What are the licensing issues involved in the Oracle/Apache java dispute?
- by Chris Knight
I've just started following with interest the soap opera involving Oracle's acquisition of Java and the detriment of goodwill it seems to have generated in the open source community. Specifically, I'm now trying to get my head around the implications of Oracle's decision to refuse Apache an open source license for Harmony. My questions:
1) What is Harmony anyway? Their website states "Apache Harmony software is a modular Java runtime with class libraries and associated tools". How is this different than J2SE or J2EE? Or is Harmony akin to Andriod?
2) The crux of this issue is around the Java Technology Compatibility Kit (or TCK) which certifies that your implementation adheres to the JSR specifications. If I understand correctly, Oracle refuse to offer free or open source license access to the TCK, denying projects like Harmony from being released as open source. Why is this such a big deal for Apache? E.g. why can't (or don't) they release Harmony under a restricted license?
3) From this site is the following quote:
It looks like Oracle’s plan is to restrict deployments of Java implementations in certain markets, particularly on mobile platforms, so that it can monetize its own Java offering in those markets without any competition.
Presumably anything Oracle produced would be subject to the same restrictions it is imposing on others with respect to end-technology licensing, so how could they get a leg up on the competition? While no doubt distateful, wouldn't other competitors such as Google or Apache be able to release competing platforms under the same license as Oracle?
