Oracle Puts the Squeeze on Open-Source Software
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We still don't know whether Oracle's lawsuit is aimed at
ultimately killing off Android, but it's a sure thing that Oracle will do
whatever it can to make life miserable at Google. And if the company can't win
outright, it'll try to wear it down with hundreds of other suits, many against
the developers of Android apps.
Since those are in many cases small companies without
Google's resources, they'll likely fall under an Oracle assault in short order.
The final blow to Android may come not in the death of the OS itself, but
rather from an empty app store. Why buy an Android device if there are no
applications?
Now there's the next question: What do you do to keep
your company from being caught up in the Oracle Wars? First of all, you should
examine how you're using Java, and make sure that it's in line with the exact
wording of the GPL. Then, start thinking of other languages you can use, so
when Oracle finds a way to pull the plug on Java, you won't go down the drain
with it.
Second, examine how you're using Linux. While it's
unlikely that even Larry Ellison can kill Linux, it's very likely that he'll
find a way to effectively get Red Hat Linux out of open source by making his
Unbreakable Linux a closed environment. Yes, I know the GPL doesn't allow that,
but I don't think that the GPL anticipated Oracle's scorched earth
practices.
Finally, you'll need to examine your dependence on open-source
applications. While Oracle probably can't do much directly to the companies
that write them, the company can poison the environment they need to survive, if
only to make sure they also lose.
If it looks like I'm painting a very bleak picture of
what can happen to the open-source movement after Oracle pulls Sun out of it,
you're right. Despite the fact that Oracle has benefited from the innovations
of the open-source community, letting open source thrive doesn't square with
Oracle's practice of making sure they win and everyone else loses. While Oracle
won't kill open source, it'll do a lot to kill that innovation, and it'll do
what it can to make life difficult for those who create those innovations. It's
probably shortsighted, but then, focusing on making others lose has never been
a long-term benefit to the industry in general.
Wayne Rash is a Senior Analyst for eWEEK Labs and runs the magazineÃÃÃs Washington Bureau. Prior to joining eWEEK as a Senior Writer on wireless technology, he was a Senior Contributing Editor and previously a Senior Analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. He was also a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. Previously, he ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek.He is a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. He is a regular contributor to Plane & Pilot Magazine and The Washington Post.
