MySQL Support and Licensing

This section describes MySQL support and licensing arrangements.

Support Offered by MySQL AB

Technical support from MySQL AB means individualized answers to your unique problems direct from the software engineers who code the MySQL database engine.

We try to take a broad and inclusive view of technical support. Almost any problem involving MySQL software is important to us if it's important to you. Typically customers seek help on how to get different commands and utilities to work, remove performance bottlenecks, restore crashed systems, understand the impact of operating system or networking issues on MySQL, set up best practices for backup and recovery, utilize APIs, and so on. Our support covers only the MySQL server and our own utilities, not third-party products that access the MySQL server, although we try to help with these where we can.

Detailed information about our various support options is given at http://www.mysql.com/support/, where support contracts can also be ordered online. To contact our sales staff, send email to mailto:sales@@mysql.com.

Technical support is like life insurance. You can live happily without it for years. However, when your hour arrives, it becomes critically important, but it's too late to buy it. If you use MySQL Server for important applications and encounter sudden difficulties, it may be too time-consuming to figure out all the answers yourself. You may need immediate access to the most experienced MySQL troubleshooters available, those employed by MySQL AB.

Copyrights and Licenses Used by MySQL

MySQL AB owns the copyright to the MySQL source code, the MySQL logos and (registered) trademarks, and this manual. See the section called “Overview of MySQL AB”. Several different licenses are relevant to the MySQL distribution:

  1. All the MySQL-specific source in the server, the mysqlclient library and the client, as well as the GNU readline library, are covered by the GNU General Public License. See Appendix G, GNU General Public License. The text of this license can be found as the file COPYING in MySQL distributions.

  2. The GNU getopt library is covered by the GNU Lesser General Public License. See http://www.fsf.org/licenses/.

  3. Some parts of the source (the regexp library) are covered by a Berkeley-style copyright.

  4. Older versions of MySQL (3.22 and earlier) are subject to a stricter license (http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/mypl.html). See the documentation of the specific version for information.

  5. The MySQL Reference Manual is not distributed under a GPL-style license. Use of the manual is subject to the following terms:

    • Conversion to other formats is allowed, but the actual content may not be altered or edited in any way.

    • You may create a printed copy for your own personal use.

    • For all other uses, such as selling printed copies or using (parts of) the manual in another publication, prior written agreement from MySQL AB is required.

    Please send an email message to mailto:docs@@mysql.com for more information or if you are interested in doing a translation.

For information about how the MySQL licenses work in practice, please refer to the section called “MySQL Licenses” and the section called “MySQL AB Logos and Trademarks”.

MySQL Licenses

The MySQL software is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which is probably the best known Open Source license. The formal terms of the GPL license can be found at http://www.fsf.org/licenses/. See also http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html and http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/enforcing-gpl.html.

Our GPL licensing is supported by an optional license exception that enables many Free/Libre and Open Source Software (“FLOSS”) applications to include the GPL-licensed MySQL client libraries despite the fact that not all FLOSS licenses are compatible with the GPL. For details, see http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/foss-exception.html.

Because the MySQL software is released under the GPL, it may often be used for free, but for certain uses you may want or need to buy commercial licenses from MySQL AB at https://order.mysql.com/. See http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/ for more information.

Older versions of MySQL (3.22 and earlier) are subject to a stricter license (http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/mypl.html). See the documentation of the specific version for information.

Please note that the use of the MySQL software under commercial license, GPL, or the old MySQL license does not automatically give you the right to use MySQL AB (registered) trademarks. See the section called “MySQL AB Logos and Trademarks”.

Using the MySQL Software Under a Commercial License

The GPL license is contagious in the sense that when a program is linked to a GPL program, all the source code for all the parts of the resulting product must also be released under the GPL. If you do not follow this GPL requirement, you break the license terms and forfeit your right to use the GPL program altogether. You also risk damages.

You need a commercial license under these conditions:

  • When you link a program with any GPL code from the MySQL software and don't want the resulting product to be licensed under GPL, perhaps because you want to build a commercial product or keep the added non-GPL code closed source for other reasons. When purchasing commercial licenses, you are not using the MySQL software under GPL even though it's the same code.

  • When you distribute a non-GPL application that works only with the MySQL software and ship it with the MySQL software. This type of solution is considered to be linking even if it's done over a network.

  • When you distribute copies of the MySQL software without providing the source code as required under the GPL license.

  • When you want to support the further development of the MySQL database even if you don't formally need a commercial license. Purchasing support directly from MySQL AB is another good way of contributing to the development of the MySQL software, with immediate advantages for you. See the section called “Support Offered by MySQL AB”.

Our GPL licensing is supported by an optional license exception that enables many Free/Libre and Open Source Software (“FLOSS”) applications to include the GPL-licensed MySQL client libraries despite the fact that not all FLOSS licenses are compatible with the GPL. For details, see http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/foss-exception.html.

If you require a commercial license, you will need one for each installation of the MySQL software. This covers any number of CPUs on a machine, and there is no artificial limit on the number of clients that connect to the server in any way.

For commercial licenses, please visit our Web site at http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/. For support contracts, see http://www.mysql.com/support/. If you have special needs, please contact our sales staff via email at mailto:sales@@mysql.com.

