Licensing or When do I have/want to pay for MySQL?

Basic licensing issues:

• The easiest way to pay for MySQL is to use TcX's secure license form.
• You only have to pay if you are selling MySQL directly or selling a product which includes the MySQL server. Unless you pay for a license, you may not include MySQL in a distribution if you charge for some part of it. For internal use you do not have to pay us if you do not want to.
• The client code is in the Public Domain or under the GPL (readline). You do not need a license to include client code in commercial programs.
• We may add some additional functionality in the commercial version. The likely test candidate for this is fast compressed read-only databases. The current server includes support to read such databases but not the packing tool. If we get enough revenue from support we will probably release this under the same license as the other stuff.
• But if you like MySQL and want to encourage further development you are welcome to purchase a license or support.

See section The MySQL server license.

How much does MySQL cost?

For normal use MySQL costs nothing. When you sell MySQL directly or as a part of another product you have to pay for it. See section The MySQL server license.

The client access part of MySQL is in the public domain. The command line client includes parts that is under the GNU Public License (readline).

These are our current license prices. All prices are in US Dollars. If you pay by credit card, the currency is FIM (Finish Marks) so the prices will differ slightly.

How do I get commercial support?

A full-price license includes really basic support. This means that we will try to answer any relevant question. If the answer is in the documentation, we are going to direct you to the relevant documentation. If you do not have a license/support we will probably not answer at all.

If you discover what we consider a real bug, we are likely to fix it in any case. But if you pay for support we will notify you about the fix status instead of just fixing it in a later release.

More comprehensive support is sold separately:

Types of commercial support

Basic email support

One year of basic email support costs $200 (USD).

It includes:

1. For MySQL specific questions that do not belong on the MySQL mailing list (mysql@tcx.se), you can contact and expiration date when mailing any list to ensure a quick response.
2. We guarantee a timely answer for your email. We can't guarantee that we will solve all problems, but at least you will receive an answer if we can contact you by email.
3. Your suggestions for the further development of MySQL will be taken into consideration. By taking email support you have already helped the further development of MySQL. If you want to have more input, upgrade to a higher level of support.
4. Helping with unexpected problems when installing MySQL from a binary distribution on a supported platforms.
5. We will help you with bugs and missing features. All found bugs are fixed for the next MySQL release. If the bug is critical for your project, we will mail you a patch for it as soon the bug is fixed. Critical bugs always have the highest priority for us, to ensure that they are fixed as soon as possible.
6. This level of support does not cover installing MySQL from a source distribution.
7. If you want us to help to optimise your system you have to upgrade to a higher level of support.
8. You are entitled to upgrade to other support options for the difference between the prices.

Extended email support

One year of extended email support costs $1000 (USD).

Extended basic supports contains everything in basic email support with these additions:

1. Your email will be dealt with before normal email support users and non-registered users.
2. Your suggestions for the further development of MySQL will receive strong consideration. Simple extensions that suit the basic goals of MySQL are implemented in a matter of days. By taking extended email support you have already helped the further development of MySQL.
3. In this we include a binary version of the pack_isam tool that supports fast compressed read only databases (no BLOB or TEXT types yet). The current server includes support to read such databases but not the packing tool.
4. Typical questions that are covered by extended email support are:
   • Answering and solving (within reason) questions that relate to (possibly) bugs in MySQL. As soon as the bug is found and corrected, we will mail you a patch.
   • Helping with unexpected problems when installing MySQL from a source/binary distribution on supported platforms.
   • Questions about missing features and offer hints how to go around them.
   • How to optimise mysqld for your situation.
5. You are allowed to slightly alter MySQL TODO. This will ensure that the features you really need will be implemented sooner than otherwise.
6. You are entitled to upgrade to login support for the difference between the different support prices.

Login support

One year of email/phone/telnet support costs $2000 (USD).

Login supports contains everything in extended basic email support with these additions:

1. Your email will be dealt with even before that of extended support users.
2. Your suggestions for the further development of MySQL will receive very strong consideration. Realistic extensions that can be implemented in a a couple of hours and suit the basic goals of MySQL will be implemented as soon as possible.
3. If you have a very specific problem, we can try to log in on your system and try to solve it 'in place'.
4. As any database vendor, we can't guarantee that we can rescue any data from crashed tables, but if the worst happens we will help you rescue as much as possible. MySQL has proven itself very reliable, but because of outside interference anything is possible.
5. We will give you hints on how to optimise your system and your queries.
6. You are allowed to call a MySQL developer (in moderation) and discuss your MySQL related problems.

Extended login support

One year of extended email/phone/telnet support costs $5000 (USD).

Extended login supports contains everything in login support with these additions:

1. Your email has the highest possible priority.
2. We will actively examine your system and help you optimise it and your queries. We may also optimise and/or extend MySQL to better suite your needs.
3. You may also request special extensions just for you. For example

   select my_calculation(column1,column2) from database;
   

4. We will provide a binary version of all important MySQL distributions for your system, as long as we can get a account on a similar system. In the worst case we may require access to your system to be able to make a binary version.
5. If you can provide accommodation and pay for traveler fares you can even get a MySQL developer to visit you and offer you help with your troubles. The extended login support entitles you to one personal encounter, but we are (as always) very flexible towards our customers!

How do I pay for licenses/support ?

Currently we can take SWIFT payments, cheques or credit cards.

