-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 8/14/10 11:16 , Kevin Wright wrote: > This *could* all go really well > > IANAL, but this scenario seems to be cropping up in a few forums. > > Sun were contractually obliged to provide Apache a TCK licence > under terms that are "non-discriminatory, fair and reasonable" > (http://www.jroller.com/scolebourne/entry/a_question_of_ip) Had > Apache been licensed for the TCK, then Harmony could pass it and so > be considered a licensed implementation, with all applicable IP > rights Android, by using harmony, would then be using a "licensed" > implementation, and the foundation would crumble from beneath > Oracle's lawsuit. > > > Apache are not-for-profit, and as such didn't have the financial > or legal clout to press the issue of the JCK. Instead, they were > limited to voting NO to all of Sun's JCP proposals by way of > defiance. It's now becoming much clearer why they were making it > into such a contentious issue... > > So could Google pull a flanking manoeuvre, and bankroll a lawsuit > on behalf of Apache/Harmony? I certainly do hope so... It would be > an elegant solution to the "problem", and would have knock-on > benefits for us all. Opening the doors to alternate, compliant, > implementations could breathe more vitality into the platform than > anything Oracle is able to achieve alone.
But as far as I understand reading here and there, I'm not sure that if Apache had access to the TCK it would be fine for Google. I don't think so, indeed. The problem are still the patents. In fact: 1. If you fork the OpenJDK, you are protected by patents as it's one of the features of the GPL. But Harmony didn't fork the OpenJDK. 2. If you pass the TCK, I think you get the standard implementation license. It guarantees protection by patents as far as you don't remove or add anything to the java namespace. Unfortunately for Google, they dropped a lot of stuff from it. That is, the point is twofold: Harmony has got problems on its own because they weren't given the TCK, but Android adds to this the fact that it's a subset of Harmony. In other words, Android cannot pass the TCK, technically. Frankly speaking, subsetting the runtime was a deliberate decision by Google and they're paying for it. - -- Fabrizio Giudici - Java Architect, Project Manager Tidalwave s.a.s. - "We make Java work. Everywhere." java.net/blog/fabriziogiudici - www.tidalwave.it/people fabrizio.giud...@tidalwave.it -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG/MacGPG2 v2.0.14 (Darwin) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ iEYEARECAAYFAkxmZJ4ACgkQeDweFqgUGxc6fQCffzVsOaFR7St6qNSCZXHU2+S3 AQkAni5rheSC+BH6VOvRoT2dl+pARpA5 =4uMG -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
