At 06:49 AM 6/8/2006, Jochem van Dieten wrote:
>On 6/8/06, mos wrote:
>>At 08:15 PM 6/7/2006, you wrote:
>>>I believe that if you are only using MySQL for your company's
>>>internal needs, whether from a web server or for deployment to other
>>>company-owned locations, you don't need a commercial license.
>>
>>Unfortunately that's not what MySQL AB licensing person told me. The
>>license is more strict than that. If your company distributes an
>>application that uses MySQL database inside the company (even inside the
>>same building), and you don't give the other dept the source code (so it
>>falls outside the gpl license) then the dept receiving the application
>>needs to have a MySQL license. In other words, the complete application
>>source code must follow the application.
>
>If both departments are registered as the same 'legal person' whatever
>one department owns is automatically owned by the other department
>too. So as long as both departments are under the same registration at
>the Chamber of Commerce (or however that legally works in your
>jurisdiction), this is not distribution as intended in the GPL.
>
>Jochem
Jochem,
Well that's what I thought too. But if each dept has their own MySQL
server, and you do not give the other dept your source code for your
application, MySQL AB claims you need a license for that dept (at least
that's what they claimed 2 years ago when I spoke with them). Now if each
dept already had licenses for each MySQL server or there was only 1
centralized MySQL server, then of course they don't need a new license.
This still presents a problem if the company is distributing standalone
MySQL applications that run on desktops within a company, because could add
up to a lot of license fees. Even standalone MySQL applications require a
license.
Mike
