Many of you may be familiar with the GPL and MySQL. If so, I apologize, this message is not for you.
Just a friendly warning about MySQL and RB and your code! You cannot ship a product built with the MySQL plugin that RealSoftware supplies and sell your product as a commercial closed source product. You MUST distribute your source code IF you distribute with the MySQL plugin compilet into your product. You CANNOT restrict rights to re-use that source code. You CANNOT prevent someone from reselling your product or any derivations. The MySQL plugin is licensed as GPL, not as LGPL (which would allow this). I am assuming there are serious implications for RB IDE itself since it links itself with the GPL plugin, and they advertise that they include MySQL support with the product, but that is another discussion. Unless MySQL or the GPL gives them (or has given them) an exception similar to the same exception that Linus gave the Linux kernel for modules, they could have to dance in an interesting way. The general rule is if you link with a GPL product, your product is covered under the GPL. To sell a closed source product that uses MySQL, you must either go to a third party MySQL plugin that is totally GPL free, or you need to contact the MySQL folks and purchase a non-GPL license from them. They are free to have a dual license for the same product since they created the product. As creator, they can license the product different ways simultaneously. I saw somewhere the cost of such a license from the MySQL folks was a very reasonable value of around $300 USD, but that is third or fourth hand, and that information may be wrong. I did give RS a feedback request for a non-GPL plugin for MySQL to RB, but they said that was MySQL's issue, not theirs. I respectfully disagree with them, but wanted to let you folks know, just in case you had not thought about it. RB's business is RB's business, but your business is yours. Please don't be caught unawares. thanks, Wade _______________________________________________ Unsubscribe or switch delivery mode: <http://www.realsoftware.com/support/listmanager/> Search the archives of this list here: <http://support.realsoftware.com/listarchives/lists.html>