Payment should be made to:

Postgirot Bank AB
105 06 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

T.C.X DataKonsult AB
BOX 6434
11382 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

SWIFT address: PGSI SESS
Account number: 96 77 06 - 3

Specify: license and/or support and your name and email address.

In Europe and Japan you can use EuroGiro (that should be cheaper) to the same account.

If you want to pay by cheque make it payable to "Monty Program KB". And mail it to the address below.

Monty Program KB
Michael Widenius
Gamla Skomakarbolev. 1 E 11
00740 Helsingfors
Finland

If you want to pay with credit card over the Internet you can use TcX's secure license form

Whom do I contact when I want more information about licensing/support?

For commercial licensing, or if you have any questions about any of the information in this section, please contact:

David Axmark
Detron HB
Kungsgatan 65 B
753 21 UPPSALA
SWEDEN
Voice Phone +46-18-10 22 80     (Swedish and English spoken)
Fax +46-8-729 69 05             (Email *much* preferred)
E-Mail: mysql-licensing@tcx.se

What Copyright does MySQL use?

There are (at least) four different copyrights on the MySQL distribution.

1. The MySQL specific source needed to make the mysqlclient library and programs in the `client' directory is in the public domain. Each file which is in the public domain has a header which clearly states that. This is everything in the `client' directory and some parts of mysys, mystring and dbug libraries.
2. Some small parts of the source (GNU getopt) are covered by the "GNU LIBRARY GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE". See the `mysys/COPYING.LIB' file.
3. Some parts of the source (GNU readline) are covered by the "GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE". See the `readline/COPYING' file.
4. Some parts of the source (the regexp library) are covered by a Berkeley style copyright.
5. The other source needed for the MySQL server is AGPL. See the file PUBLIC for more info.

Our philosophy behind this is:

• The SQL client library should be totally free so it can be included in commercial products without limitation.
• People who want free access to the software we have put a lot of work into can have it so long they do not try to make money directly by distributing it for profit.
• People who want the right to keep their own software proprietary, but also want the value from our work, can pay for the privilege.
• That means that normal in-house use is FREE. But if you use it for something important to you, you may want to support further development of MySQL by purchasing a support license.

When may I distribute MySQL commercially without a fee?

This is a clarification of the information in the 'MySQL FREE PUBLIC LICENSE'. See section The MySQL server license.

MySQL may be used freely, including by commercial entities for evaluation or unsupported internal use. However, distribution for commercial purposes of MySQL, or anything containing or derived from MySQL in whole or in part, requires a written commercial license from TcX AB, the sole entity authorised to grant such licenses.

You may not include MySQL "free" in a package containing anything for which a charge is being made except as noted below.

The intent of the exception provided in the second clause is to allow commercial organisations operating an FTP server or a bulletin board to distribute MySQL freely from it, provided that:

1. The organisation complies with the other provisions of the FPL, which include among other things a requirement to distribute the full source code of MySQL and of any derived work, and to distribute the FPL itself along with MySQL;
2. The only charge for downloading MySQL is a charge based on the distribution service and not one based on the content of the information being retrieved (i.e., the charge would be the same for retrieving a random collection of bits of the same size);
3. The server or BBS is accessible to the general public, i.e., the phone number or IP address is not kept secret, and anyone may obtain access to the information (possibly by paying a subscription or access fee that is not dependent on or related to purchasing anything else).

If you want to distribute software in a commercial context that incorporates MySQL and you do not want to meet these conditions, you should contact TcX AB to find out about commercial licensing. Commercial licenses involve a payment, and include support and other benefits. These are the only ways you legally can distribute MySQL or anything containing MySQL: either by distributing MySQL under the requirements of the FPL, or by getting a commercial license from TcX AB.

I want to sell a product that can be configured to use MySQL.

I want to sell a product that can be configured to use MySQL although my customer is responsible for obtaining/installing MySQL (or some other supported alternative). Does one of us owe you money if my customer chooses to use MySQL?

If your product REQUIRES MySQL to work, you would have to buy a license. If MySQL just added some new features it should fall inside normal use. For example, if using MySQL added logging to a database instead of a text file it would not require a license. This would, of course, mean that the user has to fetch and install MySQL by himself. If the program is (almost) useless without MySQL you would have to get a MySQL license to sell your product.

I am running a commercial web server using MySQL.

Do I have to get a license for my copy?

No, you are not selling MySQL itself. But in this case we would like you to purchase MySQL support. That is either your support of MySQL or our support of you (the later is more expensive since our time is limited).

Do I need a license to sell commercial perl/tcl/PHP etc applications?

Is your script designed for MySQL alone? Does it require MySQL to function at all? Or is it designed for `a database' and can run under MySQL, PostgreSQL, or something else?

If you've designed it strictly around MySQL then you've really made a commercial product that requires the engine, so you need to buy a license.

If, however, you can support any database with a base level of functionality (and you don't rely on anything that only MySQL supports) you probably DO NOT have to pay.

It also depends on what you're doing for the client. Are you tying into a database you expect to already exist by the time your software is purchased? Then you again probably don't have to pay. Or do you plan to distribute MySQL or give them detailed instructions on installing it with your software? Then you probably do.

One thing I'd like to suggest, folks. Look, development won't last forever if nobody pays. I agree that buying a copy for every software user is prohibitive compared to other products available but would it not be courtesy for commercial developers to register their OWN copy that they develop with?

Possible future changes in the licensing.

We may choose to distribute older versions of MySQL with the GPL in the future. However these versions will be identified as GNU MySQL. Also all copyright notices in the relevant files will be changed to the GPL.

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