Oracle Switches Berkeley DB License

Oracle had the right to change the BerkeleyDB license to AGPL, but many will view Oracle's switch as a betrayal of trust

Back on June 10, as part of a low-key release of Berkeley DB, Oracle quietly changed the license of this important embedded database library, widely used as a key-value store within other applications.

Historically, Berkeley DB -- which Oracle acquired from Sleepycat Software -- has used an OSI-approved strong copyleft license with an effect very similar to the GPL. Under the Sleepycat License, distributing software that embedded Berkeley DB involved also providing "information on how to obtain complete source code for the DB software and any accompanying software that uses the DB software." Sleepycat's business model involved selling developers an alternative, proprietary license to Berkeley DB so that they were not subject to the requirements of the copyleft clause of the Sleepycat license.