Also available in PDF and PostScript

Contents

• Background Information
• About the Jini technology license
• Jini Technology Compatibility Kits
• Jini Technology and Java™ Technology
• Larger Works
• About the Jini Compatibility Logo

See Also

• SCSL License
• Jini Technology FAQs
• Jini Trademark and Compatibility Logo FAQs

Background Information

1. Why did we decide to publish Jini technology source code under a new license model?

Jini™ technology is an incredibly important platform solution for the age of the network. It needs to be widely adopted to be most useful. Sun believes that the best way to achieve this wide adoption is to apply the principles of a community source license. These principles include: sharing rights to the source code among a community of developers to enhance and evolve the technology; establishing responsibilities to ensure compatibility; and providing a business model that rewards innovation and invention by allowing licensees to create proprietary enhancements.

2. How was the Jini technology license model created?

Sun spent several months developing a license that balances the compatibility issues inherent in the Jini technology with philosophies underlying the idea of a community that shares source code. The process included the following steps: analyzing existing licenses; deriving a model that both promotes innovation and helps guarantee a uniform, reliable and distributed system; and, finally, structuring the license in a standard format so it can be easily adapted by Sun for future use.

Throughout this process, Sun asked both its partners and representatives of the Open Source community for input. Sun also posted a draft of the license at this web site for several months, requesting feedback. The final version of the license represents changes based on input from these sources.

3. What is a "Community", and what are its benefits?

The Jini Technology Community is comprised of any development organization or individual that has executed the basic Sun Community Source License (SCSL) agreement to obtain access to Jini technology source code. Members of the community share certain rights and responsibilities to protect the open, extensible nature of Jini technology. Members participate in users groups, development forums, and advisory councils, and may receive development and technical support from Sun Microsystems as well as other community members.

4. Where do I find a copy of the Jini technology license?

We have posted Jini technology license for the Jini Technology Core Platform at http://www.sun.com/jini/licensing. The license is available in Postscript, PDF, and HTML formats.

5. What products are available today under the SCSL?

The Jini Technology Core Platform is the first available technology under the SCSL. It includes the specifications and corresponding interfaces and classes for Lookup, Discovery and Join, Distributed Events, Leasing, and Transactions, as well as other key "core" services.

You have the choice to download the source code, including complete documentation, or specifications only. When you choose to download either the source code and/or the binary version of the Core Platform, you will be required to agree to the Jini Core Platform version of the SCSL by clicking through the license terms.

6. Where can I download the Jini technology Core Platform?

The source code and the specifications for Jini technology Core Platform described above can be found by going to the following URL: http://www.sun.com/jini/. In order to download the source code, you will be required to accept the terms of the SCSL in a click-through process.

7. Who will manage the Jini technology code base?

Sun has appointed Ken Arnold to act as the initial community coordinator for Jini technology. Ken will represent this community outside of Sun, and will work with the internal Sun development team to coordinate future Jini technology upgrades.

8. Who is Ken Arnold?

Ken Arnold is one of the leaders of the Jini technology development team. His main responsibility has been as technical lead and architect for JavaSpaces, the first service offering from Sun using the Jini technology. (http://java.sun.com/products/javaspaces/whitepapers/index.html)

Ken Arnold is also co-author, with James Gosling, of The Java( Programming Language, part of the official Sun series of books on the Java programming language that is published by Addison Wesley. He is a leading expert in object-oriented design and implementation and has written extensively on C and C++ topics for UNIX Review. Ken is also the co-author, with John Peyton, of A C User's Guide to ANSI C.

Ken was part of the BSD team at U.C. Berkeley, where among other things, he created the curses library package for terminal-independent screen-oriented programs, and was co-author, with Mike Toy and Glen Wichman, of the computer game "rogue". Between Berkeley and Sun, Ken was part of the original Hewlett-Packard architectural team designing CORBA, worked on several user interface and UNIX projects at Apollo Computer, and with molecular graphics at U.C. San Francisco.

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About the Jini technology license

9. The license describes three different types of licensees: Research Use, Internal Deployment Use, and Commercial Use. Why are there these different 'levels' of the license and how do I know which one to use?

