Binary License and Redistribution Agreement (BLRA) Question
843810May 12 2010 — edited May 12 2010Recently I have been receiving emails from Oracle asking me to sign a license agreement. We develop and distribute desktop software that use Java 6 technology. The license they want me to sign is called the Binary License and Redistribution Agreement.
This all started after I solicted Oracle for a quote on their Java for Business service. Well the price was WAY high so I said no thanks. A couple weeks later the same representative starts contacting me about an "embedded use" license. Supposedly we have to pay a fee if we distribute commercial applications that use Java technology. I believe he quoted me $89 a copy. I thought he was mistakenly taking about Java on embedded devices but he clearly thought that it applied to our desktop software.
Has anyone else heard of this license or a fee for distributing Java applications? I have developed Java apps for over 10 years and I have never heard of this. He claimed that starting with Java 5 they have included this in the license agreement. Sounds to me like Oracle is trying to find a way to make more money from Java. Maybe this sales rep is very confused. I am seriously thinking of switching to another development platform.