Need Advice to see if we can ship OpenJDK/JRE with Commercial App

[Georges Saab]

Hi Dan --

   While I certainly don't want to discourage you from looking at OpenJDK, it sounds to me like you are 
looking at it because you think the OracleJDK is expensive for support and license for redistribution?

    If so (and you have not already done so) I would suggest that you check the OracleJDK BCL on the 
free ('gratis') version, which has clauses explaining the rights for redistribution.  

    Have a look here for more info.

   /GES


On 7 okt 2011, at 09:08, Dan Tran wrote:

> here is my precise use case:
> 
>   - InstallAnywhere with embed JRE to deploy a Tomcat application +
> JRE + my webapp into a customer server ( linux, windows)
> 
> 
> -Dan
> 
> On Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 5:10 AM, Geir Magnusson Jr. <geir at pobox.com> wrote:
>> I think I read too quickly and I think you're right as long as the bundling is a distribution convenience rather than some kind of "combined" work (modified or unmodified...)
>> 
>> geir
>> 
>> 
>> On Oct 7, 2011, at 8:00 AM, Ben Evans wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Geir,
>>> 
>>> Well, we don't know what Dan's precise use case is (and yes the details do matter here) but I have many examples of software delivery media which contained both unmodified GPL binaries and proprietary software binaries.
>>> 
>>> Are you claiming that this delivery mode is essentially infringing? I'd like to hear your reasoning for claiming that - I don't think I've heard that reading before.
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> 
>>> Ben
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Oct 7, 2011 11:41 AM, "Geir Magnusson Jr." <geir at pobox.com> wrote:
>>> have you read the GPL recently?
>>> 
>>> geir
>>> 
>>> On Oct 7, 2011, at 3:50 AM, Ben Evans wrote:
>>> 
>>>> First of all, IANAL.
>>>> 
>>>> Having said that, if you aren't modifying the OpenJDK then all you are
>>>> doing is bundling a piece of unmodified GPL software into the same
>>>> delivery mechanism as your proprietary application. Which should be
>>>> fine - just include the GPL, a README which explains where to get the
>>>> source for OpenJDK from, and don't claim that OpenJDK is your work, or
>>>> anything to do with you.
>>>> 
>>>> So you *can* do this. The question really is - *should* you do this.
>>>> And there are very good reasons for not bundling a platform along with
>>>> an application. I'm sure other people will chime in with other very
>>>> good reasons why not to do this, but:
>>>> 
>>>> Field Support Overhead. This is a huge one. You can't possibly test
>>>> your app+JRE bundle on every conceivable machine configuration that
>>>> your customers will have. Yet, by shipping a combined app+JRE, you
>>>> have made your company responsible for support of that combined bundle
>>>> in the eyes of your customers. The costs of servicing support requests
>>>> from your customers will increase enormously if you are shipping a
>>>> private JRE along with the app. If Windows is one of the platforms you
>>>> need to support, then this problem becomes an absolute nightmare,
>>>> especially if your customers are remote (and even worse if your
>>>> customers are essentially corporate desktop users).
>>>> 
>>>> If you're absolutely set on going this route, take a look at the
>>>> profit model for your app, and the support cost model. Work out how
>>>> many additional support cases it would take before your profit margin
>>>> is eaten up. If that number isn't very, very large, then don't do
>>>> this.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> 
>>>> Ben
>>>> 
>>>> On Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 8:34 AM, Dan Tran <dantran at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Sorry about the confusion I've made.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Basically, I would like to ship OpenJDK's JRE with my App, instead of
>>>>> Oracle's JRE which requires a license/support fee.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Shipping OpenJDK with our app is purely for the convenient to our
>>>>> customer.  There is no reason for us to modify OpenJDK
>>>>> 
>>>>> However, according to OpenJDK license which is GPLv2 with "Classpath"
>>>>> Exception.  So my guess is we can ship OpenJDK with our app without
>>>>> the obligation of open up our source code.
>>>>> 
>>>>> However, to be very sure, I  would like to ping this forum to see if
>>>>> I miss any thing, and also to find out if any one are on the same
>>>>> route
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>> 
>>>>> -Dan
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 11:26 PM, Ben Evans
>>>>> <benjamin.john.evans at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Dan,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Your mails are quite hard to understand (and I'm guessing English
>>>>>> isn't your first language).
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Could you try explaining again exactly what you want to do and why you
>>>>>> want to bundle a JRE or JDK with your app?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Are you making modifications to OpenJDK? Or is your application just a
>>>>>> Java-based app and you want to ship a JRE for convenience?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Ben
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 7:11 AM, Dan Tran <dantran at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> ie, little interests on commercial company willing to ship openjdk
>>>>>>> with their app and but ship with Oracle JRE and pay for license fee.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> -D
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 10:58 PM, Henri Gomez <henri.gomez at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Since I found so little discussion about ability to ship OpenJDK with
>>>>>>>>> a commercial app ( instead of Oracle JRE, and not paying for license
>>>>>>>>> fee ), it sounds like OpenJDK 7 is NOT ready for prime time yet?
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> What do you means by 'not ready for prime time yet' ?
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>