Sun Microsystems to simplify its Java license

March 16, 2005     (Page one of four)

Sun Microsystems plans to greatly simplify its Java licensing requirements for commercial software companies and systems developers.

Sun's new licensing model is designed to give those developers more flexibility in how they can use the Java source code, Sun executives said. It doesn't mean that Sun intends to make Java available in an open-source-style license, as some Java proponents have urged, they said.

Sun wants to make Java easier to work with and more attractive to software providers and programmers, as it faces ongoing competition from Microsoft and open-source development alternatives.

James Gosling, the chief technology officer at Sun's Developer Products group, is scheduled to discuss the company's Java licensing approach at a press conference on Wednesday.

If licensing restrictions are eased, that could make it easier to bundle Java with open-source software, notably Linux, said RedMonk analyst Stephen O'Grady.

"Increasingly, the divide between commercial and noncommercial applications is blurring, so I'm not surprised there's a sentiment towards simplifying the overall licensing picture," O'Grady said.

Page One       Page Two       Page Three       Page Four