The goal of the server license is to require that enhancements to MongoDB be released to the community. Traditional GPL often does not achieve this anymore as a huge amount of software runs in the cloud. For example, Google has no obligation to release their improvements to the MySQL kernel – if they do they are being nice.
To make the above practical, we promise that your client application which uses the database is a separate work. To facilitate this, the mongodb.org supported drivers (the part you link with your application) are released under Apache license, which is copyleft free.
Note: if you would like a signed letter asserting the above promise please contact 10gen
If the above isn’t enough to satisfy your organization’s vast legal department (some will not approve GPL in any form), please contact 10gen – commercial licenses are available including free evaluation licenses. We will try hard to make the situation work for everyone.
MongoDB, Mongo, and the leaf logo are registered trademarks of 10gen.
For non-commercial use (e.g. an open source project), we do not require trademark licences provided that:
For commercial use of the trademarks MongoDB, Mongo, or the leaf, please contact legal@10gen.com.
See also