This isn't really about the here and now at all - the GPL allows you to get hold of the source code, and even if Oracle close down MySQL.com they'd be legally obliged to make the source available.

But MySQL is getting quite close to competing with the big database vendors, and it would be very possible for Oracle to redirect development and make it a less-capable product over time, so that it gives them the ability to position the free MySQL as an entry-level product but to do anything serious you'll need to shell out for Oracle's heavyweight commercial products.

That's why the merger is a bad thing - it has the potential to effectively remove a significant future competitor from the market.

At least the EU is doing it's job some of the time when it comes to monopolies. We all get screwed by higher prices and shabbier products when there is a monopoly, look at Microsoft as an example. High prices, slowly evolving unreliable fat software, poor customer service.

Why does Oracle want a free SQL? The only business benefit will be for to move larger clients to it's expensive SQL. The fastest way to do this is to maim MYsql.

Hotmail - remember when that was free and fast, before Microsoft bought it? Look at it now. No more full Outlook support, it's slow to load and slow to use.

Oracel will do something similar.

There should be proper criminal law for businesses. Owners and directors should face long prison sentences for monopolistic practices. Fining a business means nothing, locking up the guys making the decisions would make a difference.

Look at Glaxo SmithKline, who have settled for a rumoured $1billion out of court for claims against just one of it's drugs. An antidepressant that increased the risk of suicidal actions by as much as 600% over a placebo in just one of the trials.

Glaxo promoted a drug that they knew increased the risk of suicide by a large amount, because it was making them 10% of their annual income. What has happened to the bosses? They got massive bonuses while kids died. No criminal charges. Good ole US of A!

After 9-11 what did Glaxo do?
They doubled their US advertising after 9-11:
"Here's an antidepressant, it will calm you down, side effects, errr, there are a few!"

Summary - we need officials to keep an eye on businesses, but we really need some proper global criminal courts to hold businesses to account. Sure the USA with it's business-owned government won't sign up, but if enough of the rest of us do then it will help.

The code for MySQL is open source. Sun may have overall control of the product known as MySQL but if there were a company or consortium that had the $$ to do so they could simply extend offers to MySQL's core development team, buy them computers, rent some office space, rename the product (MegaSQL? ModernSQL? MoSQL?) and go from there.

The new company would be able to generate income quickly by offering enterprise level support to organizations that use MySQL but who are unwilling to do business with Oracle (and there are plenty of such companies out there). They could be cash flow positive in no time.

This isn't rocket science, it's just a matter of money, organization and execution.

Oracle is contacting their major customers to try to influence the EC to unconditionally approve of the deal.

We still have a chance to save MySQL as an active open source project available for all by sending emails to the EC and tell how things really are.

More details in my blog at:
http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/12/help-saving-mysql.html

Thanks for reading!
Monty

PS: Yes, MySQL can be killed. GPL only protects the old code, but there is no guarantee that there will be new free development if Oracle closes (parts) the MySQL code up, stops selling licenses, forces people to pay for bug fixes, updates etc. No one will stay a long time with a project that is not longer actively maintained or developed.

Somehow, the EC is perceiving some damage to its constituency in this merger.

Several have already shown that Oracle cannot 'bury' the source. So that isn't it.

Others clearly don't understand what 'open source' is. I once heard that the US Navy used a misinformed wikipedia article in a security presentation to the US Congress. I only hope that the EC isn't using misinformation in a similar way.

BTW the Navy guys were fired.

The paranoia around this issue is incredible. What is the precendent for Oracle 'killing' an opensource project? What would the gain to Oracle be?

Oracle has long recognised that not every organise wants or can afford their core database technology. As a general rule, sites that are using MySQL were never likely to use the Oracle database in the first place. Oracle can, however, make profitable commercial enhancements, such as better management tooling that can actually help expand the footprint of MySQL.

The open source version will continue to exist and the there are other open source options as well. If you're worried about it, become a developer yourself.

In terms of competition, Oracle is the main thorn in the side of IBM, Microsoft and SAP. They all compete less with each other and more with Oracle. They are having a field day while Sun hemorrhages customers, cash and employees. Who is really gaining here and what are the real reasons for the objections?

And yes, I am a European.