Using the MySQL Software for Free Under GPL

You can use the MySQL software for free under the GPL if you adhere to the conditions of the GPL. For additional details about the GPL, including answers to common questions, see the generic FAQ from the Free Software Foundation at http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html.

Our GPL licensing is supported by an optional license exception that enables many Free/Libre and Open Source Software (“FLOSS”) applications to include the GPL-licensed MySQL client libraries despite the fact that not all FLOSS licenses are compatible with the GPL. For details, see http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing/foss-exception.html.

Common uses of the GPL include:

  • When you distribute both your own application and the MySQL source code under the GPL with your product.

  • When you distribute the MySQL source code bundled with other programs that are not linked to or dependent on the MySQL system for their functionality even if you sell the distribution commercially. This is called “mere aggregation” in the GPL license.

  • When you are not distributing any part of the MySQL system, you can use it for free.

  • When you are an Internet Service Provider (ISP), offering Web hosting with MySQL servers for your customers. We encourage people to use ISPs that have MySQL support, because doing so will give them the confidence that their ISP will, in fact, have the resources to solve any problems they may experience with the MySQL installation. Even if an ISP does not have a commercial license for MySQL Server, their customers should at least be given read access to the source of the MySQL installation so that the customers can verify that it is correctly patched.

  • When you use the MySQL database software in conjunction with a Web server, you do not need a commercial license (so long as it is not a product you distribute). This is true even if you run a commercial Web server that uses MySQL Server, because you are not distributing any part of the MySQL system. However, in this case we would like you to purchase MySQL support because the MySQL software is helping your enterprise.

If your use of MySQL database software does not require a commercial license, we encourage you to purchase support from MySQL AB anyway. This way you contribute toward MySQL development and also gain immediate advantages for yourself. See the section called “Support Offered by MySQL AB”.

If you use the MySQL database software in a commercial context such that you profit by its use, we ask that you further the development of the MySQL software by purchasing some level of support. We feel that if the MySQL database helps your business, it is reasonable to ask that you help MySQL AB. (Otherwise, if you ask us support questions, you are not only using for free something into which we've put a lot a work, you're asking us to provide free support, too.)

MySQL AB Logos and Trademarks

Many users of the MySQL database want to display the MySQL AB dolphin logo on their Web sites, books, or boxed products. We welcome and encourage this, although it should be noted that the word MySQL and the MySQL dolphin logo are (registered) trademarks of MySQL AB and may only be used as stated in our trademark policy at http://www.mysql.com/company/trademark.html.

The Original MySQL Logo

The MySQL dolphin logo was designed by the Finnish advertising agency Priority in 2001. The dolphin was chosen as a suitable symbol for the MySQL database management system, which is like a smart, fast, and lean animal, effortlessly navigating oceans of data. We also happen to like dolphins.

The original MySQL logo may only be used by representatives of MySQL AB and by those having a written agreement allowing them to do so.

MySQL Logos That May Be Used Without Written Permission

We have designed a set of special Conditional Use logos that may be downloaded from our Web site at http://www.mysql.com/press/logos.html and used on third-party Web sites without written permission from MySQL AB. The use of these logos is not entirely unrestricted but, as the name implies, subject to our trademark policy that is also available on our Web site. You should read through the trademark policy if you plan to use them. The requirements are basically as follows:

  • Use the logo you need as displayed on the http://www.mysql.com/ site. You may scale it to fit your needs, but may not change colors or design, or alter the graphics in any way.

  • Make it evident that you, and not MySQL AB, are the creator and owner of the site that displays the MySQL (registered) trademark.

  • Don't use the trademark in a way that is detrimental to MySQL AB or to the value of MySQL AB trademarks. We reserve the right to revoke the right to use the MySQL AB trademark.

  • If you use the trademark on a Web site, make it clickable, leading directly to http://www.mysql.com/.

  • If you use the MySQL database under GPL in an application, your application must be Open Source and must be able to connect to a MySQL server.

Contact us via email at mailto:trademark@@mysql.com to inquire about special arrangements to fit your needs.

When You Need Written Permission to Use MySQL Logos

You need written permission from MySQL AB before using MySQL logos in the following cases:

  • When displaying any MySQL AB logo anywhere except on your Web site.

  • When displaying any MySQL AB logo except the Conditional Use logos (mentioned previously) on Web sites or elsewhere.

Due to legal and commercial reasons, we monitor the use of MySQL (registered) trademarks on products, books, and other items. We usually require a fee for displaying MySQL AB logos on commercial products, since we think it is reasonable that some of the revenue is returned to fund further development of the MySQL database.

MySQL AB Partnership Logos

MySQL partnership logos may be used only by companies and persons having a written partnership agreement with MySQL AB. Partnerships include certification as a MySQL trainer or consultant. For more information, please see Partnering.

Using the Word MySQL in Printed Text or Presentations

MySQL AB welcomes references to the MySQL database, but it should be noted that the word MySQL is a registered trademark of MySQL AB. Because of this, you must append the “registered trademark” notice symbol (R) to the first or most prominent use of the word MySQL in a text and, where appropriate, state that MySQL is a registered trademark of MySQL AB. For more information, please refer to our trademark policy at http://www.mysql.com/company/trademark.html.

Using the Word MySQL in Company and Product Names

Use of the word MySQL in company or product names or in Internet domain names is not allowed without written permission from MySQL AB. http://www.mysql.com/company/contact/.