Mark Matthews wrote:
> Danijel Jevtic wrote:
> > Hello everyone,
> > I hope that there are some people out there
> who
> > can clarify this licensing question for me.
> > Until now I have been programming a web
> > application which is based only on libraries
> using
> > the Apache License.
> > I have played a little with the mysql
> connector/J
> > and find it to be one of the best tools for
> > persisting my data. As of today I have not
> used
> > any LGPL based software, because of some
> > irregularities in the license. I want to
> > distribute my web app under a commercial
> license,
> > but think that as soon as I use an LGPL
> based
> > library I also have to distribute my web app
> under
> > LGPL.
> >
> > My believe is strengthened by the following
> > article of the LGPL:
> > A program that contains no derivative of any
> > portion of the Library, but is designed to
> work
> > with the Library by being compiled or linked
> with
> > it, is called a "work that uses the Library".
> Such
> > a work, in isolation, is not a derivative
> work of
> > the Library, and therefore falls outside the
> scope
> > of this License.
> > However, linking a "work that uses the
> Library"
> > with the Library creates an executable that
> is a
> > derivative of the Library (because it
> contains
> > portions of the Library), rather than a "work
> that
> > uses the library". The executable is
> therefore
> > covered by this License. Section 6 states
> terms
> > for distribution of such executables.
> >
> > Since my web app is using an LGPL library it
> > therefore also needs to be LGPL.
> > Is this correct?
> >
> > I would appreciate some hints of other users,
> who
> > may have encountered the same problem. In
> the
> > future I will be using connector/J 3, but for
> now
> > I am planning to use connector/J 2, if
> licensing
> > allows me to do that.
> > Is there a commercial connector/J 2 or
> connector/J
> > 3 license which I may not be aware of?
> > What's may be the difference in the licenses
> of
> > the two versions?
> > Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Daniel,
>
> Connector/J _isn't_ LGPL, it's GPL. You're right
> in thinking that if you create a commercial
> closed-source application you can't redistribute
> it if it contains (i.e. is a derived work of)
> GPL'd components (the GPL requires derived works
> to be redistributed under a license which has no
> more restrictions (i.e. is compatible with) than
> the GPL itself, which mostly means the GPL. We
> allow exceptions for a client libraries, but only
> for other open source licenses).
[snip]
I should be more precise here...Connector/J 2.x _is_ LGPL, later versions are GPL. Connector/J doesn't support most of the features of MySQL-4.0 or 4.1, and is not supported any longer by MySQL AB. There is a commercial version of it available if you _really_ want to license it though.
-Mark
Mark Matthews
Consulting Member Technical Staff - MySQL Enterprise Tools
Oracle
http://www.mysql.com/products/enterprise/monitor.html