Re: Sun Java available from non-free
On Mon, May 22, 2006 at 10:50:22AM +0200, Michael Meskes wrote:
> On Sun, May 21, 2006 at 04:04:37PM -0500, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> > Fears are unfounded, we can at any time terminate the license by removing
> > java!
>
> Again this logic doesn't seem to work for me. If I was offering warez on
> my server I couldn't become legal again by just removing it.
Not even remotely relevant.
The difference would be that while you would act against the original
author's wishes if you were to put warez on your server, the same isn't
true about Sun Java. In fact, Sun explicitely asked us to please
distribute their software. I'd say that accounts to something, and that
a Judge who feels different isn't worth his job.
Consider Sun would turn nasty and would try to use their Java
distributor's license against us. What do you think would happen?
* Sun tells us "remove Sun Java from your server, now!"
* We comply
* End of story.
What's the problem?
They won't sue us for distributing Java. If they do, all we have to do
is point the Judge to the press coverage of this change of license, and
to the fact that Debian was mentioned as one of the distributors asked
to please distribute Java. They won't have a case.
Try as I might, and considering how lawyers and judges are human beings
and not automatons, I can't see any realistic scenario in which we could
be sued and lose a case in relation to this license. Do you?
Sure, the license isn't Free Software. It would be nice if it were; and
I'm sure that Sun Java won't be part of main until it is. But apart from
that, I really don't understand what the big fuss is all about.
--
Fun will now commence
-- Seven Of Nine, "Ashes to Ashes", stardate 53679.4
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