4 ms·

They can abandon OpenJDK and stop contributing any further updates to it, focusing on closed-source Oracle JDK. This will be enough to kill the project. This is

They can abandon OpenJDK and stop contributing any further updates to it, focusing on closed-source Oracle JDK. This will be enough to kill the project. This is exactly what has happened with OpenSolaris. And, of course, Google or IBM can't take the flag and continue working on OpenJDK on their own, because patents.

jsiepkes 9y ago
The last part about patents is not true. The OpenJDK has a patent pledge in it. Google even started incorporating OpenJDK into Android to protect itself from the patent case. The whole patent case with Oracle was not about OpenJDK but about Dalvik / Harmony, Google's own Java-like implementation.
- zaphirplane 9y ago
  Harmony was an IBM driven project
- atemerev 9y ago
  Could you please point me where the patent pledge is? I can't google it, and its license is GPL2, which is not patent-protected.
  - danieldk 9y ago
    The GPLv2 has an implicit patent pledge: 6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License. In particular: You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. Of course, whether it is enforceable may be a different question (IANAL).
    - throwawaybbqed 9y ago
      Didn't Java go big around 95? When do the main patents expire? Or is the issue copyright around the language/APIs?
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
khitchdee 9y ago
The comparison with OpenSolaris is invalid. Java is really useful and uniquely so. Solaris is an also ran. Oracle's pulling out would not be enough to kill the project. Mozilla could easily take it on.
- atemerev 9y ago
  OpenSolaris was really useful and innovative, too. I am happy that ZFS and Dtrace found their way to Linux (though not without some issues), however, I would rather prefer the whole package.
  - khitchdee 9y ago
    OpenSolaris :: Linux NEQ OpenJDK :: C#/.NET or ROR or any other language + SDK.
- jcranmer 9y ago
  Why would Mozilla take on OpenJDK? Mozilla's mission is about the web, and Java is no longer a major part of the web.
  - khitchdee 9y ago
    In terms of scope OpenJDK would be comparable to Mozilla's mission. So even if Mozilla didn't grow to take it on, a similar sized org could. The point being open source specific Mozilla pattern orgs rather than private corps.
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    The majority of the web servers where performance matters, run on top of .NET and Java.

jsiepkes 9y ago

The last part about patents is not true. The OpenJDK has a patent pledge in it. Google even started incorporating OpenJDK into Android to protect itself from the patent case. The whole patent case with Oracle was not about OpenJDK but about Dalvik / Harmony, Google's own Java-like implementation.

zaphirplane 9y ago
Harmony was an IBM driven project
atemerev 9y ago
Could you please point me where the patent pledge is? I can't google it, and its license is GPL2, which is not patent-protected.
- danieldk 9y ago
  The GPLv2 has an implicit patent pledge: 6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License. In particular: You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. Of course, whether it is enforceable may be a different question (IANAL).
  - throwawaybbqed 9y ago
    Didn't Java go big around 95? When do the main patents expire? Or is the issue copyright around the language/APIs?

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

khitchdee 9y ago

The comparison with OpenSolaris is invalid. Java is really useful and uniquely so. Solaris is an also ran. Oracle's pulling out would not be enough to kill the project. Mozilla could easily take it on.

atemerev 9y ago
OpenSolaris was really useful and innovative, too. I am happy that ZFS and Dtrace found their way to Linux (though not without some issues), however, I would rather prefer the whole package.
- khitchdee 9y ago
  OpenSolaris :: Linux NEQ OpenJDK :: C#/.NET or ROR or any other language + SDK.
jcranmer 9y ago
Why would Mozilla take on OpenJDK? Mozilla's mission is about the web, and Java is no longer a major part of the web.
- khitchdee 9y ago
  In terms of scope OpenJDK would be comparable to Mozilla's mission. So even if Mozilla didn't grow to take it on, a similar sized org could. The point being open source specific Mozilla pattern orgs rather than private corps.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  The majority of the web servers where performance matters, run on top of .NET and Java.