Sun has outlined three different levels of the license as a way to provide full rights to both modify the software under the Research Use license, and establish responsibilities designed to guarantee compatibility to the consumer under the Internal Deployment Use and Commercial Use licenses.

The level of license you use will depend on how you wish to use the Jini technology. The Research Use license is designed for you to learn about the technology, to modify the source and create new and different implementations, and to try it with your own applications.

The Internal Deployment Use license is designed to allow you to use Jini technology within your organization. We have added responsibilities at this level to ensure your internal application will be compatible with commercial products you may use in-house.

The Commercial Use license (Attachment E) applies if you want to distribute your product outside your organization for strategic or financial gain. It includes additional provisions to allow the Jini technology to evolve. This license must be signed by you and Sun to be effective.

You will normally progress through at least the first two license levels, since you are most likely to first explore the technology and then use it for an internal project. As long as you are not using Jini technology for commercial projects, you will not need to execute the Commercial Use license.

10. Why didn't you create three separate licenses -- one for Research Use, one for Internal Deployment Use, and one for Commercial Use?

Our goal is to supply a single license that will make it easy for you to move from one level to another. With this license, you can understand the responsibilities and requirements related to all levels of work you might consider. The only additional action needed is if / when you decide to move to the Commercial Use license. You are then required to sign and execute Attachment E and the companion Jini compatibility logo license with Sun.

11. If I use the Research Use license initially and then want to move to an Internal Deployment Use license, how do I do this?

If you decide to deploy the results of your research internally, then the license grant is already in place but you must comply with the requirements outlined in section 3.2 for Internal Deployment Use. These additional requirements include adapting your code to the naming conventions outlined in section 3.2(a), and passing a sufficiently recent and appropriate version of the Jini( Technology Compatibility Kit.

As the license is cumulative, you are still subject to the terms of the Research Use license, except you will replace your header from Exhibit B (saying "experimental") with a header from Exhibit C (indicating the appropriate version of the Jini Technology Compatibility Kit you passed).

12. What do I have to do to move from an Internal Deployment Use license to a Commercial Use license?

If you are currently using a Jini technology license for Internal Deployment Use and wish to commercialize your product, you are responsible for the following: your product must pass a sufficiently recent version of the appropriate Jini technology Compatibility Kit, you and Sun must sign Attachment E of the license (Commercial Use license), and you and Sun must sign a separate Jini Compatibility logo license.

13. I am a consultant. What level of the license do I need to adhere to?

If you are a consultant working directly for an organization, you are considered an agent for them and are subject to responsibilities related to the level of license they have agreed to. If you need independent access to Jini technology or intend to use any of the development work you do for more than one company, you are subject to the Commercial Use license terms.

14. How do I know if my use falls in the "Commercial Use" category?

Your use is considered Commercial Use if you ship a product using Jini technology source code for direct or indirect gain outside your organization. Examples, without limitation, are:

• Selling a version of Jini technology.
• Selling a device, service, or software product that implements Jini technology.
• Bundling Jini technology as part of a larger work you sell for a profit.
• Giving away Jini technology as a marketing tool for attracting new customers or to retain existing customers.

15. The Jini technology license model seems to differ from other licenses that share source code. Can you explain your reasoning?

The Jini technology license is different than the existing licenses that provide source code. Jini technology is all new technology, and introducing it poses unique circumstances for our users and partners. Here are some reasons for our approach.

First, we promote the idea of providing source code to a community of developers as a means to enable fast, innovative evolution of Jini technology and its services. Second, while we want to encourage people to modify and evolve the technology, the value of Jini technology lies in seamless connections among different network devices and services. It is critical that when Jini technology is deployed a base level of code is tested to guarantee compatibility among users. Finally, we want to establish a business model that rewards all developers for creating innovative services using Jini technology.

We believe this license model fairly balances these goals. It encourages unfettered creativity and invention at the Research Use level, and establishes responsibilities related to compatibility issues that are more critical to Internal Deployment Use and Commercial Use applications.

