Apache threatens to leave Oracle's Java

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has threatened to leave the Java community if Oracle does not stop placing restrictions on the technology.

Other Java Community Process (JCB) members have been urged by the ASF to vote against the upcoming Java 7 portfolio, unless Oracle's restrictions are removed.

Since 2007, the ASF has been fighting the Field-of-Use restrictions that first Sun Microsystems, and now Oracle, imposed on the test kit licence for Java SE. The restrictions protect Java commercially at the expense of the ASF's being able to use the open software where it needs, according to the organisation.

"The ASF has been entitled to a licence for the [Technology Compatibility Kit] for Java SE that will allow the ASF to test and distribute a release of the Apache Harmony project under the Apache licence," said the ASF board in a statement.

"Oracle is violating its contractual obligation as set forth under the rules of the JCB by only offering a Technology Compatibility Kit licence that imposes additional terms and conditions that are not compatible with open source or free software licences."

The ASF said that the restrictions are contrary to the terms of the Java Specification Participation Agreement, with which Oracle is bound contractually to comply, and that this risks the credibility of the JCB as an open standards organisation and Java as an open technology.

The ASF claimed that its goal is to ensure that "Java specifications are able to be independently implemented and distributed under open source licences".

Oracle's open source offerings were given another blow last week when 33 members of the OpenOffice team resigned, claiming that Oracle's attitude made it impossible for them to stay.

Oracle did not respond to requests for comment.