Consider the case of MySQL. This software is Dual-Licensed, of which, one license is GPLv2 the other is a somewhat costly enterprise license.
Given the following criterion, what are my obligations?
- I am deploying a system on an air gapped network of a customer on servers I am providing.
- I intend to use the GPLv2 version of MySQL.
- I provide the source code of MySQL Community Edition to my customer.
- My software communicates with MySQL using an MIT Licensed Connector
What I'm trying to understand, is whether given 3, my software is also governed by the GPL.
I think the most relevant portion of the GPL FAQ would be: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation
By contrast, pipes, sockets and command-line arguments are communication mechanisms normally used between two separate programs.
Although it then goes onto say
But if the semantics of the communication are intimate enough, exchanging complex internal data structures, that too could be a basis to consider the two parts as combined into a larger program.
I suppose the question then shifts to whether such communication is sufficiently intimate, which is lovely and vague.