Re: TCKs and the ASF - Sections 2.1(b)(v) and 2.1(d)

[David Blevins <da...@gmail.com>]

On Apr 21, 2014, at 10:49 AM, David Blevins <da...@gmail.com> wrote:

>> 2) Sections 2.1(b)(v) and 2.1(d) together seem to require that, once an
>> application has been tested using the current TCK, all future releases of that
>> application must comply with the then-current spec. For open source projects,
>> which rely on volunteer effort, this is an extremely burdensome requirement. If
>> a project's volunteer developers decide to take a previously tested application
>> in a new direction and Oracle subsequently publishes a new spec, this
>> requirement could potentially require the developers to throw out months of work
>> or cease development entirely. Additionally, if the new spec adds significant
>> new functionality that is out of spec for the Apache project, the project could
>> be compelled to undertake substantial development on features it doesn't need.
>> Locking volunteer developers into a roadmap for future development set by a
>> third party, and largely invisibly, is antithetical to open source principles
>> and the Apache way.

Goal as I understand it: come up with some way for individual projects to be able to stop implementing a specification.

This is the corner case.  Most projects will perpetually implement the specifications they've chosen.  We do, however, have 150+ projects and all of them are volunteer based.  We need some legally allowable way for one of them to "opt out".

The process could include notifying Oracle and following through with some branding requirements.

Proposal from Mark Thomas:

> How about one of the following:
> - a notice requirement making clear that the supported API is not the
> latest version and where to get the latest version
> - limiting the time and/or number of major releases in which the old JSR
> may be used. e.g. (1 major release or 2 years which ever is the longer)


From a Java EE branding perspective I can see some "NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ABC 1.2.3" requirement on main page and download page being more than enough to make this an option no project would ever exercise lightly.


-David