1. Whats going on between SUN and IBM? 2.Why author mentioned that java may no longer be shiny new technology? Question two: It's subtle, and requires thought: If it is still working after all these years, then the underlying quality must be good. That translates easier than what the author stated.
Question one: Google for
Louis V Gerstner.
chairman of the board of IBM from April 1993 until his retirement in December A very readable account of your question, on a broader scope, is given by Mr.Gerstner and is widely being read in our industry now.
As for my comments on the issue, GPL watches copyright issues better than some other camps. Avoiding questions rasied by the s.c.o. case would be critical in long term review. The Sun/Java license looks to me like it was written by someone who works for a commercial concern. Placing authority in a totally de-centralized command architecture may result in chaotics of healthy growth being suppressed by copyright issues being lost in the Fog of War that is an inevitable arena of use.
A copyright gives the owner the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license his work. See � 106 of the act. The owner also receives the exclusive right to produce or license derivatives of his or her work. See � 201(d) of the act. Limited exceptions to this exclusivity exist for types of "fair use", such as book reviews. See � 107 of the act. To be covered by copyright a work must be original and in a concrete "medium of expression." See � 102 of the act. Under current law, works are covered whether or not a copyright notice is attached and whether or not the work is registered.
Employing the GNU licenese would insure that the copyright is free of attachment to other licensing issues in DMCA such as closed technology platforms, but would drive away some beginners who would like to protect their sources and do not have the skills to negotiate code-signing and begin to sweat in fear, uncertainty and dread when they realize the GNU license would force them to release their sources.
I suggest are review of the matter and drafts for discussion providing for the needs and wishes of a coder who is willing to share code in discussions - but is not of sufficient skills to realize that the algorithm does not have to be protected, only the keys.
Google for
Snake Oil Warning Signs:.
Note snake-oil-faq.html is written by masters who wrote much of the code we use in Java:
Jeremey Barrett Steven M. Bellovin Matt Blaze Bo D�mstedt Gary Ellison Larry Kilgallen Dutra Lacerda Felix Lee Colin Plumb Jim Ray Terry Ritter Robert Rothenburg Adam Shostack Rick Smith Randall Williams [ September 16, 2007: Message edited by: Nicholas Jordan ]
