Sun releases Java code under GPL

After years worth of requests from developers, Sun is finally preparing to release Java source code under an open-source license--it will place the code under version 2 of the General Public License (GPLv2) today. Sun's Java.net portal will allow developers access to two versions of the code: Java Platform Micro Edition (Java ME) for mobile devices and Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE) for PCs. "This is a milestone for the whole industry," said Rich Green, Sun's executive vice president of software. "Not only are we making an influential and widely used software platform for the Web available under an open-source license, it also underscores Sun's commitment to changing the whole industry model for how software is enhanced and developed."

For a hot cup of open-source Java:
- see this ZDnet article