Course on MongoDB SSPL License

Natac13 · 2019-09-29T11:42:57.889Z

Truthfully I am getting burned out by trying to figure out open source licenses. It has been a on going 4 day adventure just to see if all the work I have put into build a SaaS will pay off.

However now I come to hear about MongoDBs SSPL license.

As this University it about preparing people to become users of MongoDB, I think it would be wise to have a course on how to understand the SSPL licesnse of MongoDB. So people know the ins and outs of use in production.

My plan was to use MongoDB as the db to my SaaS webapp. However does this mean I have to open source all my code!! How can I make any money? I cannot believe how complicated this all is.

I really hope I do not have to abandon mongodb in this project due to this license. Or do I have to buy a commercial license? Again something that would be great to cover in a course.

However I would barely even be considered a start up. And now I am looking at a Commercial license with an UNKNOWN cost. Any time a price is not listed is because it is ridiculously high. Looking forward to hearing it… Plus all the common “go speak to a lawyer”, lol yeah at $400+/hour great lol

It has been a long 4 days…

EDIT

Does this help me?

MongoDB

Server Side Public License FAQ

This is discouraging to say the least. The SSPL was rejected as an Open source license.

ZDNET

MongoDB "open-source" Server Side Public License rejected

Red Hat won't use MongoDB in Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Fedora thanks to MongoDB's new Server Side Public License.

007_jb · 2019-09-29T17:15:58.092Z

I doubt that the University will create a course about it but the least they can do is include a topic around it with some real life use cases.

Natac13 · 2019-09-29T21:35:29.497Z

Anything to clear it up a bit more. lol I completely understand why they have the license they do. The faqs may have cleared it up but I guess I will be running it by my lawyer.

Stennie_X · 2021-03-12T22:45:55.407Z

Hi @Natac13,

I appreciate this is an older question, but licensing should not require a course to understand.

Hopefully you also were able to find the Server Side Public License FAQ which should address your specific concerns.

Natac13:

My plan was to use MongoDB as the db to my SaaS webapp. However does this mean I have to open source all my code!!

The SSPL clause in regards to SaaS is aimed at providers offering MongoDB as a public service, not developers who are using MongoDB as the data store for their own applications.

Two relevant quotes from the FAQ:

What are the implications of this new license on applications built using MongoDB and made available as a service (SaaS)?

The copyleft condition of Section 13 of the SSPL applies only when you are offering the functionality of MongoDB, or modified versions of MongoDB, to third parties as a service. There is no copyleft condition for other SaaS applications that use MongoDB as a database.

Does section 13 of the SSPL apply if I’m offering MongoDB as a service for internal-only use?

No. We do not consider providing MongoDB as a service internally or to subsidiary companies to be making it available to a third party.

Regards,
Stennie