[GNU/FSF Press] FSF welcomes Sun's GPL release of Java

[John Sullivan]

BOSTON, MA -- Wednesday, November 15, 2006 -- The Free Software Foundation
(FSF) welcomed the public commitment from Sun Microsystems to distribute its
proprietary Java platform under the GNU General Public License (GPL) [1] -- the
world's most widely used free software license.

FSF president and founder Richard Stallman said, "I think Sun has contributed
more than any other company to the free software community in the form of
software. It shows leadership. It's an example I hope others will follow."

Sun accompanied its announcement with the immediate release of code under terms
of the GPL for several Java components, and has committed to releasing the
remainder in the near future. [2]

With this move, Sun has made a valuable contribution to the free software
community. In 2004, Stallman warned, "Your program, though in itself free, may
be restricted by non-free software that it depends on. Since the problem is
most prominent today for Java programs, we call it the Java Trap." [3] To
escape the trap, the FSF made the GNU Classpath team's development of a free
Java implementation a priority project. [4]

Now, Sun has begun disarming the "Java Trap", turning it from a
pitfall into a valuable foundation for future free software development.

[1] "GNU General Public License", <http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl.html>
[2] "Sun Opens Java", <http://www.sun.com/2006-1113/feature/story.jsp>
[3] "Free But Shackled -- The Java Trap", 
<http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/java-trap.html>
[4] "GNU Classpath", <http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/>


About the Free Software Foundation: The Free Software Foundation, founded in
1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy,
modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development
and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating
system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software.
The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software. Their Web site, located at www.fsf.org, is an
important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support their
work can be made at <http://donate.fsf.org>. They are headquartered in Boston,
MA, USA.

Press contact: For more information about this announcement or to schedule an
interview, please contact Brett Smith or John Sullivan at (+1 617 542 5942) or
email address@hidden

-- 
John Sullivan
Program Administrator        | Phone: (617)542-5942 x23    
51 Franklin Street, 5th Fl.  | Fax:   (617)542-2652     
Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA    | GPG:   AE8600B6