For Commercial Use developers, the Jini compatibility logo license provides a reasonable fee structure that is based on commercial projections. If you wish to adopt an "open source" style of distribution (publish your source code and provide your products for strategic or financial advantage) the logo fees may be waived. If you wish to use Jini technology commercially for strategic or financial advantage the fee involved will be far smaller than what it would take for your company to develop, test and promote a similar technology independently.

16. Under this license, can I create a Jini technology "clone"?

If you agree to the terms of the Jini technology license, you are granted rights to use the Jini technology Intellectual Property within the source code and make modifications subject to the responsibilities outlined in the license. For example, a Research Use licensee is free to create "clones" as long as the source code, if published, includes the proper notices. An Internal Deployment Use licensee can create a "clone" as long as it is compliant with the Jini TCK. A Commercial Use must also enter into a Jini compatibility logo license agreement.

If you choose not to accept the terms of the Jini technology license, you have access to the specifications under normal copyrights. This does not, however, grant you rights to any Intellectual Property which Sun and/or other community members may have. If you choose to implement a "clean room" clone of Jini technology, you are subject to any IP claims related to the technology.

17. Can I get support for Jini technology from Sun?

To foster innovation among the Jini technology community, Sun offers a full range of technical information and support services, as well as marketing assistance for commercial products using Jini technology. From our freely accessible Web site with in-depth technical information and shared resource library, to professional level technical support, to superb co-marketing opportunities, Sun programs help developers explore new uses for Jini technology, create innovative products and services, and create customer demand for commercially available products using Jini software.

18. If I develop an application that uses the Jini technology binary code, do I need to agree to the terms of the Jini technology license?

If you develop a service for Jini technology that uses a binary executable of Jini technology, you can distribute your program without a Jini technology license. You are not allowed to redistribute the Jini technology binary code however, unless you are a commercial licensee. If you incorporate any of the Jini technology source code in your application, you are subject to the terms of the Jini technology license.

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Jini Technology Compatibility Kits

19. What will the Jini technology compatibility kits test for?

The Jini technology compatibility kit is designed to ensure that applications or services using Jini technology are uniformly recognized throughout the network. The tests for the Jini technology Core Platform will focus on correct implementations of what we consider "Network Critical Code" that enables applications created using Jini technology to talk to each other in a peer-to-peer fashion.

20. Can anyone run the Jini technology compatibility kits?

Yes, the binary tests for the Jini technology compatibility kits will be publicly available, so you don't have to take anyone's word on compatibility. The Jini compatibility logo can only be used on compliant code, but by using the Jini technology compatibility kits you can either test something that does not bear the logo or verify that the logo has been properly applied.

21. Will I have access to the source code for the TCK?

As a licensee, you are granted access to the source code for the TCK for the sole purpose of creating error corrections or modifications that you propose to the developer. Any submissions you make will be considered "contributions," and granted to the community. We will consider any submitted bug fixes and/or changes for future upgrades.

22. Will I be able to make changes to the Jini technology compatibility kits?

Sun will publish the Jini technology compatibility kit and its source code on the Web for licensees only. As the Original Developer for this technology however, we have reserved the sole rights to the final code in the test suite. It is a top priority for us to keep the test suite simple to administer, and bug-free. If, during your testing you find bugs in the code, we encourage you to submit your fixes to us.

23. Who will manage the code base for the Jini technology compatibility kits?

Sun's Jini technology team will manage the code bases for the different Jini compatibility test suites. Ken Arnold will act as the liaison between the community and Sun to ensure that your ideas and bug fixes are considered for future releases.

24. When will the Jini technology compatibility kits be available?

The first Jini technology compatibility kits for the Jini technology Core Platform is available now. If you are a licensee, you are free to download it at www.sun.com/jini/.

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Jini Technology and Java™ Technology

25. Why didn't you add Jini technology to the Java( Development Kit?

The Jini technology is usable with other Java technology products such as the PersonalJava( platform, which are separate from the JDK. As a new technology, our goals for licensing are different, and we chose to use a different license model.

26. Do I need to license Java technology in order to license Jini technology?

No. You are not required to sign a license for Java technology in order to license Jini technology. The technologies are available under separate licenses.

27. Does this change my current Java technology license agreement with Sun?

No. Your Java technology license will not be affected.

