Re: commercial mysql license in redhat?

Doug Morse wrote:
On Wed, 7 May 2008 05:15:32 -0700 (PDT), Teo <matteo.corti@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Jerry,

On May 7, 10:33 am, Jerry <iamjh...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
We are providing commercial database application to our customer. If
we suggest customer using RedHat Enterprise Linux, do they need to buy
commercial mysql license additionally?
Or RHEL has commercial mysql license together?
No. They should get is separately (but see below).

Since our application is not GPL, we need commercial mysql license.
But are you sure you need it? Are you re-desributing MySQL? Or the
customers will just "use" their installed instance of MySQL?

See:
http://www.mysql.com/about/legal/licensing/commercial-license.html

Matteo

Hi Matteo,

I don't believe this will get them out of having to purchase a commercial
(probably OEM) license. From the webpage you cited:

You could be correct, but I believe the below is open to interpretation.


* If you develop and distribute a commercial application and as part of
utilizing your application, the end-user must download a copy of MySQL; for
each derivative work, you (or, in some cases, your end-user) need a
commercial license for the MySQL server and/or MySQL client libraries.

Key word is *must*. This, from what I read means your application can only use MySQL, and nothing else. If you have any other DB support, the 'must' is not the case.


* If you include one or more of the MySQL drivers in your non-GPL application
(so that your application can run with MySQL), you need a commercial license
for the driver(s) in question. The MySQL drivers currently include an ODBC
driver, a JDBC driver and the C language library.

Not sure on the details around this one, but seem pretty straight forward. Not sure if one has to distribute MySQL drivers with an application or not.


According to this, then, the need to use MySQL is sufficient to induce the
requirement of purchasing a commercial license, either by the developer or the
end user.

Again, it states *must*. If you support more than one DB, I would believe the must would not be the case, and the non-commercial version can be used. IANAL.

JR.




HTH,
Doug


--

Bill will have to take Linux from my cold, dead flippers.

-Tux.
.

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