This is the answer: http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/10/importance-of-license-model-of-mysql-or.html http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/10/importance-of-lic

This is the answer: http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/10/importance-of-license-model-of-mysql-or.html http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/10/importance-of-license... Basically organizations that are putting money and work on MySQL absolutely require to get licenses, or in other words, the GPL is not good for this guys because they have to do their stuff with parts of closed source software and so forth. The problem is the GPL clearly: it allows you to earn money selling licenses, but I don't like the model: 1. You start a GPLed open source project. 2. Then start to sell licenses to make the software like if it was BSD only for paying customers: PROFIT 3. The you get in troubles... like MySQL. 4. You ask for help to the community... Edit: I'm claiming the GPL is always a bad idea, but it depends on the kind of project. For instance it worked very well for Linux, but does not work so well in other contexts when it's highly likely that companies require to use the code in ways not allowed by the GPL for legitimate business needs (that is, not just to create a closed source version of the project).