On Wed, Jul 18, 2001 at 06:37:48PM -0400, Trond Eivind Glomsr?d wrote:
> Michael Widenius <monty@mysql.com> writes:
> > Assigning over the code is also something that FSF requires for all
> > code contributions. If you criticize us at MySQL AB, you should
> > also criticize the above.
>
> This is slightly different - FSF wants it so it will have a legal
> position to defend its programs: ...
> MySQL and TrollTech requires copyright assignment in order to sell
> non-open licenses. Some people will have a problem with this, while
> not having a problem with the FSF copyright assignment.
Nobody who works on MySQL is unaware of MySQL AB's business model.
Anybody who contributes to the core server has to expect that MySQL
AB will need to relicense anything accepted into the core; that's
their right as originators. Everybody who contributes has a choice
to make: fork, or sign over. (With the GPL, forking remains possible;
Apple and Sun "community" licenses don't allow it.)
Anybody who contributes to PG has to make the same choice: fork,
or put your code under the PG license. The latter choice is
equivalent to "signing over" to all proprietary vendors, who are
then free to take your code proprietary. Some of us like that.
> > I had actually hoped to get support from you guys at PostgreSQL
> > regarding this. You may have similar experience or at least
> > understand our position. The RedHat database may be a good thing
> > for PostgreSQL, but I am not sure if it's a good thing for RedHat
> > or for the main developers to PostgreSQL.
>
> This isn't even a remotely similar situation: ...
It's similar enough. One difference is that PG users are less
afraid to fork. Another is that without the GPL, we have elected
not to (and indeed cannot) stop any company from doing with PG what
NuSphere is doing with MySQL.
This is why characterizing the various licenses as more or less
"business-friendly" is misleading (i.e. dishonest) -- it evades the
question, "friendly to whom?". Businesses sometimes compete...
Nathan Myers
ncm@zembu.com