Mike,
the opinions below are my personal opinions. They do not reflect the
official standpoint of Oracle Corporation.
----- Original Message -----
From: "mos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: mailing.database.myodbc
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2005 12:51 AM
Subject: Re: Heikki: What will become of InnoDb once MySQL license runs
At 08:33 PM 11/4/2005, you wrote:
Mike,
----- Original Message ----- From: "mos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: mailing.database.myodbc
Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 12:11 AM
Subject: Heikki: What will become of InnoDb once MySQL license runs out
Heikki,
I am about to start a large MySQL project that requires transactions and
I
need to know if InnoDb will be around for MySQL after MySQL's license for
InnoDb runs out in 2006.
the current GPL version of MySQL/InnoDB will of course be available then
by the very nature of the GPL license.
Sure but if people have commercial applications that use InnoDb, then
what?
Is there a surprise "tax" waiting for them next year?
When we in December 2002 negotiated the current MySQL AB - Innobase Oy OEM
contract with MySQL AB's CEO Mårten Mickos, Mårten wanted a clause that
makes all the details of the OEM contract confidential. Therefore, I have
not been able to disclose the details of the current OEM agreement.
The MySQL AB - Innobase Oy OEM agreement is about commercial non-GPL
MySQL/InnoDB licenses. About that agreement I want to refer to the
official press release of Oracle Corporation:
http://www.oracle.com/innodb/index.html
From the website:
>>InnoDB's contractual relationship with MySQL comes up for renewal next
year. Oracle fully expects to negotiate an extension of that
relationship.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. <<
It seems to me Oracle now has MySQL AB by the short and curlies. <bg>
Negotiating a "fair" contract renewal could be painful under these
conditions, don't you think?
I believe in a situation like this it is possible to negotiate a fair
contract renewal. In December 2002 the situation was different, and we were
able to negotiate a new OEM contract.
If Oracle is that much in favor of continuing the InnoDb contract with
MySQL, why didn't they pre-announce it saying the terms and conditions
would be the same as before. Or are they going to change the contract so
they collect $500 or even $1000 extra for every commercial application
that
is distributed with InnoDb?
But companies usually do not pre-announce the bids they are going to make.
MySQL AB has not pre-announced MySQL's commercial non-GPL license prices in
2006. A problem is that an OEM contract is between two companies. One
company cannot pre-announce what the other company might decide to do.
If this happens, what alternative will MySQL be offering their users who
need transactions and RI?
If yes, will you still be supporting it or will
it be up to MySQL AB?
I want to refer to the official press release where Charles Rozwat,
Oracle's Executive Vice President in charge of Database and Middleware
Technology says: "Oracle intends to continue developing the InnoDB
technology and expand our commitment to open source software."
And did he say at what cost to the MySQL developers? It never struck me
that Larry Ellison was a humanitarian who wanted a competitor to succeed.
(Did Larry hit his head?<vbg>)
Did Oracle give you any reason as to why they wanted to buy InnoDb? Are
they going to be replacing Oracle's row locking with InnoDb? If they're
not
going to be using InnoDb, why buy it? This is looking more like a
preemptive strike against MySQL. In which case, why would they honor the
next contract?
Future plans of Oracle and Innobase Oy are confidential. Like Jochem van
Dieten said earlier in this thread, Oracle is a public company, and
disclosure of future plans must go through a channel approved by the SEC.
Mike
Regards,
Heikki
Oracle/Innobase
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