[ale] OT: License restrictions (reasons why?)

Jim Popovitch yahoo at jimpop.com
Mon Jun 25 13:58:44 EDT 2007


>From Sun's JRE license:

	3.  RESTRICTIONS.  Software is confidential and copyrighted.
	Title to Software and all associated  intellectual  property
	rights is  retained  by Sun  and/or  its  licensors.  Unless
	enforcement  is prohibited  by  applicable  law, you may not
	modify,   decompile,  or  reverse  engineer   Software.  You
	acknowledge  that  Licensed  Software  is  not  designed  or
	intended for use in the design,  construction,  operation or
	maintenance of any nuclear facility.  Sun Microsystems, Inc.
	disclaims  any  express or implied  warranty of fitness  for
	such  uses.  No  right,  title  or  interest  in  or to  any
	trademark,  service  mark,  logo or trade name of Sun or its
	licensors  is  granted  under  this   Agreement.  Additional
	restrictions for developers  and/or publishers  licenses are
	set forth in the Supplemental License Terms.


Most of the above makes sense to me... however the part about "operation
or maintenance of any nuclear facility" has always made me wonder why.
I do realize the dangers of nuclear power plants and their dependence on
systems that operate and manage them.   What I don't understand is why
Sun doesn't restrict Java use from everything else that could have
near-catastrophic incidents.  Things like trains carrying nuclear bombs,
FAA traffic control, mass-produced heart monitors, etc.  Also, why even
put "nuclear facility" in there when those facilities most certainly
have used MS Windows somewhere in their design, construction, operation
or maintenance.

Anyone know the history about how that got into that license?

-Jim P.




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