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Understanding Java Licensing

kjwoodsISIS edited this page Mar 2, 2017 · 22 revisions

Wiki > Deployment > [Creating a release](Creating a release) > Understanding Java Licensing

Understanding Java Licensing

In December 2016, Oracle announced that they would be taking steps to ensure customers using commercial features of Java paid the appropriate license fee (see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/12/16/oracle_targets_java_users_non_compliance/). This announcement has caused some confusion. The purpose of this page is to clarify Java Licensing for IBEX developers.

Java SE Product Editions

Java SE comes in three different product editions. Each product edition provides a different set of functional capabilities, and is intended for different kinds of applications and development scenarios. The three product editions are:

  1. Java SE
  2. Oracle Java SE Advanced & Oracle Java SE Advanced Desktop
  3. Oracle Java SE Suite

It is important to understand that Oracle does not provide installation programs that correspond directly to these 3 product editions. Depending on which of the products you have licensed, you will need to download one or more installer packages. Regardless of which product edition you intend to use, you must agree to the terms of the relevant product license.

Java SE Product Edition

The Java SE Product Edition includes the following components:

  • Java Runtime Environment (JRE), (Server and regular packages)
  • Java Development Kit (JDK), including the JavaFX Software Development Kit (SDK),
  • JavaFX Runtime,
  • JRockit JDK

The JRE provides a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the standard class libraries and other components to run applications written in the Java programming language. The JDK is a superset of the JRE, and contains everything in the JRE, plus tools such as compilers and debuggers for development.

Java SE can be used for free internally to run applications and may be redistributed in accordance with the Oracle Binary Code License Agreement for the JAVA SE Platform Products (the “Java BCLA”) - this version of the JAVA BCLA dates from 02-April-2013.

Oracle Java SE Advanced & Oracle Java SE Advanced Desktop Product Edition

Oracle Java SE Suite Product Edition

Reference Material

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