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| <div class="container"> <h1 id="open-letter-to-sun-microsystems-jck">Open Letter to Sun Microsystems - JCK<a class="headerlink" href="#open-letter-to-sun-microsystems-jck" title="Permalink">¶</a></h1> |
| <p>On April 10, 2007, the Apache Software Foundation sent the following letter |
| to Sun Microsystems regarding our inability to acquire an acceptable |
| license for the Java SE 5 technology compatibility kit, a test kit needed |
| by the <a href="http://harmony.apache.org/">Apache Harmony project</a> to demonstrate |
| compatibility with the Java SE 5 specification, as required by the Sun |
| specification license for Java SE 5.</p> |
| <p>We have created a <a href="sunopenletterfaq.html">FAQ</a> to provide background |
| information on this issue.</p> |
| <pre><code>Dear Jonathan, |
| |
| My name is Geir Magnusson Jr, and I'm the officer of the Apache |
| Software Foundation (ASF), a 501(c)3 public charity, charged with |
| matters relating to our participation in the Java Community |
| Process (JCP). I am also the VP of the Apache Harmony project. |
| In this matter I represent the ASF. |
| |
| Since August 2006, the ASF has been attempting to secure an |
| acceptable license from Sun for the test kit for Java SE. This |
| test kit, called the "Java Compatibility Kit" or "JCK", is needed |
| by the Apache Harmony project to demonstrate its compatibility |
| with the Java SE specification, as required by Sun's specification |
| license. The JCK license Sun is offering imposes IP rights |
| restrictions through limits on the "field of use" available to |
| users of our software. |
| |
| These restrictions are totally unacceptable to us. As I explain |
| below, these restrictions are contrary to the terms of the Java |
| Specification Participation Agreement (JSPA) - the governing rules |
| of the JCP - to which Sun is contractually bound to comply as a |
| signatory. The ASF has a proud history of support for open |
| software ecosystems in which commercial software can flourish. |
| However, Sun's JCK license protects portions of Sun's commercial |
| Java business at the expense of ASF's open software. It prevents |
| our users from using Apache software in certain fields of use. |
| Such implicit or explicit threats of IP-based aggression give one |
| actor overwhelming commercial advantages over the other |
| participants in the ecosystem. In an open ecosystem, it must be |
| the case that the necessary IP to implement a specification can be |
| secured independently from the specific commercial interests of |
| any one actor in the ecosystem, which is the basis of our |
| objection to your offered terms. |
| |
| Your restrictions violate the basic protections of the JCP, which |
| ensure both that a) specification leads and expert groups produce |
| open specifications, and b) anyone can implement and distribute |
| compatible implementations of those specifications without fear of |
| obligation to the specification lead or members of the expert |
| group for any "necessary IP" needed to implement that |
| specification. Specifically, the JSPA requires that |
| |
| 1) a specification lead cannot "impose any contractual condition |
| or covenant that would limit or restrict the right of any |
| licensee to create or distribute such Independent |
| Implementations" (section 5.C.III) |
| |
| 2) a specification lead must license all necessary IP |
| royalty-free to any compatible implementation of a |
| specification (section 5.B) |
| |
| Your terms are attempting to circumvent both of these |
| requirements. |
| |
| Besides holding back the Harmony project - a community-led open |
| source project of the ASF since May of 2005 - this failure to |
| comply with your contractual obligations poses serious risk to the |
| credibility of the JCP as an open standards organization, and the |
| reputation of Java itself as an open technology. We believe that |
| this also threatens the general cooperative nature of the |
| commercial Java ecosystem, puts at risk the long-standing positive |
| relationship between Sun and the ASF, and probably between Sun and |
| the broader open source community - all of which is key to the |
| continued growth of Java. |
| |
| Beyond the obligations of the JSPA, these limitations are also |
| contrary to Sun's public promise that any Sun-led specification |
| would be fully implementable and distributable as open source/free |
| software. It shouldn't have to be mentioned that "fully |
| implementable" includes passing the JCK, as required by the |
| specification license. To this end, limitations on field of use |
| for our users is contrary to the basic principles of open source |
| licensing, and therefore these limitations would prevent |
| distribution under any open source license, including our own. |
| |
| Our objections to the offered license are clear and valid. The |
| situation we are facing is grossly in conflict with the basic IP |
| philosophy of the JCP, the concept of Java as an open |
| standards-based ecosystem, Sun's public promises to the free and |
| open source communities, and Sun's contractual obligations as a |
| specification lead under the JSPA. The JCP was clearly designed |
| to prevent any single actor from being able to exhibit this sort |
| of market control. Additionally, it is contrary to both the |
| spirit and letter of open source, the respect of which is a key |
| element in Sun's stated business strategy. |
| Through Apache Harmony, the ASF is implementing Java SE in good |
| faith, with the understanding that Sun as the specification lead |
| will reciprocate. Our intention has always been to produce a |
| certified compatible implementation of Java SE distributed under |
| the Apache License. To do so, we need the JCK. |
| |
| We expect you to offer an acceptable, JSPA-compliant license to us |
| within 30 days, or provide a public explanation of why you cannot |
| do so. |
| |
| We look forward to your response. |
| |
| Geir Magnusson Jr. |
| VP, Java Community Process |
| Apache Software Foundation |
| geirm at apache dot org |
| </code></pre> |
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