Re: MySQL only useable for GPL clients?
<posted & mailed>
Martin Koegler wrote:
> The newer MySQL client libraries are GPL (with the FLOSS exception),
> older versions were LGPL.
>
> At http://dev.mysql.com/doc/internals/en/licensing-notice.html
> MySQL has put a descrption of their network protocol, where they
> force programs using this protocol to be GPL:
>
>>The MySQL Protocol is proprietary.
>>
>>The MySQL Protocol is part of the MySQL Database Management System.
>>As such, it falls under the provisions of the GNU Public License (GPL).
>>A copy of the GNU Public License is available on MySQL's web site, and
>>in the product download.
>>
>>Because this is a GPL protocol, any product which uses it to connect to
>>a MySQL server, or to emulate a MySQL server, or to interpose between
>>any client and server which uses the protocol, or for any similar purpose,
>>is also bound by the GPL. Therefore if you use this description to write a
>>program, you must release your program as GPL. Contact MySQL AB if you
>>need clarification of these terms or if you need to ask about alternative
This is crack-smoking. A protocol can't be copyrighted. If you use the
actual text of the protocol description, you would be using a GPL'ed,
copyrighted work. If you just implement the protocol, you're not subject
to any copyright restrictions.
> Does this affect all non GPL MySQL Clients (eg. libmysqlclient10)?
>
> mfg Martin Kögler
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