<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 -- ksig --random|
