With Java, the how is not so simple. Sun, I believe, has the IP rights it needs to open source Java. It's the compatibility problem that's the major thorn (as O'Grady and others often allude to).

Sun's executive vice president of software, Richard Green, reiterated the company's intentions to open source Java at the JavaOne conference yesterday in San Francisco. Green claims that, although ...

The Java creator says it is considering an open-source model for its Java Enterprise System.