Java Community Process (JCP) and the JSPA

Wed Aug 27 14:21:00 GMT 2003

In theory the JCP is kind of a W3C but for Java only, it creates
specifications and the implementation is a private business of whoever wants
to implement the specification, you can make your own implementation and
make it Free (or proprietary if you want to).
 If it were possible for the GCJ developers to collaborate in the JCP (by
signing the JSPA) we could have the opportunity to submit JRS (Java Request
Specification, kind of a RFC) and perhaps suggest the standard use of SWT,
the CNI or other stuff and make it a Java standard. It is not necessary to
sign the JSPA to have read access to current JRS and it wouldn't hurt if
people in GCJ read some of that material to make GCJ as standard as
possible.
 In any case it is important to have legal advice, because from all the big
people in Java and related to free software, only IBM and Apache have signed
the JSPA.

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Haley [mailto:aph@redhat.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 11:43 AM
To: Per Bothner
Cc: 'java@gcc.gnu.org'
Subject: Re: Java Community Process (JCP) and the JSPA
Per Bothner writes:
 > Andrew Haley wrote:
 > 
 > > Hernandez, Fabian writes:
 > > > Has anyone signed the Java Community Process (JCP) JSPA (Java
Specification
 > > > Participation Agreement)?
 > > 
 > > We haven't, because it might contaminate us.
 > 
 > I've read it, and signed it. I don't believe there is anything there
 > that would contaminate me; it least I didn't see anything too nasty
 > when I read it. Perhaps you could take a look to see if I missed
 > something?
Well, I did say I hadn't seen it. Where is it?
 > Note JSPA is different from the "Community Source License".
Okay. I saw "Java Community Process" and saw red.
 > > In general we don't accept contributions from anyone who has signed
 > > Sun papers. I suppose we'd need opinion of counsel to find out for
 > > sure.
 > 
 > "Sun papers" is too encompassing. A lot has changed in the Java
 > world since we originally started on GCJ. The JSPA is where Java
 > is being standardized and extended, and the Free Software community
 > should get involved if possible. If there are problems with the
 > JSPA, we must try to get them fixed.
 > 
 > It would be nice if someone (FSF or RedHat?) could look at the
 > JSPA, the Community Source License, and other relevant agreements
 > from Sun, so we can agree on acceptable use.
Yes. I suppose I'm hyper-sensitive because some developers who
participated in Sun's early programmes couldn't work on gcj.
Andrew.