Re: Including Mysql in the Main Distrubation

[Martin Schulze <joey@kuolema.Infodrom.North.DE>]

On Sat, Jun 13, 1998 at 01:48:58AM -0400, Kevin Atkinson wrote:
> After carefully reading over the license of Mysql it seems like it could
> be included in the main
> distribution area.
> 
> I am wondering exactly what parts are preventing it from being
> included.  
> 
> Is it that you must purchase it if you wish to develop commercial
> applications that require it?

Please go back and reed the Mysql license and the Debian Free
Software Guidelines.

>From the Mysql copyright:

Copyright:

			MYSQL FREE PUBLIC LICENSE
			(Version 4, March 5, 1995)

2.  Restrictions.

This license is subject to the following restrictions:

(a) Distribution of the Program or any work based on the Program by a
commercial organization to any third party is prohibited if any payment is
made in connection with such distribution, whether directly (as in payment
for a copy of the Program) or indirectly (as in payment for some service
related to the Program, or payment for some product or service that
includes a copy of the Program "without charge"; these are only examples,
and not an exhaustive enumeration of prohibited activities).  However, the
following methods of distribution involving payment shall not in and of
themselves be a violation of this restriction:

	(i) Posting the Program on a public access information storage
and retrieval service for which a fee is received for retrieving
information (such as an on-line service), provided that the fee is not
content-dependent (i.e., the fee would be the same for retrieving the
same volume of information consisting of random data).

	(ii) Distributing the Program on a CD-ROM, provided that the
files containing the Program are reproduced entirely and verbatim on such
CD-ROM, and provided further that all information on such CD-ROM be
redistributable for non-commercial purposes without charge.

[..]

(c) You must meet all of the following conditions with respect to the
distribution of any work based on the Program:

[..]

	(ii) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that
in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part
thereof, to be licensed as a whole and at no charge to all third parties
under the terms of this License;

[..]

This fails #1 of the DFSG as written:

    1. 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.

Regards,

	Joey

-- 
  / Martin Schulze  *  joey@infodrom.north.de  *  26129 Oldenburg /
 /           Experience is a useful thing.  Unfortunately it is  /
/             only acquired just after one could have used it.  /   


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