Sun Releases Source Code for the Java™ 2 Platform

Sun Releases Source Code for the Java™ 2 Platform

More Flexible Licensing Terms Mark New Program; Encouraging Community Participation in Platform Evolution

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- February 24, 1999 -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced that the Java™ 2 platform source code is available for immediate download on the website http://www.sun.com/software/communitysource. The source code release is the first phase in the Java technology Community Source Licensing program. This new licensing model is based on a set of principles outlined by Sun and is intended to provide for easier access to source code, increased and more rapid innovation, and faster commercialization of products based on the source technology.

"Now licensing the Java 2 platform is as easy as point-and-click. All you have to do is go to our website, read the license and click 'accept'. Instantly you are a licensee and can download the source code to the Java 2 platform free of charge," said Dr. Alan Baratz, president of Java Software at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "We believe this is the right model to use; taking advantage of the best of the 'Open Source' model while preserving the Java platform's core value proposition, cross-platform compatibility."

Sun's Community Source License for the Java 2 platform encourages the licensing community to work together to evolve the platform and commit to delivering compatible implementations. The Java 2 Community Source License:

Allows licensees to use and modify the source code for commercial software product development without charge.
Allows changes to the source code without requiring that innovation be returned to Sun.
Allows licensees to modify and share source code with other licensees without charge and without mediation from Sun.

The Java Runtime Environment binary is still available to software programmers and developers for incorporation into their products and applications free of charge.

Sun will continue to charge royalties to licensees who modify the source code and create derivative products for either production use within their organizations or for commercial distribution, and fees to service organizations that use the source code as the basis for a commercial support or consulting contracts. Upfront licensing fees have been eliminated and per unit royalties are incurred only when a product is shipped for resale or internal usage.

For additional information on Sun's Community Source Licensing model, see http://www.sun.com/software/communitysource.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer™", has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $10 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

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