On 3/15/07, Emiliano Heyns <emiliano.he...@gmail.com> wrote:
But MySQL under the GPL does allow commercial use (hence, a.o. all those ISPs using it). It just doesn't allow you to distribute proprietary apps with MySQL. The two angles are entirely different. Again, the Linux kernel serves as an example: you cannot create a derivative proprietary product from the linux kernel since it is GPL. But you are allowed, without any financial or license-auditing strings attached, commercial use of the linux kernel (and MySQL), even when embedded in a GPLed application you intend to exploit commercially (routers with embedded Linux, for example). And with MySQL and Linux you are even allowed to build applications that are both proprietary and intended for commercial use -- as long as it is for in-company use only. I'd say it's at least grey-area material, and I'd not want to put anyone in grey-area situations. Given the scenario above, I would benefit from the users contributing since they would en passant be paying for hosting my own site. Splitting hairs, maybe, but I'm just trying to demonstrate the dilemma I see.
I've been thinking about this, and I am still not certain about how to read the licensing. If I were to build that CMS, who would get to use it? Only private persons? Only approved (by whom?) OSS projects? Only OSS Projects that use the GPL exclusively? Would a commercial user be required to get an virtuoso license? Would and ISP offering it need one, or would its users need one? I get the proprietary vs. open source bit, but the commercial vs. non-commercial is not clear to me. Emile
