Posted on January 21, 2010 - by Venik

Oracle vs. MySQL

Sun Microsystems – the creator of Solaris operating system and manufacturer of my favorite computers – is being acquired by Oracle – the maker of the world’s leading commercial database software that works best on Sun servers. This seems like a good deal for both Oracle and Sun. Unfortunately, this merger will be very bad news for the rest of us should it be allowed to go through.

You see, Sun owns the trademark, copyright and patents for the most popular open-source database software – MySQL. This software is used by thousands of free and commercial applications, including just about every Web content management and blogging software out there, including WordPress, Joomla, Facebook and Tweeter. If Oracle acquires Sun, it will get full control over MySQL.

Despite assurances from Oracle that the MySQL project will not be killed, only idiots seriously believe that Oracle will continue supporting development of free database software that is in direct competition with its own overpriced cash cow. Should Oracle get its greasy stubby fingers on MySQL patents, the best case scenario would be that the funding for future MySQL development will quickly dry up and the project would slowly starve to death. The worst case scenario, of course, would be that Oracle will use its control of MySQL trademark and patents to simply kill this project on the spot.

Either way, open-source software as a concept will experience a massive setback. Development of many poplar applications that use MySQL will grind to a halt. Nobody wants to invest time and money into free software projects that rely on a database with unclear future. Even if Oracle does the unthinkable and continues to develop MySQL at the expense of its own database software, MySQL’s position will always be perceived as too unstable with the goat (Oracle) guarding the cabbage patch (MySQL).

Before Oracle’s Sun acquisition can go through, the deal needs to be approved by antitrust authorities in the US, the EU, Russia and China. The US approval is already in Oracle’s pocket (with much of the US government), the EU approval, according to latest news reports, is virtually assured. Chinese authorities did not voice any opposition to Oracle’s plans. The only thing standing between your online happiness and the giant steamroller that is Oracle is Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS).

Russia’s President is a big fan of the open-source software movement, of which MySQL is a key element. Oracle’s plans vis-à-vis Sun Microsystems is a direct threat to Russia’s budding IT services sector – one of the key areas of economic diversification preached by President Medvedev. Russia would be shooting itself in the foot by allowing Oracle to control MySQL.

Hopefully, Russian antitrust regulators will see through Oracle’s thinly-veiled plans to cut off MySQL’s balls. If Russia moves quickly and launches a serious investigation of the proposed acquisition deal, there is a good chance that the EU will reconsider its position as well: should Russia manage to beat some concessions out of Oracle, Brussels will end up looking rather silly because it allowed the deal to go unchallenged. Politics aside, even if you never heard of MySQL, you are using it almost every day. You are using it right now by reading this blog. If you think there should be more good free software, sign the anti-Oracle petition launched by MySQL’s creator on his site. He already collected over 30,000 signatures, which will be sent to the governments of EU, Russia and China in hopes that common sense prevails over corporate greed. Fat chance, but who knows…

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