Hello,everyone!

I learned Java(SE,EE) few years ago and didn't use it because we are using PHP and ASP.NET at work.However, I would like to ask a question: Is Java (SE,EE) free for use for business purpose?I mean,if I start up a company and use tomcat with java, do I have to pay for the license to use Java?

I don't know much about java license until I learned that ASF(Apache Software Foundation) quited from the Java Community recently.As a result,they recalled my attention regarding the legitimacy of using java in business purpose for free.

Thanks for answering my dumb question!

Hi there,

I was intrigued by the changes you mentioned so had a look at Oracle's latest Java SE license pages.

IMHO and 'I am not a lawyer': I would check out the 'Java SE for business' offering which has appeared on their site.

Personally I would factor the cost of this paid offering into your SWOT/risk analysis when considering a new Java project - just sound business practice.

Hope that's useful.

Andy T

Hi -

I didn't see a direct answer to your question, so:

1. No, there are no restrictions on any program you write in Java.

2. Yes, the Java runtime ("JRE") is freely available to anybody who wishes to use your program.
Additionally, you may distribute the JRE together with your program:

3. Here is the explicit wording:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/jre/README

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/ja...nse-159167.txt

There is also a Java implementation coming with GCC, and several years ago it received some important certifications making it a kosher Java - if I understood it correctly. I vaguely remember the details - probably it was related to Java class library.

I am not a Java guy, I think more answers can be found on RedHat site.
...
Also, there is an IBM Java.

Hi, Sergei -

I'm a huge fan of Gnu ... but, unfortunately, I cannot recommend Gnu Java. The whole point of Java is supposed to be "compatibility" ... and GJC isn't.

OpenJava is a good alternative, but I strongly recommend Sun Java if at all possible.

Oh yes, IBM's "Blackdown" version of Java is required if you're on an IBM platform (such as AIX).

'Hope that helps!

Again, my point is that for a Java stack to be considered kosher it should undergo certain certification process. And I know that for many years GNU Java wasn't certified, but then it passed final needed certifications (IIRC).

But, AFAIR, unlike with "C", there is no ANSI Java standard, so that's probably the root cause of incompatibilities, i.e. Sun's Java is considered to be kosher by definition. And even this is self-contradictory - IIRC, transition from Java 1.5 to 1.6 wasn't that smooth.

Again, I am not a Java guy, all these statements of mine should be throughly verified.
...
Don't know how relevant it is: http://www.redhat.com/rhel/server/details/ :

->

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IcedTea :

Thanks for the active responses from you guys.

On November 13, 2006, Sun released much of Java as open source software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). On May 8, 2007, Sun finished the process, making all of Java's core code available under free software/open-source distribution terms, aside from a small portion of code to which Sun did not hold the copyright.[17]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_pr...nguage#History


So,smoker,is that mean Java is free for use in business sector also?It seems to me that I cannot find a consensus answer here.I think that I'm not the only one who worries about the license problem here. If,we cannot use java for free in business,it just turns my world upside down.There aren't much choices left.

Hi -

You're mixing apples and oranges here.

"Java" is a language you write programs in. It also entails a "runtime" (the JRE) you need in order for your program to execute on any given platform. There are technical issues (like source- and binary compatibility), and legal issues (namely, the license).

As I said above (citing the actual licenses from the Sun Java web site), if you write your programs using the SunJava or OpenJava compilers, and rely on the SunJava or OpenJava JREs, you're home free. No worries. You are licensed to use the compiler as you wish; you're licensed to redistribute the JRE for your compiled bytecode as you wish.

IcedTea is a separate issue: you, as a developer, or as an ISV, aren't directly affected one way or the other.

GPL'ing Java source matters very much to the IcedTea folks. But it necessarily doesn't matter to you, unless you want to modify the compiler (or build your own compiler).

It also matters to those who are worried about the long term future of the Java standard (which Sun had managed themselves, much as ANSI manages the C and C++ standards).

But again: if you (as a developer or an ISV) use Sun Java (just about anywhere) or OpenJava (e.g. on Linux), you're safe.

'Hope that helps!

paulsm4,Thanks for your reply.

You clear my worries about developing application in Java and using java related technology.

Thanks.