It's generally about implementations that might compete with Oracle's. Note that Oracle failed in a recent court case against Google.
I don't believe a vendor of a Java application has ever been targeted in a lawsuit by Oracle or Sun before them, and I don't believe there's any intention of that nor scope for it in the licences. The GPL+Classpath exception might be easier to audit (i.e., OpenJDK). I don't know about installers for Windows for it. I hope some of the parts that become open source from JavaFX are the parts that handle MPEG-4 or H.264, though I expect that will be tricky. On Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 8:29 AM, Grant Robertson <[email protected]> wrote: > I would like to get back into Java development, however the terms of the > Oracle > Binary Code License > (BCL)<http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/terms/license/index.html>and > this whole thing about becoming a "Licensee" has me a bit confused. > With the way Oracle has worded the text about becoming a > licensee<http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/licensees-jsp-136136.html>and > with all the talk about the "Commercial Features" in the BCL, I can't > tell if I will be able to even say, "This program is written in Java" > without paying Oracle a lot of money. > > On the page about becoming a > "Licensee,"<http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/licensees-jsp-136136.html>when > they say, "Only Java SE licensees can claim compatibility with Java SE > specifications and can ship Java SE-branded products." are they talking > about programs written in Java or are they really only talking about > writing an alternative JVM or JDK? If the former, then I am so outta here. > > I have read in some places (I lost track of where) that the "commercial > features" will be easy to spot in the documentation so one can avoid using > them. According to this > page<http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/terms/products/index.html>, > > >> "Some of the packages described in Installation of Java SE Product >> Editions install commercial features that are restricted to Oracle Java SE >> Advanced or Oracle Java SE Suite. For example, the JRockit JDK comes with a >> deterministic garbage collector that requires a Oracle Java SE Suite >> license." > > How the heck am I supposed to make sure that a particular garbage > collector does not end up being used when my program runs? > > I have heard about the OpenJDK <http://openjdk.java.net/> and have > perused their web site. That just opened a few other cans of worms. Do I > have to use the OpenJDK if I don't want to pay Oracle money to distribute > my own program written in Java? ... Seriously, there are no OpenJDK > installation binaries for Windows <http://openjdk.java.net/install/>? ... > I am particularly interested in Java 1.7 and JavaFX. According to this > page <http://openjdk.java.net/projects/openjfx/>, "Oracle's code will be > donated in phases with the initial piece being the UI Controls classes. > Further sub-systems are expected in the coming months." So, how can I know > which "subsystems" will be available for me to use if I use OpenJFX instead > of JavaFX, and what the heck is their exact definition of "subsystem" in > this context? Am I going to have to constantly watch for "gotchas" and > search endlessly for workarounds in OpenJFX for things that just work in > Oracle's JavaFX distribution? ... And what if I write something in OpenJFX > which someone subsequently tries to run on a computer with JavaFX > installed? Will that just be a nightmare, or what? > > I just want to write some Java programs that will most likely be released > as open-source (but some things I do, I may try to sell). How the heck do I > navigate this morass of licensing issues without it becoming a secondary - > non-paying and totally non-fun - career? > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Java Posse" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/javaposse/-/W80OX1raAR4J. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
