MySQL Connector/J License

Question

I have a question about MySQL Connector/j License. This is released under version 2 of the GNU General Public License (GPLv2). However, I do not fully understand this. If I program a thing, like in my case a Discord bot, and want to sell it with the code, for example, am I allowed to do that so easily? I have used this MySQL connector in my maven project. I have only found something about it if I change their code, which I don't do.

This is how the import from the connector looks like in my project with Maven (maybe you need it):

<dependency>
    <groupId>mysql</groupId>
    <artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId>
    <version>8.0.30</version>
</dependency>

Answer 1

The MySQL Connector/j is distributed under the GPLv2 license with an additional FOSS permission. This means that you can use the connector only in a project that uses a recognized open-source license and where the source code is distributed to the users of the project.

Open-source licenses allow commercial use, but they give the recipients also the right to distribute the software further. This means that a business model that depends on selling copies of the software is not viable, because your first customer is allowed to re-sell the software (and do it at a lower price).

So, you are allowed to sell your Discord bot, but only with the full sources and under an open-source license. That in turn means that your customers can become your competitors as well.