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JBoss Joins the JCP - But J2EE License Issue Still Unresolved

JBoss Joins the JCP - But J2EE License Issue Still Unresolved
By Java News Desk
Article Rating:
September 24, 2003 04:38 PM EDT
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 18,220
(September 24, 2003) - With the stated goal of promoting Java, JBoss Group LLC has joined the Java Community Process (JCP). Under the agreement, JBoss developers can now participate in the expert groups that develop Java standards, including J2EE. Like all commercial entities, JBoss will pay Sun $5,000 annually to qualify for JCP participation. JBoss developers had previously joined the JCP, but on an individual basis; now JBoss is a JCP member as a corporate entity. "JCP is pleased to see JBoss join the community and welcomes their contributions through the community; it's a commitment to compatibility," said Onno Kluyt, director, JCP PMO.

Unresolved is the issue of whether JBoss should pay to license J2EE. JBoss says it should be exempt from paying for the Technology Compatibility Kit, because of its open-source base. The TCKs can cost from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. JBoss' licensing fees are expected to be in the six-figure range. Sun offers a scholarship program for open-source initiatives, but has disputed JBoss' eligibility. A Sun spokesperson noted that, "whether an effort that is applying for a grant uses an open source software license, while interesting, is not relevant to deciding on the grant."

Fleury recently had commented regarding the J2EE licensing issue "We are still in negotiations. I'm pretty confident we will get certified."

Published September 24, 2003 – Reads 18,220
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Most Recent Comments
OToole 10/08/03 11:43:26 AM EDT

Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president of Sun's software group, told eWEEK: "I'll give you a pretty clear view, at least from my perspective, on how we manage Java and the open-source world. There are some duplicitous companies that like to compare and equate open source with not-for-profit. And I assure you we will deliver all of our technology licenses, all of them, free of charge to not-for-profit organizations at infinite scale. However, if a not-for-profit delivers its products to a for-profit company that then turns around and sells those products to another company, that is not a not-for-profit. That is a for-profit company, and they muct pay for a Java license. So JBoss.org, as a not-for-profit?if it in fact delivers products to customers free of charge?should not pay for the license. JBoss.com, the company that in fact is commercializing that product, if it receives delivery from JBoss.org and then turns around and delivers that product for fee to customers, they will pay for that privilege."

See : http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1269923,00.asp
WWells 09/26/03 02:58:58 PM EDT

It's not necessarily true that people who use JBOSS because it is opensource do not care about certification. We have clients interested in an application we provide that is dependent on J2EE 1.3. They own a big name app server that does not yet support 1.3 and is not comitting to when it will support it so they are considering JBoss. JBoss certification is a major factor in our clients' decision to use it or not.
Bill Burke 09/25/03 07:20:57 PM EDT

Marc Fleury has been quoted in numerous articles that JBoss Group is willing to pay for certification.

Bill
Henri Yandell 09/25/03 03:20:20 PM EDT

It should be pretty easy to make the decision. If JBoss Group want to licence the code, then they should pay. If the JBoss community want to licence the code, then they shouldn't pay.

It all comes down to: Who owns the JBoss code? [or copyright of the name JBoss etc]. That decides who pays.
Peter Costello 09/24/03 11:21:42 PM EDT

If everyone else is paying for certification, why shouldn't JBOSS?
Not only is JBoss selling services, it is selling documentation, and getting money by endorsing third party products and through bundling other products. People who use JBOSS because it is opensource do not care about certification.