In comparison to SQL Server Management Studio the suggestion is terrible...like comparing MSPaint to Adobe Photoshop, can you achieve the same result? yes but its painstakingly awful to use.

Give MySQL to the open source community...

The problem people seem to have with Oracle's acquisition of MySQL is the MySQL brand (the source code and killing part is just plain silly).

1. MySQL was sold to Sun, Sun could have renamed it to JavaSQL, but no one complained.
2. If Oracle kills the MySQL brand and call it Oracle-thin, then that's their problem. The original owners of the brand sold it...

The real issue is not Oracle, but those idiot how gave up their child for adoption and complain that the adoptive parents want the child to use their surname (second name for the American). Must that be regualted as well? The child still has you DNA (source code in the MySQL case).

MySQL Administrator is a good cross-platform gui for MySQL...

You are asking the wrong question.

The right question is why should regulators have a say in this at all?

The project is open source, and you are free to download the source now if you are concerned about access to it going away.

Why should a for-profit company be required by anti-trust regulators to support a product that they make no money on? Because we want it that way?

Who really cares?

If you don't like it then try one of the much better open-source database systems out there!

There's no valid reason for any open-source user to be locked into MySQL, and there's really very few reasons to be locked into paying for Oracle either!

The logical goal of Oracle is to grab the users of MySQL and move them to, well, Oracle, and the easier way to achieve that is to botch MySQL's performance to force the big players using it to move to a 'more resilient' platform.

Oracle doesn't need to kill MySQL, just maim it and laugh all the way to the bank.

So GrX is worried Oracle will hide the source. How silly.

First, the source is GPL. Everybody who has it now can republish it, legally.

Second, if you Google, you can find it at places like:

http://mirror.provenscaling.com/mysql/community/source/
http://ourdelta.org/about

There would be more of these sites (http://www.dorsalsource.org/ , for example, was created when *MySQL* tried to hide Enterprise sources from non-customers, but is now inactive and useless), but why pay to host a mirror of something MySQL hosts and gives away for free?

Third, try Launchpad instead of Sourceforge:

https://launchpad.net/mysql

The source is all over the place, and it can't be taken away. Stop feeding the FUD.

It makes no sense that MySQL is so popular as it's now. There are other, better opensource databases, like Postgress or Ingress.

So I see a positive side of Oracle purchasing MySQL, with MySQL getting better, but more expansive: competing head-to head with Microsoft SQL Server rather than free RDBMSes, while those other high-quality Open Source databases become the popular choice for OSS users.

Look everyone just because it's under GPL don't feel safe do not feel safe at all.

here's a scenario for you all..

Oracle takes control of mysql.com where you can find the open source project files and the compiled binary's.

Now oracle re-directs mysql.com to oracle.com and you no longer have access to the source files/code or binary's

So you say it doesn't matter i'll head over to sourceforge.net and pick up mysql source code or binaries there right??

WRONG!! go see for yourself no files have been uploaded to mysql project at all since 2001!!! which means they remove all access to the source code or binary's if you cannot get a hold of the damn source files from anywhere but mysql.com its all well being gpl but if there's no way of obtaining the source code/binary's what good is a GPL licence lol

Thats oracles plan yes it's GPL but without the damn files to obtain that licence means nothing and since mysql.com is the only place in the world that currently hosts the source code/binaries once this domain is re-directed you try and find 1 other place on the whole internet that has a mirror or hosts the mysql files.

Not feeling so happy now are you???

MYSQL is the biggest thing in the world every single website, blog, forum, hosting service package has and runs of mysql, without mysql this site wouldn't exist the register, digg, youtube, everything you see online runs of mysql.

and you want a corporate company like oracle to take over it??? are you all crazy....

The big problem I see with MySQL is the sheer lack of any decent gui based management tools... sure there's Navicat and a few others providing 3rd party (usually not freeware) tools but come on guys, MSSQL in terms of ease of use in administering and creation of views/stored procedures and whatnot is light years ahead. And phpMyAdmin is useful but not anywhere near as useful as SQL Server Management Studio.

With any luck with a big backer behind it such as Oracle the development tools will be beefed up alongside the actual engine of MySQL. God I'm not particularly caring if it is 'MySQL' anymore - if it becomes Oracle light and remains free to use and improved upon who gives a monkeys?

they cant take that -or it- away!