Organizations around the world that use Java but are not considered Oracle customers may receive a call from the tech giant within the next three to nine months regarding their Java usage. House of Brick, a software licensing specialist, has observed an increase in organizations seeking advice after being contacted by Oracle about their use of Java. Even if an organization is not an Oracle customer, the company tracks product downloads and identifies IP addresses, leading to potential usage complaints about non-compliant Java SE.
In April 2019, Oracle introduced new licensing models for its commercial Java platform, Java SE, which included licensing fees for previously free Java. The change was part of a gradual move towards a new “simple, low-cost, monthly” Java SE universal subscription to replace the per-user or per-processor model. Many organizations are finding the new subscription model to be two to five times more expensive than the legacy model, according to estimates from Gartner.
Organizations that have never had dealings with Oracle for their applications, databases, or middleware software may find themselves facing unfamiliar business negotiations when approached by Oracle regarding Java licensing. Oracle may request information such as installation dates and deployment methods, ultimately offering an agreement to subscribe to the new subscription model to bypass previous unlicensed software.
However, organizations should be cautious before accepting such offers, as transitioning to the new terms could result in significant cost increases. Organizations have reported invoices ranging from tens of thousands to over a million dollars when moving to the new licensing model. Some organizations are opting to uninstall Oracle Java and switch to open-source alternatives for their runtime and development environments as a response.
Furthermore, Oracle reserves the right to request retroactive payments from users already using Java since the payment model was announced. While Oracle may try to charge users according to the universal pricing agreement introduced in January 2023, organizations have the option to reject this and negotiate different terms with Oracle.
In these negotiations, Oracle may offer reduced rates or a combination of pricing models to accommodate organizations. The Register has reached out to Oracle for a response on these developments. Overall, organizations should be aware of Oracle’s approach to licensing and negotiations to ensure compliance with their Java usage and avoid unexpected costs.
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https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/06/20/oracle_java_licence_teams/