infoTECH Feature

December 13, 2010

Apache Software Foundation Quits the SE/EE Java Executive Committee

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) resigned from the Java SE/EE Executive Committee after 10 years as a member. Oracle (News - Alert) is trying to get the foundation to stay on.

In a lengthy statement, ASF it had no option because it claims Oracle was interfering with the “transparent governance” of Java ecosystem and ASF was unhappy with the recent vote on approving Java SE 7. 

“The recent Java SE 7 vote was the last chance for the JCP EC to demonstrate that the EC has any intent to defend the JCP as an open specification process,” the ASF said in a blog post. “This vote was the only real power the Executive Committee has as the governing body of the Java specification ecosystem, and we … were looking for the EC to protect the rights of implementers to the degree they are able, as well as preserve the integrity of the JCP licensing structure by ensuring that JCP specifications are able to be freely implemented and distributed.”

Two members of the Executive Committee, Doug Lea and Tim Peierls, both resigned in protest over the same issue.

“By approving Java SE 7 … the members of the EC refused to stand up for the rights of implementers, and by accepting Oracle's TCK [Technology Compatibility Kit] license terms for Java SE 7, they let the integrity of the JCP's licensing structure be broken.”

“JCP is not an open specification process,” ASF explained in the blog post. “Java specifications are proprietary technology that must be licensed directly from the spec lead under whatever terms the spec lead chooses; … the commercial concerns of a single entity, Oracle, will continue to seriously interfere with and bias the transparent governance of the ecosystem; … it is impossible to distribute independent implementations of JSRs under open source licenses such that users are protected from IP litigation by expert group members or the spec lead; and … the EC is unwilling or unable to assert the basic power of their role in the JCP governance process.”

ASF claimed that Oracle’s Java SE 7 specification request and license “are self-contradictory, severely restrict distribution of independent implementations of the spec, and … prohibit the distribution of independent open source implementations of the spec.”

ASF said that Oracle has refused to answer questions from the Executive Committee on these issues.

Meanwhile, Oracle released its own statement on the controversy.

Oracle noted how it was the one who renominated ASF to the Java Executive Committee.

“We valued their active participation and perspective on Java,” Oracle’s Adam Messinger, vice president of Development, said in a blog post. “By an overwhelming majority, the Java Executive Committee voted to move Java forward by formally initiating work on both Java SE 7 and SE 8 based on their technical merits. Apache voted against initiating technical committee work on both SE 7 and SE 8, effectively voting against moving Java forward. … Oracle has a responsibility to move Java forward and to maintain the uniformity of the Java standard for the millions of Java developers, and the majority of Executive Committee members agree. We encourage Apache to reconsider its position and remain a part of the process to move Java forward. ASF and many open source projects within it are an important part of the overall Java ecosystem.”


Ed Silverstein is a TMCnet contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jaclyn Allard
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