Effect of the MySQL FLOSS License Exception?

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Zak Greant (zak at mysql.com):

> Actually, v0.2 of the exception will apply to both client and server.
> 
> My personal opinion is that, given the multifarious ways for a 
> sufficiently motivated large organization to crush us like the uppity 
> bugs that we are, we should not lose too much sleep worrying about that 
> particular possible vulnerability. :)

Just for kicks, I'd also like to post the traditional BSD user's
rejoinder to Glen Low's supposedly disasterous scenario:

Gill W. Bates of Evil Corporation MX is of course free to extend MySQL
code under GPL + FLOSS Exception using a BSD-licensed extension and then
start withholding the source code to updates[1], making its portion of
the codebase proprietary, and selling the combined work as its "Abcess"
database product.  One _always_ has the right to take any BSD-licensed
codebase proprietary after initial code release -- but then that party
ceases to fully benefit from the exchange of code and information in the
larger BSD community, and the proprietary effort will tend to fall
behind and/or lose momentum.  The BSD community's 15-year record under
that licence (since release of 4.3BSD NET/1, 1989) supports that point
tolerably well.

[1] I.e., I really rather doubt that a codebase claimed to be
BSD-licensed but without source code issuance can be _truly_ said --
Glen's claim notwithstanding -- to be BSD-licensed.  However, MySQL AB
would have to decide for itself whether it cares to head off anyone's
perverse legal theories to the contrary.

(One's particular take on that issue might make Evil Corp's plan
following the initial release legally feasible, or not.)

-- 
Cheers,        "A raccoon tangled with a 23,000 volt line, today.  The results
Rick Moen       blacked out 1400 homes and, of course, one raccoon."
rick at linuxmafia.com                                  -- Steel City News
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