Editing MySQL (section)

===Legal disputes and acquisitions===
On 15 June 2001, NuSphere sued MySQL AB, TcX DataKonsult AB and its original authors Michael ("Monty") Widenius and David Axmark in U.S. District Court in Boston for "breach of contract, [[tortious interference]] with third party contracts and relationships and unfair competition".<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://no.spam.ee/~tonu/mysql/tombasil.txt |title=Eyewitness account: "Monty Widenius, International Fugitive" |date=4 September 2001 |access-date=16 September 2012 |mailing-list=MySQL Life |last=Basil |first=Tom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214013/http://no.spam.ee/~tonu/mysql/tombasil.txt |archive-date=4 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mysql.com/news/article-75.html |title=FAQ on MySQL vs. NuSphere Dispute |date=13 July 2001 |publisher=MySQL AB |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010717185237/http://mysql.com/news/article-75.html |archive-date=17 July 2001}}</ref>

In 2002, MySQL AB sued Progress NuSphere for [[Copyright infringement|copyright]] and [[trademark infringement]] in [[U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts|United States district court]]. NuSphere had allegedly violated MySQL AB's copyright by linking MySQL's GPL'ed code with NuSphere Gemini table without being in compliance with the license.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fsf.org/press/mysql-affidavit.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207084821/http://www.fsf.org/press/mysql-affidavit.html|archive-date=2005-02-07|title=Affidavit of Eben Moglen on Progress Software vs. MySQL AB Preliminary Injunction Hearing}}</ref> After a preliminary hearing before [[Patti B. Saris|Judge Patti Saris]] on 27 February 2002, the parties entered settlement talks and eventually settled.<ref>{{cite court |litigants=Progress Software Corporation v. MySQL AB |vol=195 |reporter=F. Supp. 2d |opinion=328 |court=D. Mass. |year=2002 |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13584730711160488510 |access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> After the hearing, [[Free Software Foundation|FSF]] commented that "Judge Saris made clear that she sees the GNU GPL to be an enforceable and binding license."<ref>{{cite press release |title=Judge Saris defers GNU GPL Questions for Trial in MySQL vs. Progress Software |publisher=Free Software Foundation |date=1 March 2002 |url=https://www.gnu.org/press/2002-03-01-pi-MySQL.html |access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref>

In October 2005, Oracle Corporation acquired [[Innobase]] OY, the [[Finland|Finnish]] company that developed the third-party InnoDB storage engine that allows MySQL to provide such functionality as transactions and [[foreign key]]s. After the acquisition, an Oracle [[News release|press release]] mentioned that the contracts that make the company's software available to [[MySQL AB]] would be due for renewal (and presumably renegotiation) some time in 2006.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Oracle Announces the Acquisition of Open Source Software Company, Innobase |publisher=Oracle |date=7 October 2005 |url=http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/016679_EN |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720225615/http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/016679_EN |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> During the MySQL Users Conference in April 2006, MySQL AB issued a press release that confirmed that MySQL AB and Innobase OY agreed to a "multi-year" extension of their licensing agreement.<ref>{{cite press release |title=MySQL to Promote New Open Source DB Engines from its Partners and Dev Community |publisher=MySQL AB |date=26 April 2006 |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060426005579/en/MySQL-AB-Promote-Open-Source-Database-Engines |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623190958/http://www.mysql.com/news-and-events/generate-article.php?id=2006_21 |archive-date=23 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2006, Oracle Corporation acquired [[Sleepycat Software]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180200853 |title=Oracle Buys Sleepycat, Is JBoss Next? |last=Babcock |first=Charles |date=14 February 2006 |work=InformationWeek |publisher=CPM Media |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-date=15 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515023408/http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180200853 |url-status=dead }}</ref> makers of the [[Berkeley DB]], a database engine providing the basis for another MySQL storage engine. This had little effect, as Berkeley DB was not widely used, and was dropped (due to lack of use) in MySQL 5.1.12, a pre-GA release of MySQL 5.1 released in October 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/news-5-1-12.html |title=Changes in MySQL 5.1.12 |date=24 October 2006 |work=MySQL 5.1 Reference Manual |publisher=MySQL AB |access-date=16 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020222957/http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/news-5-1-12.html |archive-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

