Re: [GENERAL] Oracle buys Innobase

Jim C. Nasby wrote:
> http://lnk.nu/prnewswire.com/4dv.pl

Amazing. You have to love the totally unrelated license mention Oracle
added to the press release:

InnoDB is not a standalone database product: it is distributed as a
part of the MySQL database. InnoDB's contractual relationship with
MySQL comes up for renewal next year. Oracle fully expects to negotiate
an extension of that relationship.

Read $$$.

This is the logical way Oracle would attack a competitor (buy up a key
piece of their technology). Oracle looked for MySQL's easiest weakness
to exploit, and found it. It isn't even vaguely cloaked, because InnoDB
doesn't even have a db product, it is just licensed by MySQL. This
certainly puts a dent in the MySQL 5.0 press buzz, which I suppose was
part of the timing.

Do open source users want licensed technology from a company owned by
Oracle? I doubt it. My guess is that the InnoDB license will now be
used as FUD against MySQL perpetually.

This might also be related to the article by the MySQL CEO saying they
are not competing with Oracle:

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=9231B8BD-3788-4DB2-B85F-707E75857B58

This might be a sort of detente saying MySQL will not move into Oracle
accounts. Certainly the MySQL CEO must have known this was coming, so
his comments now appear in a different light.

What is our vulnerability? Oracle offering big-money jobs to PostgreSQL
developers. I think that is our only weakness, unless they buy Marc
(Marc, are you for sale? :-) ) and own the domains and trademark.

Ultimately, MySQL should drop InnoDB.

--
Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
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