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in reply to Re^9: Change in Berkeley DB in Perl 5.12?
in thread Change in Berkeley DB in Perl 5.12?

If you are using DB_File, it should only be used with Version 1.x which is in the public domain. All other versions from BerkeleyDB 2.0 on, are owned by Oracle. If your version of DB_File is using a version other than 1.x, then there may be licensing and royalty issues.

BerkeleyDB is dual licensed, under something from oracle, and the original Sleepycat License, which is compatible with the GPL.

  • Comment on Re^10: Change in Berkeley DB in Perl 5.12?

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Re^11: Change in Berkeley DB in Perl 5.12?
by flexvault (Monsignor) on Nov 22, 2011 at 17:47 UTC

    From Oracle: Oracle Berkeley DB Licensing Information

      Oracle employs a dual licensing model that offers customers a choice of either our open source license or a commercial license. Our open source license is OSI-certified and permits use of Berkeley DB in open source projects or in applications that are not distributed to third parties....

      Does it matter if I charge money for my software?

        Whether or not you charge money for your application does not matter. The only test is if you redistribute it.

    You may want to check out the prices?

    Thank you

    "Well done is better than well said." - Benjamin Franklin

[reply]

      Thanks flexvault for the information.

      Unfortunately I have no control over the version of the Berkeley DB engine that the firm that hosts the website is using for DB_File. I only use version 1 and I wished that they had done the same, which would have saved the trouble that I had.

[reply]

      From BerkeleyDB

      Although B<BerkeleyDB> is covered by the Perl license, the library it makes use of, namely Berkeley DB, is not. Berkeley DB has its own copyright and its own license. Please take the time to read it.

      Here are few words taken from the Berkeley DB FAQ (at F<http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/berkeley-db/db/index.html>) regarding the license:

      Do I have to license DB to use it in Perl scripts?

      No. The Berkeley DB license requires that software that uses Berkeley DB be freely redistributable. In the case of Perl, that software is Perl, and not your scripts. Any Perl scripts that you write are your property, including scripts that make use of Berkeley DB. Neither the Perl license nor the Berkeley DB license place any restriction on what you may do with them.

      If you are in any doubt about the license situation, contact either the Berkeley DB authors or the author of BerkeleyDB.

[reply]

        Just in case you're wondering, maybe the license changed, it hasn't

        curent license http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/berkeleydb/downloads/oslicense-093458.html Open Source License for Berkeley DB

        original license http://web.archive.org/web/20060315212050/http://www.sleepycat.com/company/oslicense.html Open Source License for Berkeley DB 

        $ diff  license-BerkeleyDB-2005.txt license-BerkeleyDB-2011.txt
3,4c3,4
<  * Copyright (c) 1990-2005
<  *      Sleepycat Software.  All rights reserved.
---
>  * Copyright (c) 1990-2009
>  *      Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
25c25
<  * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY SLEEPYCAT SOFTWARE ``AS IS'' AND ANY
+ EXPRESS
---
>  * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ORACLE CORPORATION ``AS IS'' AND ANY
+ EXPRESS
28c28
<  * NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL SLEEPYCAT SO
+FTWARE
---
>  * NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL ORACLE CORPO
+RATION
39c39
<  *    The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reser
+ved.
---
>  *      The Regents of the University of California.  All rights res
+erved.
67c67
<  *    The President and Fellows of Harvard University.  All rights r
+eserved.
---
>  *      The President and Fellows of Harvard University.  All rights
+ reserved.

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