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Don't you dare say 'told you so'! | 451 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
Don't you dare say 'told you so'!
Authored by: Ian Al on Friday, May 04 2012 @ 05:41 AM EDT
I note a few folk saying that they programmed professionally in Java because Sun
assured them of the continuing availability of the language, syntax, API and API
implementation.

I think this speaks to the damage that Oracle have done to the Java platform as
a widely adopted middleware solution.

However, I also wonder at the damage they have done to the Apache organisation
and its licence. Until now, nervous proprietary companies have felt safe just
using Apache stuff. They, presumably, used Apache licensed stuff to avoid
big-corporation lock-in whereby a small change in 'policy' could destroy their
business.

OpenJDK was stillborn. Why use it when it is just as entrammelled as proprietary
Java? However, I think the real story is that those proprietary companies will
now shun the Apache licences and BSD licences because they fear big-corporation
attack.

They have seen a level of big-corporation attack on the GPL fail. I think
companies will ignore the FUD and the reservations and evaluate the true legal
meaning of the GPL. It is just perfect for any in-house stuff and fine for a
platform on which to run even proprietary programs.

Now the highly permissive licences have been declared unsafe by the Oracle
attack. The GPL, on the other hand, has been endorsed by Oracle. Not that it
helps, of course!

Is the GPL the only recourse for companies not wanting to be destroyed by
big-corporation lock-in and greed? I think it might be.

---
Regards
Ian Al
Software Patents: It's the disclosed functions in the patent, stupid!

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

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