Oracle & GPL

I just set out to download a development copy of Oracle9i from OTN as a precursor to writing an OCI driver for an (early-days) GPL'ed database-backed project (some O/R mapping tools, in case it's relevant). Along the way I was presented with the usual licence agreement about this being for development only, no internal or external DP use, etc. - all well and good, and all credit to Oracle for realising the benefits of letting developers integrate for free. But now there's an extra bit I never noticed when I last did this with 8i a few years ago (in that case it was for a proprietary project so I wouldn't have minded anyway):

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Open Source
"Open Source" software - software available without charge for use,
modification and distribution - is often licensed under terms that require the user to make the user's modifications to the Open Source software or any software that the user 'combines' with the Open Source software freely available in source code form. If you use Open Source software in conjunction with the programs, you must ensure that your use does not: (i) create, or purport to create, obligations of us with respect to the Oracle programs; or (ii) grant, or purport to grant, to any third party any rights to or immunities under our intellectual property or proprietary rights in the Oracle programs. [*] For example, you may not develop a software program using an Oracle program and an Open Source program where such use results in a program file(s) that contains code from both the Oracle program and the Open Source program (including without limitation libraries) if the Open Source program is licensed under a license that requires any
"modifications" be made freely available. [*] You also may not combine the
Oracle program with programs licensed under the GNU General Public License ("GPL") in any manner that could cause, or could be interpreted or asserted to cause, the Oracle program or any modifications thereto to become subject to the terms of the GPL.
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http://otn.oracle.com/software/htdocs/devlic.html?/software/products/oracle9 i/htdocs/linuxsoft.html
(you may need an OTN account to get this far)

I can't imagine that linking a GPL'ed program with OCI would create any issues back to Oracle, and most of this is probably just to cover them if someone tries to claim it does. However the 'for example' part (between [*]), and in particular the inclusion of libraries, seems essentially to say
"Thou shalt not make GPL'ed programs which use OCI, period".

Is my reading correct? Is it only an OTN development licence restriction, or is it general? Has anyone ever read this far in the licence? ;-)

Thanks in advance

Paul

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Paul Clark                         edit mail address in the obvious way
xMill Consulting Limited     http://www.xmill.com