On Mon, Aug 20, 2001 at 04:52:15PM -0700, Dennis J. Eberl wrote: > Anyone interested in GPL licensing issue might want to check out MySQL AB's > web site at http://www.mysql.com/. Apparently NuSphere is infringing on > MySQL AB's GPL and trademarks (e.g., http://www.mysql.org is owned by > NuSphere and is not readily identifiable as such.) I just checked out mysql.org. I'm assuming that they've added the "This site is neither affiliated wth or endorsed by MySQL AB. If you are looking for MySQL AB, click here." bit since the dispute. What else have they changed? To be honest, I see nothng that violates copyright or GPL licenses. They don't say, "We wrote the code for MySQL." If MySQL AB is disputing the use of "mysql", well, then they should have protected that term better, like Linus did with "Linux". > MySQL.og makes statements > like "mySQL.org is dedicated to the promotion and improvement of the fast, > free, and flexible MySQL database. We provide the Open Source community a > center for free downloads, information and communication, as well as all the > files you need to build applications based on MySQL, the #1 open source > database." So? What's wrong with that? > Isn't that nice of NuSphere. Like MySQL.COM doesn't exist, right? > If you really want to puke, check out their page recruiting developers > (http://www.mysql.org/devel.php?menu=17&page_id=5). So? If you have a problem with that, then I guess you have a problem with RedHat, Mandrake, Caldera, etc? There's no law that says that in every occasion, in everything you do, you must fully explain everything you do. For example, does your butcher tell you how much he paid for the meat he sells you? > Understand, that I'm not a guy who _buys_ the open source will take over the > world dream. I think Eric Raymond, for example, is a brilliant guy selling > an economic theory worthy of a crank. Total waste. The code is free, support is not. *Free* attracts a lot of users. Not all users have the time or skill to make the code do what they want it to, and are willing to pay to make it work. And there's a whole other group that is willing to learn how to use it, and they buy books and surf web sites that sell ad space, caffeinated mints and the like ... Makes sense to me. I don't think this dispute is cut and dry. I think MySQL AB is complain- ing that mysql.org portrays itself as the "authority" on mySQL. If you were trying to make money on support, wouldn't you try to protray yourself as an "authority"? My view is, if I write code, I put a "Copyright 2001 Jacob Meuser" at the top. The code is free for use, modification and redistribution as long as the copyright notice is reproduceable in source and/or binary form. The BSD license. Simple, yet effective. My name is protected as the "authority". If I someday write something so useful that I think A LOT of people will use, and there's potential for A LOT of money, then I'll trademark the name of the software, to further protect my "authority". For more insight into protecting yourself as a software author, check out the last few pages of the latest "Open", OSDN's print magazine. -- <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
