[A2k] Oracle and Sun

[Bob Jolliffe]

Simon I am delighted that Sun has been so enlightened in its licencing
of major software platforms over the past few years.  I think you are
absolutely spot on in your explanation of the guaranteed availability
of code.

I wonder what is the status of patent promises/covenants etc when this
kind of major change happens.  This was a major issue in the OOXML
debacle in South Africa.  People were concerned that, however
watertight the Microsoft OSP might be, or not be, the promise is not
automatically transferable to a new owner of the patents.

What happens now in terms of Sun's non-assertion covenants.  Can we
expect Oracle to now make a blanket covenant to honour the existing
covenants?  Or are we in no-man's land here?

Regards
Bob


2009/4/23 Simon Phipps <a2k@webmink.net>:
> A full, compatible implementation of the Java platform is already
> available under GPLv2, following collaboration between Sun and Red Hat
> (and others) as part of the IcedTea project. You'll likely find it in
> your favourite GNU/Linux distribution's repository.
>
> There's also a full Java EE implementation under the GPLv2, Glassfish,
> and Sun's part of the Java ME (Mobile & Embedded) platform is also
> under the GPLv2. The GPLv2 also applies to VirtualBox and AGPL applies
> to xVM. LGPLv3 applies to OpenOffice.org.
>
> The OpenSolaris core UNIX code is licensed under a Free license as
> well (CDDL), so its freedoms are also guaranteed. The OpenSolaris
> userland has the same eclectic licensing mix as most GNU/Linux
> distributions.
>
> While any change of strategy by an acquirer would present the Free
> software community with a resourcing challenge, I believe Sun's
> actions over the last few years have guaranteed the four freedoms on
> all the code we collectively care about from Sun in the Free software
> communities. That was (and remains) my goal...
>
> S.
> (head of FOSS at Sun)
>
>
> On Apr 21, 2009, at 10:05, Claude Almansi wrote:
>
>> Hi Subbiah
>>
>> According to Myriam Schweingruber (1), in a discussion on the same
>> theme on the the Wilhelm Tux mailing list, MySQL and OpenOffice's
>> freedom is protected by their GPL licenses. As to Java she says it is
>> already in great part under GPL and that Sun promised to free the
>> rest, though "it is not clear whether this shall happen before the
>> takeover becomes effective".
>>
>> Best
>>
>> Claude
>>
>>
>> (1) See
>> <http://www.fsdaily.com/Community/FSFE_Fellowship_interview_with_Myriam_Schweingruber
>> >
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 4:28 AM, Subbiah Arunachalam
>> <subbiah.arunachalam@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> --
>>> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
>>> Friends:
>>>
>>> Now that Oracle has acquired Sun, what would happen to all the
>>> stuff Sun
>>> freed? Will Java, MySQL, OpenOffice, etc. be proprietary again?
>>>
>>> The FLOSS movement should convince Oracle to keep them open for ever.
>>>
>>> Subbiah Arunachalam
>>
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