Google plans to take Oracle’s proprietary Java code out of the Android operating system. Rather than rely on Oracle’s Java Development Kit (JDK), Google will switch to the OpenJDK. Android is based on Java and the JDKs are what manage the APIs and other tools developers need to create apps.
“As an open-source platform, Android is built upon the collaboration of the open-source community,” said Google to VentureBeat. “In our upcoming release of Android, we plan to move Android’s Java language libraries to an OpenJDK-based approach, creating a common code base for developers to build apps and services. Google has long worked with and contributed to the OpenJDK community, and we look forward to making even more contributions to the OpenJDK project in the future.”
Oracle, which developed Java, makes two versions of its JDK, a proprietary one and an open one. Android uses both, but mostly the proprietary one controlled by Oracle. Google says moving to the OpenJDK will simplify things for app developers, but as VentureBeat points out, the change also protects future versions of Android from litigation.
Oracle sued Google in 2010 over its use of Java APIs that it claims are patented. The case has bounced around several courts and has yet to be resolved. Google did not comment on the current status of the Oracle lawsuit.
