Sun to drop some Java royalties
By Bloomberg News
Special to CNET News.com
December 6, 1999, 10:45 p.m. PT
PALO ALTO, California--Sun Microsystems said it won't charge fees or royalties for one version of its Java programming language.
The standard version of Java, which is used to write software programs that run on any computer regardless of its operating system, will be free starting Jan. 31 for the first time since Sun released the language in 1996.
Users of Java have been calling on Sun to make it free. A year ago, the company abolished flat licensing fees required to use the language, instead asking for a percentage of the revenues from selling products incorporating Java. Now, Sun is doing away with those royalties as well.
But the standard version is not the segment where the licensing battles have been fiercest. Hewlett-Packard, for instance, has steadfastly refused to license the Micro version for use in information appliances and other gadgets. And while the move is a step in the direction of Sun's critics, it probably won't address all their concerns.
Only the standard version of Java will be free. Sun still will charge for two other versions of Java: the Enterprise version designed for server computers, and the Micro version.
Sun also will still require people who modify Java to prove that the changes don't affect the compatibility of Java-enabled devices, to ensure that they can run on any operating system.
Sun chief executive Scott McNealy has said that making money directly from Java isn't his primary goal for the language. Rather, he hopes it will boost traffic on computer networks by letting more computers talk to one another. Sun's servers are among the most popular for controlling computer networks.
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