HELSINKI - Michael Widenius, the creator of the MySQL database and a potential stumbling block for Oracle (ORCL.O) in its takeover of Sun (JAVA.O), handed 14,000 signatures opposing the deal to regulators in Europe, China and Russia.

The European Commission has objected to the deal, citing possible competition constraints on the MySQL database -- which is owned by Sun -- after the takeover, but it said in December it was optimistic a satisfactory outcome was possible. It has until January 27 to decide on the deal.

Widenius, who delivered the signatures on Monday, launched the web campaign in response to Oracle mobilizing its big customers to tell the European Commission in December hearings that the takeover was not anti-competitive.

Antitrust lawyers have said enlisting major companies to express support could sway doubtful regulators.

MySQL has been a rare major newcomer to the global database market -- dominated by technology heavyweights Oracle, IBM (IBM.N) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) -- pushing down prices of databases and their maintenance.

Widenius, one of the most respected developers of open-source software, left Sun last year to set up his own small database firm Monty Program Ab.

Sun bought MySQL for $1 billion in 2008.

Our signatories don't have faith that Oracle could be a good steward of MySQL, Widenius said in a statement, adding he would continue the campaign until the very end of the process.

The campaigners said more than 5,000 signatures are from self-employed developers and more than 3,000 from employees of companies and organizations of all sizes using MySQL.

The signatures were gathered during first week of the campaign and were delivered to the European Commission and other European institutions, including the European Parliament and the competition authorities of the 27 member states, as well as to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service.

(Reporting by Tarmo Virki; editing by John Stonestreet)

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