Can you please explain these terms ?

[sandeep lokhande]

Oracle will provide a Java SE 7 Reference Implementation based entirely on OpenJDK and make it available under GPLv2 (with Classpath exception) for open-source implementors (and BCL for commercial implementors).

What do we mean by with Classpath exception

What exactly BCL (Binary Code License)?

Thank you in advance.

[Jesper de Jong]

You can find the license here which defines it in exact legal terms: OpenJDK GPLv2 with Classpath Exception.

One of the characteristics of the GPL (GNU General Public License) is that when you create a piece of software that is derived from some other piece of software, it requires you to make your own software also available under the GPL license. In other words, if you use a GPL product in your own product and you publish it to the general coderanch, then you are required to make your own software open source under the GPL also.

The "classpath exception" adds a special exception to this: when you use OpenJDK as a dependency in your program (in other words, you use OpenJDK classes on the classpath of your program) then you are not required to make your program open source under the GPL.

[sandeep lokhande]

Jesper de Jong wrote:You can find the license here which defines it in exact legal terms: OpenJDK GPLv2 with Classpath Exception.

One of the characteristics of the GPL (GNU General Public License) is that when you create a piece of software that is derived from some other piece of software, it requires you to make your own software also available under the GPL license. In other words, if you use a GPL product in your own product and you publish it to the general coderanch, then you are required to make your own software open source under the GPL also.

The "classpath exception" adds a special exception to this: when you use OpenJDK as a dependency in your program (in other words, you use OpenJDK classes on the classpath of your program) then you are not required to make your program open source under the GPL.

Thank you for your response, it is really informative.