Benjamin Adams wrote on Thu, Oct 09, 2008 at 02:21:31PM -0400: > I'm looking for some clarification on Licensing. > I'm looking to build a product using: > OpenBSD > MySQL
Note that the MySQL client libraries are licenced under the GPL, not under the LGPL, with an explicit exception from the GPL allowing to link them against non-GPL FLOSS programs. This GPL+FLOSS exception scheme does look scary to me, there are heaps of legalese language, do ask you lawyer to make sure you understand all that. You are not allowed to link the MySQL >= 4.0 client libraries against non-FLOSS code; see the following, already pretty old rationale provided by a MySQL guy: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/120620 David Axmark, September 25, 2002 [...] We can still make exceptions and allow free use if there is a good reason for it (But not for "I like to make money without freeing my code or paying you" like reasons). So the goal is to get money out of the people who distribute non OpenSource application using MySQL. [...] I definitely know of one company having switched a closed-source product from MySQL to PostgreSQL for that very reason. > Tomcat > Java I don't know anything about these two. > I know OpenBSD is do what you want. That statement is utterly wrong. Very little of OpenBSD is in the public domain. Make sure you really understand what you may and may not do with which part of OpenBSD. You seem rather hasty regarding licensing, which is quite dangerous. > Anyone know what sun says for licensing? If you want to sell a product involving GPL stuff, don't rely on advice given by random people on mailing lists, like me. Instead, ask your lawyer. (Flame bait, don't respond to the following two lines.) Effectively, that's want the GPL is mostly doing, whatever its intentions might be: Prevent starvation of software lawyers. (End off trolling, SCNR.) > Anyone know what I would have to do for Sun to let me do this? As far as i understand, you must make some contract with some MySQL company and pay them something. Figure it out. :-( > or is they don't care just create and sell? Definitely not. They do care. By the way, OpenBSD people also care what you do with OpenBSD, and if you don't pay attention, chances are you will violate various OpenBSD copyrights and license conditions, too.
