Sun Microsystems to simplify its Java license

March 16, 2005     (Page two of four)

Sun controls the license that governs use of the Java programming language and software required to run Java programs. Commercial companies, such as IBM and Oracle, use the Sun Community Source License, or SCSL. In 2003, Sun introduced the Java Research License, or JRL, which is meant to encourage Java research among academics.

Now Sun is working on a separate initiative to overhaul its commercial Java license.

"The JRL is the noncommercial simplification of SCSL, and we're evaluating how to simplify SCSL for commercial use," said Jean Elliott, director of product marketing for Sun's Java 2 Standard Edition. "We'd like to see (the commercial license) be like the human tail and eventually go away, because we felt it was excessively complicated."

Sun's Java licensing policies are closely watched by companies that sell Java-based products as well as by proponents of open-source software. Last year, IBM sent an open letter to Sun urging the company to license the Java software under an open-source license. Sun has indicated that it is reluctant to do that, in part because it may cause incompatibilities in the Java standard.

The planned commercial license changes come as Sun prepares to disclose the features of the next major revision of Java. The "Mustang" release of Java 2 Standard Edition--the software to build and run Java applications--is expected to be completed by the middle of 2006, said Mark Reinhold, J2SE architect and chief engineer at Sun.

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