MySQL has changed its software licensing terms for MySQL 5.0 and 5.1 to prevent the code being governed by the upcoming General Public Licence version 3 (GPLv3). Previous licensing terms offered users a choice between the current GPL2 or any later version. The company has decided to opt out of GPL3 for now because it wants to gauge the market response to the licence before its release, according to Kaj Arnö, community vice president at MySQL.
"MySQL AB continues to work with the Free Software Foundation for GPLv3 to be the new widespread licence under which free software is licensed," Arnö wrote in a blog posting in December. "However, until we get clear and strong indications for the general acceptance of GPLv3 over GPLv2, we feel comfortable with a specific GPLv2 reference in our licence."