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Larger Works

28. Can code under the GNU Public License (GPL) be incorporated into the Jini technology code base?

No. Under the terms of the GPL you may not provide Products under a license that may contain more restrictive terms.

29. Can Sun redistribute my code which I grant to the community in for profit products?

As the Original Developer, Sun has retained the right to include any code you have granted to the community into a new release of Jini technology. If you submitted your code to the community under Section 2 of the license, Sun can -- along with any other commercial licensee in the community -- incorporate this code into other products, and ship the other products for a profit.

30. Can someone else redistribute my code, which I grant to the community?

Yes, provided you granted license to your code under Section 2 of the license, another commercial licensee could take your code as part of the current release and include it into products, including for profit products.

31. How does Sun benefit from putting Jini under this license model?

Our business strategy is to develop new services based on Jini technology. JavaSpaces( technology is our first "services" product. Having more people use and innovate with Jini technology will help drive the market for new, innovative systems and software services.

32. I want to build a product based upon Jini technology but I don't want to contribute my source code to the community. What do I do?

You are not required to contribute the source code for your products based on Jini technology, whether Extensions to or Modifications of Jini technology, back to the community. You are required only to (i) contribute any Error Corrections which you discover back to the community; (ii) keep the programming interfaces for your Extensions open and (iii) publish specifications and test suites related to your Extensions so that the extended Jini platform stays open.

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About the Jini Compatibility Logo

33. What does the Jini compatibility logo mean?

The Jini compatibility logo announces to consumers that your product is compliant with the Jini technology Core Platform. This means your product can join a Jini technology community, announce its services, and use the services of others, if appropriate.

34. When will you post the Jini compatibility logo license?

The general terms of the logo license are outlined below. We are drafting the final terms of the license now, and expect to post it at this site shortly.

35. Why would I want to put the Jini compatibility logo on my product or service?

The Jini compatibility logo indicates to your customers that you are compatible with other devices and services enabled by Jini technology. If you are using Jini technology for commercial gain, the license requires you sign a separate Logo license agreement. To obtain a Jini compatibility logo you must pass a relevant version of the Jini Technology Compatibility Kit, which will be publicly available on the Web. In addition, you are subject to conditions in Attachment E of the license (Commercial Use).

36. Can I use the license and not use the Jini compatibility logo?

Yes. You can use the license and not the Jini compatibility logo if you are using Jini technology under the Research Use license, or under the Internal Deployment Use license terms. If however, you decide to apply your application as Commercial Use, you must sign Attachment E of the license and the separate Jini compatibility logo license agreement.

37. How much does it cost to get a logo license?

The branding program will be outlined in full in a separate document on this web site.

Here is an outline of our current proposal for the logo license:

a. If your product includes Jini technology and you provide your product under the Research Use license, for example, in educational use only, the logo license is optional.

b. If you are using the Jini technology as part of a system for Internal Deployment Use and do not distribute your application to customers or partners, the logo license is optional.

c. If you sell, or freely distribute for commercial gain, a product that includes the Jini technology you are required to sign a logo license and are subject to a fee structure that will be posted as part of license.

Commercial licensees who are required to pay a fee for the Logo license will be given the choice to pay per-unit, or as an annual subscription.

38. Can I use the Jini compatibility logo for advertising purposes?

If you have signed a Jini compatibility logo agreement as part of the Commercial Use license, we require you to include the logo on your product packaging, and strongly encourage you to use the logo in your advertisements for such products. Marketing programs will be available that offer attractive incentives if you agree to use the Jini compatibility logo in your marketing collateral.

39. Can I use the Jini compatibility logo under the Research Use or Internal Deployment Use license?

If you wish to use the Jini compatibility logo but do not consider your use Commercial Use, you can apply for a logo license and request the fee be discounted. Your product will be subject to the requirements of the Commercial Use license however, including passing a recent version of the corresponding Jini technology Compatibility Kit.

40. How do I apply for a Jini compatibility logo license?

We plan to post a copy of the Logo license on the web, with information on how to submit your completed version to Sun. Our business development team will be available to answer any of your questions, and/or concerns.

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