Understand Java Licensing
Oracle’s Java licensing changed from January 2019. Oracle changed the licensing metric in January 2023. It moved from a ‘free’ product to a more constrained license that can put users at a non-compliance risk.
Here is a brief on the changes to Java licensing and how it affects you.
The question in the minds of many people is
Understand the technical components of Java, the naming jargon, and the different licensing agreements
Java is:
Java Virtual Machine
The JVM is an abstract machine that enables your computer to run a Java program. The JVM makes Java a ‘platform-independent language’. When you write Java code, it is written to be executed in the JVM and not the specific computer (physical machine).
Java Runtime Environment
This is an implementation of the Java Virtual Machine & containing additional components and core libraries to run applications and applets written in Java.
Java Development Kit
It is a bundle of software that is used to develop Java programs. Contains the Java compiler, the JRE, API Classes & additional files to write Java programs. Different versions available are: Oracle JDK, OpenJDK, AzulJDK etc.
Java Standard Edition
This is the Oracle supported Java platform. Interchangeably used with Oracle JDK
Second generation Java Platform
The first generation Java Platform was called JDK, the second generation is Java 2 Platform. The name change happened in 1998. (from JDK1.1 to J2SE1.2). The name further changed to Java SE in 2006 (still called the Java2 Platform).
| Oracle JDK (Java SE) | Azul Zulu |
| Oracle OpenJDK | IBM Eclipse OpenJ9 |
| AdoptOpenJDK | Red Hat OpenJDK |
| Amazon Coretto | SapMachine |
| Liberica | Sun HotSpot |
Given below is a very brief and quick summary of the different licenses from Oracle for Java, the usage rights and implications for customers. Please note this is not legal advise & you should proceed with caution after taking legal opinion.
| License Name | License Rights Summary & Implications |
|---|---|
| Binary Code License (BCL) | 1.Oracle used to release OracleJDK or JavaSE under the BCL agreement. 2.Oracle provided a license to use Java ‘without license fees’ 3.The license allowed customers to use Java SE for internal commercial use, reproduce and distribute the software, distribute redistritubutables, development of programs. 4.Certain commercial features of Java (like JRockit Mission Control etc) could not be used without paying a license fee. |
| OTN Agreement for Java | This is the current non-commercial license for Java: Oracle Technology Network License Agreement for Oracle Java SE 1.Java SE can be used for 1. Personal Use 2. Development Use 3. As part of certain ‘Approved’ Oracle products 4. As part of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure2.Java SE cannot be used for internal commercial use without paying license fees separately to acquire such rights. 3.Java SE cannot be redistributed without a specific license from Oracle |
| No Fee Terms & Conditions (NFTC) | 1. The NFTC is the license for Oracle JDK 17 and later releases. 2. The license allows for free use for personal, production and commercial use. 3. There is no click through license so automating downloads of it has never been easier. 4. Oracle has stated that NFTC will be used for Java SE 17 and all later LTS releases |
| GPL2 with classpath exception | Oracle provides the Oracle OpenJDK under GNU General Public License, version 2, with the Classpath Exception. This license allows: 1.Use of OpenJDK for any purpose (freedom0 of the GNU philosophy) 2.Copying and distribution of the OpenJDK source code (with attribution) 3.Oracle has allowed with the classpath exception the use of modules that are deemed incompatible with GPL2. |
There is confusion with different terminologies and jargon used with reference to Java in the IT industry. Some of them are clarified below.
| Program/ Terminology | What is it? | Java Commercial License Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Javascript | It is a front-end development coding language. It’s not part of the Java platform | No |
| JavaBean | JavaBeans are classes that encapsulate many objects into a single object (the bean) | Yes |
| Applet | An applet is a Java program that can be embedded into a web page. Oracle deprecated this in Java9. Most browsers do not support applets currently. Chrome discontinued in 2015, Mozilla dropped it in 2018, Microsoft Edge does not support it. It is only available on MS Internet Explorer | No |
| Java 2 Platform | JDK was first generation platform. Java 2 Platform is second generation. | Yes |
| JInitiator | Oracle’s JRE on client to run Forms in Internet Explorer | No |
Identify where Java is installed in your environment. Conduct a discovery across all the servers and desktops. Prepare an inventory of the Java version, executable path and the application for which it is used.
Normalize the Java versions into the different agreements from Oracle and other publishers. Classify the Java installed into BCL, OTN, Oracle Commercial, Azul, IBM, Redhat, AdoptOpenJDK, Amazon Coretto etc.
Assess the license requirement for each application based on publisher partnership with Oracle & Oracle’s approved product list. Also check the usage of commercial features of Java being used (especially) in the BCL versions.
Conduct an optimization exercise for currently installed Java deployments. Formulate an enterprise-wide strategy for Java deployments from Oracle & other publishers based on security, cost, and flexibility parameters.
Yes and No is the correct answer. If you use the latest versions of Oracle’s Java SE you need to have a license. This license can be either purchased separately for Java SE or as an ‘included product’ in certain Oracle products.
There are free distributions of Java also available. One example is Oracle’s Open JDK. Another is Azul’s Zulu
Binary Code License (BCL) for Oracle JDK
This was the old agreement from Oracle for Java. Under this license Java could be used without paying money to Oracle except for certain commercial features.
OTN Agreement for Java for Oracle JDK
This is the license from Oracle for releases after January 2019 till September 2021. Under this license, Java has to be licensed commercially.
No Fee Terms & Conditions (NFTC)
This is the new license from Oracle for Java SE 17 and later LTS releases. Under this license, Java is free for production and commercial use.
GPL2 for Oracle OpenJDK
This is the license under which Oracle releases the open-source version of the JDK. It is known as Oracle OpenJDK.
Weblogic Server editions create challenges in license compliance:
This is one of the most common issues of license non-compliance in small and medium-sized users of Oracle E-Business Suite. The need to license different components of the middleware is not, many a time, clarified to customers during the initial purchase of the applications. This leads to unintentional non-compliance with huge risk exposures.
The rules for Oracle Middleware are complex because of the large number of features that get enabled at the time of installation. Usage of the different products need to be carefully studied. We have realised that Oracle’s own teams are ill-equipped to get to the root evidence of usage.