In January 2008, Sun Microsystems bought MySQL AB for $1 billion.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Sun Microsystems Announces Agreement to Acquire MySQL, Developer of the World's Most Popular Open Source Database |publisher=Sun Microsystems |date=16 January 2008 |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080116005349/en/Sun-Microsystems-Announces-Agreement-Acquire-MySQL-Developer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718044718/http://mysql.com/news-and-events/sun-to-acquire-mysql.html |archive-date=18 July 2011 |access-date=16 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2009, Oracle Corporation entered into an agreement to purchase Sun Microsystems,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Oracle to Buy Sun |publisher=Sun Microsystems |date=20 April 2009 |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090420005760/en/Oracle-Buy-Sun |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422033454/http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/pr/2009-04/sunflash.20090420.1.xml |archive-date=22 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> then owners of MySQL copyright and trademark. Sun's board of directors unanimously approved the deal. It was also approved by Sun's shareholders, and by the U.S. government on 20 August 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oracle wins U.S. approval to buy Sun Microsystems |last1=Thomasch |first1=Paul |last2=Finkle |first2=Jim |date=20 August 2009 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sun-oracle/update-1-oracle-wins-u-s-approval-to-buy-sun-microsystems-idUSN2053486920090820 |work=Reuters |access-date=2 March 2020 }}</ref> On 14 December 2009, Oracle pledged to continue to enhance MySQL<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10414686-92.html |title=Oracle pledges to play well with MySQL |last=Whitney |first=Lance |date=14 December 2009 |website=CNET |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312052010/http://www.cnet.com/news/oracle-pledges-to-play-well-with-mysql/|archive-date=12 March 2016|access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> as it had done for the previous four years.

A movement against Oracle's acquisition of MySQL AB, to "Save MySQL"<ref>{{cite web |title=Help saving MySQL |url=http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/12/help-saving-mysql.html |last=Michael |first=Widenius |date=12 December 2009 |work=Monty Says |publisher=Google |access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> from Oracle was started by one of the MySQL AB founders, [[Monty Widenius]]. The petition of 50,000+ developers and users called upon the European Commission to block approval of the acquisition. At the same time, some Free Software [[opinion leadership|opinion leaders]] (including [[Pamela Jones]] of [[Groklaw]], Jan Wildeboer and [[Carlo Piana]], who also acted as co-counsel in the merger regulation procedure) advocated for the unconditional approval of the merger.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2009/dec/04/software-freedom-law-center-submits-opinion-oracle/ |title=The Software Freedom Law Center Submits an Opinion on the Oracle/Sun Merger to the EC |date=2009-12-04 |website=www.softwarefreedom.org |publisher=Software Freedom Law Center |access-date=2018-02-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/2630216/database/many-open-sourcers-back-an-oracle-takeover-of-mysql.html |title=Many open-sourcers back an Oracle takeover of MySQL |last=Lai |first=Eric |date=2009-10-28 |website=www.infoworld.com |publisher=InfoWorld |access-date=2018-02-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://jan.wildeboer.net/2010/01/why-i-will-not-sign-the-mysql-petition/ |title=Why I will not sign the MySQL petition |last=Wildeboer |first=Jan |date=2010-01-05 |website=jan.wildeboer.net |access-date=2018-02-01 }}</ref> As part of the negotiations with the European Commission, Oracle committed that MySQL server will continue until at least 2015 to use the dual-licensing strategy long used by MySQL AB, with proprietary and GPL versions available. The antitrust of the EU had been "pressuring it to divest MySQL as a condition for approval of the merger". But the [[United States Department of Justice|US Department of Justice]], at the request of Oracle, pressured the EU to approve the merger unconditionally.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/239132/wikileaks_cable_offers_new_insights_into_oraclesun_deal.html |title=Wikileaks Cable Offers New Insights into Oracle-Sun Deal |last=Kanaracus |first=Chris |date=30 August 2011 |work=[[PC World]] |access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> The European Commission eventually unconditionally approved Oracle's acquisition of MySQL AB on 21 January 2010.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Mergers: Commission clears Oracle's proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems |publisher=European Union |date=21 January 2010 |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/40 |access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref>

In January 2010, before Oracle's acquisition of MySQL AB, Monty Widenius started a GPL-only [[Fork (software development)|fork]], [[MariaDB]]. MariaDB is based on the same code base as MySQL server 5.5 and aims to maintain compatibility with Oracle-provided versions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-vs-mysql-compatibility/|title=MariaDB versus MySQL - Compatibility|website=MariaDB KnowledgeBase|access-date=2020-04-03|quote=MariaDB versions function as a "drop-in replacement" for the equivalent MySQL version, with some limitations.}}</ref>