Their argument (which I disagree with) is that creating Java applications is far different than creating a JVM and class libraries. The latter must be licensed.

Their argument (which I disagree with) is that creating Java applications is far different than creating a JVM and class libraries. The latter must be licensed. So in their view, driving developer adoption of their language increases the potential for licensing the implementation specification. But let's be honest, OpenJDK is gonna be all there is (sadly). I liked the direction Harmony went, and it was very strict about the legality of what it developed and used.