Oracle license auditors have started salivating
Every single tool that extracts data from Oracle is a potential candidate to apply one of the many, many different licencing scenarios that Oracle keeps changing and adapting as technology evolves (mullti core CPUs, VMs, cloud...) in order to keep their revenue stream growing. Just bear that in mind before dreaming up that system that allows you to get data out of your application and into a less expensive (or even free of licensing) platform or into many, many more hands. Oracle has a dedicated team devoted to evaluating how big is the "gap" between what they think you should be paying and what you're actually paying. If that gap is big enough, Oracle has no problem suing its own customers. Google for recent examples and you'll see what I mean.
The only way of avoiding Oracle licencing headaches is to completely stay clear of any of its products. Even free ones.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
