under
the GPL/LGPL? What if those you distribute to lose the source code CD,
can they then come after you X number of years later demanding the
source?
For the developers of LGPL/GPL like Npgsql, why do you not dual
license? Have a model like MySQL where one can purchase a BSD licensed
version or use the GPL/LGPL one.
regards,
Karen