Google will switch from Java APIs to OpenJDK

Google confirms that the next Android versions will use Oracle’s open-source OpenJDK instead the Java APIs, a strategic choice.

Google is leaving Java application programming interfaces (APIs) in future versions of its mobile operating system Android. The company is planning to adopt as an alternative an open source solution.

What is this OpenJDK? It is an open-source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition developed by Oracle, and related projects.

The news was first reported by Hacker News who quoted a “mysterious Android codebase commit.”

Google confirmed to the VentureBeat news portal that future Android versions, starting from Android N will use the Open JDK implementation, rather the official implementation of the Java APIs.

The experts have no doubts, this new change will allow the development community to easily interact and design better apps and produce quicker updates.

“Google is replacing its implementation of the Java application programming interfaces (APIs) in Android with OpenJDK, the open source version of Oracle’s Java Development Kit (JDK). The news first came by a “mysterious Android codebase commit” from last month submitted to Hacker News. Google confirmed to VentureBeat that Android N will rely on an OpenJDK implementation, rather Android’s own implementation of the Java APIs.” states VentureBeat.

The reason of the choice is likely related to a legal dispute between Google and Oracle, this choice will protect Google with regards to future Android versions in the event the company loses.

The legal battle started when Oracle sued Google for copyright in 2010, claiming that Big G used a part of the Java APIs in the Android mobile OS.

Google replied sustaining the necessity to use Java APIs to allow different applications to interact, and, therefore, could not be copyrighted.

Google plans to introduce its resources into Open JDK having a significant impact on future development of the framework where the team can have a bigger impact on new features and improvements.

Google won a first legal dispute in 2012, but a Federal court lawsuit in 2014 expressed its favor to Oracle. Google reached out to the US Supreme Court to take the case, but the Supreme Court declined to hear Google’s appeal.

The experts believe that Google will be prohibited from using the copyrighted APIs, this is the principal motivation behind the choice to adopt the Open JDK.

Be aware, Open JDK is still under the Oracle’s control, but Google is legally authorized to implement it.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – Google, Java APIs)

Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.