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Sun Confronts Microsoft Over Java Logo

Claims modified version of Java not entitled to Java-compatible label.

By Brian McWilliams, PCWorld   

Sun on Tuesday asked the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, to prohibit Microsoft from using the Java Compatible logo in its product packaging and promotional materials for IE4. Sun argues that IE4 fails Sun%squots Java-compatibility test suite, and the company said today that two independent testers have confirmed this.

Sun vice president and general counsel Michael Morris said putting the steaming-cup sticker on the IE4 box deceives buyers.

%dquotIf there is an application written to run under IE4 ... and it%squots been written to the Sun specifications, it may or may not run properly in [the IE4] browser environment,%dquot Morris said. %dquotIf it%squots written to the Microsoft unauthorized version of Java, it may run properly in [IE4], but might not run properly in a Netscape environment.%dquot

Just last month Sun sued Microsoft for violating its licensing agreement by delivering Java-based products that aren%squott compatible across platforms.

The timing of today%squots action is interesting: Monday, Sun announced it won approval to submit Java to the International Committee for Information Technology Standardization--a development which puts Sun in better control of making Java an international standard, and one which Microsoft opposed.

Also noteworthy is the fact that when Netscape Communications last week released version 4.04 of its Communicator suite, the Java Compatible logo had been removed from the browser%squots %dquotAbout Navigator%dquot screen. Netscape says it won%squott restore the logo until the software fully supports the Java Development Kit version 1.1.

Sun%squots Morris said Java licensees are allowed to continue using the Java logo even if they%squotre not compliant, as long as Sun is assured they plan to bring their products into compliance.

%dquotThe difference between Netscape and Microsoft,%dquot as Morris describes it, %dquotis that Microsoft has said [to Sun] %squotWe%squotre not compatible according to your standards, furthermore we don%squott think you have the right to set the standard and we don%squott like the standard, and we%squotre never going to be compatible with your standards%squot.%dquot

Joe Herman, Microsoft%squots product manager for Internet platforms, called today%squots action by Sun %dquottheatrical.%dquot He said IE4 meets all Java compatibility requirements, and runs JDK 1.1 applets faster than any other browser. And Herman said Sun is being inconsistent by cutting Netscape so much slack.

%dquotNetscape repeatedly promised customers that Navigator 4.0 would support JDK 1.1 and they still haven%squott delivered,%dquot Herman said. %dquotNow they%squotre saying that Navigator 5.0 will support JDK 1.1. The fact is that Microsoft has aggressively implemented JDK 1.1 and is delivering the best Java technology.%dquot

While Sun%squots suit, if successful, could force Microsoft to pull Internet Explorer Plus off store shelves, that outcome would be far off at best. Because of a court case backlog, the hearing on Sun%squots request for a preliminary injunction won%squott occur until February 27.