Oracle verifies third-party Java licensing tools

Oracle has begun verifying software tools from third-party vendors designed to monitor licensing of Java products in enterprise environments, writes The Register.

Oracle will currently accept Java usage data to monitor license compliance from Flexera and Lime Software. Oracle first introduced two new licensing models for its commercial Java Standard Edition (Java SE) platform in April 2019, when it began charging a license fee for previously free Java.

In fact, Oracle reserves the right to make a final decision on the conclusion of a compliance audit made using third-party software.

According to Craig Guarente, founder and CEO of Oracle product licensing consulting firm Palisade compliance, the new verification tools only provide interim conclusions for the corporation itself regarding compliance.

"These verifiable tools, whether designed for Java or other products, simply mean that Oracle confirms that the tools provide all the information Oracle needs to conduct an audit. For example, if tools tell you that you are using 100 licenses, this does not mean that Oracle will agree that you are using 100 licenses. This only means that Oracle will be able to take raw data, conduct its own analysis and determine its quantity," Guarente said.

In September 2021, when Oracle released Java 17, it began offering a free license with free quarterly updates for three years, but only for this version, not for previous ones like Java 7, 8, and 11.