Using MySQL as a backend for a commercial application (Licensing)

I've read the MySQL licensing material and what I've found online, but
I'm still unclear about when I have to pay MySQL for a license.

Scenario: I've created an application that stores some data in MySQL
5.0 (InnoDB table types). It connects to MySQL 5.0 via MyODBC.

1.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer, do I have to
buy a separate MySQL license for every copy of the installer I sell?

2.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
user to use their own licensed copy of MySQL 5.0, do I have to buy a
license for the unused MySQL?

3.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
user to use SQL Express (a non-MySQL product) instead, do I still have
to buy a license for the unused MySQL?

4.) Does not including MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer change
anything for any of these scenarios?

I would like to support MySQL as the backend for my product, but not if
I have to pay ~$600 for every copy just to allow a user to use MySQL
(not require).

Re: Using MySQL as a backend for a commercial application (Licensing)

I use the community edition. It is free!

Re: Using MySQL as a backend for a commercial application (Licensing)

Jared wrote:
> I use the community edition. It is free!

Really? From the Community Edition download page
(http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/) it says: "Note: For Independent
Software Vendors (ISVs) or hardware vendors who wish to embed or bundle
MySQL in closed source products, MySQL is also available under a
commercial license with comprehensive support."

I guess the question is "What consitutes 'embedding or bundling'?"

>From my original post:

1.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer, do I have to
buy a separate MySQL license for every copy of the installer I sell?

2.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
user to use their own licensed copy of MySQL 5.0, do I have to buy a
license for the unused MySQL?

3.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
user to use SQL Express (a non-MySQL product) instead, do I still have
to buy a license for the unused MySQL?

4.) Does not including MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer change
anything for any of these scenarios?

Re: Using MySQL as a backend for a commercial application (Licensing)

sp3d2orbit wrote:
> Jared wrote:
>> I use the community edition. It is free!
>
> Really? From the Community Edition download page
> (http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/) it says: "Note: For Independent
> Software Vendors (ISVs) or hardware vendors who wish to embed or bundle
> MySQL in closed source products, MySQL is also available under a
> commercial license with comprehensive support."
>
> I guess the question is "What consitutes 'embedding or bundling'?"
>
>>From my original post:
>
> 1.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer, do I have to
> buy a separate MySQL license for every copy of the installer I sell?

My understanding is that embedding as bundling apply when you have made
changes to the code and/or made the executables intrinsically part of
the software. If you were to somehow restrict the installation of mysql
to only work with your software then you would probably have to use the
commercial license. If you are just repackaging the regular binaries
without making any special changes then I wouldn't think you would have
a problem. You would just be redistributing free software as if you
were not packaging your own software with it.
>
> 2.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
> user to use their own licensed copy of MySQL 5.0, do I have to buy a
> license for the unused MySQL?

If the mysql binaries are the stock ones from Mysql then I wouldn't
think you would need to pay for a license. Other than that, I'll punt
to someone else. However, even if there were an issue you could
probably get around it by having a separate package that did not include
the mysql binaries.

> 3.) If I include MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer but allow the
> user to use SQL Express (a non-MySQL product) instead, do I still have
> to buy a license for the unused MySQL?

See above.

> 4.) Does not including MySQL 5.0 and MyODBC in the installer change
> anything for any of these scenarios?
>

If you do not include the mysql and myodbc binaries then presumably no
custom modifications are being made by you, in which case the customers
are getting the mysql binaries from a different source. In that case I
don't see any issues.

However, I am not a lawyer, I do not play one on TV, and I do not do any
celebrity endorsements for any attorneys. I would suggest retaining one
and not relying on anonymous know-it-alls like myself :)