IBM and Sun resolve Java dispute

Sun Microsystems has licensed its Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) to IBM after resolving a dispute about the scope of Big Blue's Java licence.

IBM had previously claimed that Sun had granted it the rights to all standard extensions to Java that Sun will ever make, making IBM an automatic J2EE licensee, but Sun did not agree.

However, IBM, which said it had an all-encompassing agreement covering all Java technologies, claims Sun's misunderstanding of its licence is now resolved and said its products will be J2EE-compatible even though it will not use the J2EE brand.

Scott Hebner, IBM marketing director, said: "The misunderstanding has been fixed. The more sub-brands we have around Java, the more confusing it becomes. The brand is Java. We think Java would prosper if it was managed as part of a more open process."

Disagreements over Java between the two companies have also been a concern to the development community, which worry that if the two parted ways the language would lose its cross-platform capabilities.

Gina Centoni, Sun's director of Java marketing, said: "IBM is now a Java licensee. We're glad IBM is a J2EE licensee and that compatible products will be shipped."