Can we read JCP specifications?

[burton at relativity dot yi dot org (Kevin A. Burton)]

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OK.

I want to download and read a SUN JCP specification and they throw up a license
agreement!  Can we still use JCP specifications in GNU products?

- - warning that patents may apply to the specification.  This might be OK.

- - we can't reproduce any of the specification..  This includes APIs?  This might
  be BAD


NOTICE The Specification is protected by copyright and the information described
therein may be protected by one or more U.S. patents, foreign patents, or
pending applications.  Except as provided under the following license, no part
of the Specification may be reproduced in any form by any means without the
prior written authorization of Sun Microsystems, Inc. ("Sun") and its licensors,
if any.  Any use of the Specification and the information described therein will
be governed by the terms and conditions of this license and the Export Control
and General Terms as set forth in Sun's website Legal Terms.  By viewing,
downloading or otherwise copying the Specification, you agree that you have
read, understood, and will comply with all of the terms and conditions set forth
herein.

Subject to the terms and conditions of this license, Sun hereby grants you a
fully-paid, non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide, limited license (without
the right to sublicense) under Sun's intellectual property rights to review the
Specification internally for the purposes of evaluation only.  Other than this
limited license, you acquire no right, title or interest in or to the
Specification or any other Sun intellectual property.  The Specification
contains the proprietary and confidential information of Sun and may only be
used in accordance with the license terms set forth herein.  This license will
expire ninety (90) days from the date of Release listed above and will terminate
immediately without notice from Sun if you fail to comply with any provision of
this license.  Upon termination, you must cease use of or destroy the
Specification.

TRADEMARKS No right, title, or interest in or to any trademarks, service marks,
or trade names of Sun or Sun's licensors is granted hereunder.  Sun, Sun
Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, the Java Coffee Cup Logo, and J2SE are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and
other countries.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES THE SPECIFICATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IS
EXPERIMENTAL AND MAY CONTAIN DEFECTS OR DEFICIENCIES WHICH CANNOT OR WILL NOT BE
CORRECTED BY SUN.  SUN MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE
SPECIFICATION ARE SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE OR THAT ANY PRACTICE OR
IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH CONTENTS WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY PATENTS,
COPYRIGHTS, TRADE SECRETS OR OTHER RIGHTS.  This document does not represent any
commitment to release or implement any portion of the Specification in any
product.

THE SPECIFICATION COULD INCLUDE TECHNICAL INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS.
CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY ADDED TO THE INFORMATION THEREIN; THESE CHANGES WILL BE
INCORPORATED INTO NEW VERSIONS OF THE SPECIFICATION, IF ANY.  SUN MAY MAKE
IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR CHANGES TO THE PRODUCT(S) AND/OR THE PROGRAM(S) DESCRIBED IN
THE SPECIFICATION AT ANY TIME.  Any use of such changes in the Specification
will be governed by the then-current license for the applicable version of the
Specification.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL
SUN OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION,
LOST REVENUE, PROFITS OR DATA, OR FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF
LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO ANY FURNISHING, PRACTICING, MODIFYING OR
ANY USE OF THE SPECIFICATION, EVEN IF SUN AND/OR ITS LICENSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

You will indemnify, hold harmless, and defend Sun and its licensors from any
claims based on your use of the Specification for any purposes other than those
of internal evaluation, and from any claims that later versions or releases of
any Specification furnished to you are incompatible with the Specification
provided to you under this license.

RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND If this Software is being acquired by or on behalf of
the U.S. Government or by a U.S. Government prime contractor or subcontractor
(at any tier), then the Government's rights in the Software and accompanying
documentation shall be only as set forth in this license; this is in accordance
with 48 C.F.R. 227.7201 through 227.7202-4 (for Department of Defense (DoD)
acquisitions) and with 48 C.F.R. 2.101 and 12.212 (for non-DoD acquisitions).

REPORT You may wish to report any ambiguities, inconsistencies or inaccuracies
you may find in connection with your evaluation of the Specification
("Feedback").  To the extent that you provide Sun with any Feedback, you hereby:
(i) agree that such Feedback is provided on a non-proprietary and
non-confidential basis, and (ii) grant Sun a perpetual, non-exclusive,
worldwide, fully paid-up, irrevocable license, with the right to sublicense
through multiple levels of sublicensees, to incorporate, disclose, and use
without limitation the Feedback for any purpose related to the Specification and
future versions, implementations, and test suites thereof.




- -- 
Kevin A. Burton ( burton@apache.org, burton@openprivacy.org, burtonator@acm.org
        ) Cell: 408-910-6145 URL: http://relativity.yi.org ICQ: 73488596

proprietary == evil



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