Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Sun Community Source License

The Sun Community Source License (SCSL) is a community source software licensing model designed by Sun Microsystems that covers the J2SE and J2EE software development kits. Sun introduced the SCSL in 1998 to maintain compatibility within the Java platform and make code available for commercial use. In 2004, Sun began to favor the simpler Java Research License for noncommercial use.

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Sun Community Source License
AuthorSun Microsystems
Published1998
Debian FSG compatibleNo
FSF approvedNo1
OSI approvedNo2
GPL compatibleNo1
Copyleft?

The Sun Community Source License (SCSL) is a community source software licensing model designed by Sun Microsystems that covers the J2SE and J2EE software development kits. Sun introduced the SCSL in 1998 to maintain compatibility within the Java platform and make code available for commercial use.3 In 2004, Sun began to favor the simpler Java Research License for noncommercial use.4

The SCSL includes elements similar to an open-source license, but it has significant differences, such as a requirement that code is compatible with Java standards and commercial derivative works are subject to licensing fees. The SCSL is not considered a free software license.1

References

References

  1. "Various Licenses and Comments about Them - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation".
  2. "Non-Open Source Licenses" (PDF). oreilly.com.
  3. Loukides, Mike (1999-03-01). "Some Thoughts on the Sun Community Source License". O'Reilly Media. Archived from the original on 1999-05-08. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  4. LaMonica, Martin (2005-03-16). "Sun looks to sweeten Java". ZD Net. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
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