Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, but Allows Hitler’s Mein Kampf

Re:Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, but Allows ... by cafard on Wednesday June 21, 2023 @06:18AM (#36416691)

Seriously? I remember some freeware (a Scheme?) from the 1980s or 1990s that said that it was not provided for use in nuclear something--maybe just power, maybe weapons. It was not clear from the notice whether this was a political statement or a lawyerly defense against possible liability--at least I didn't inspect the statement closely enough to tell.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, but Allows ... by thequux on Wednesday June 21, 2023 @07:47AM (#36417259)

That clause (which was a more general restriction on use in safety-critical systems) was definitely part of the Java EULA pre-OpenJDK, but I'd imagine that it was more widespread. As I understand it, it was very much a liability issue for Sun (not to mention the PR nightmare of being in any way a cause of a nuclear accident). If you wanted you could pay them a great deal of money to accept that liability, but they wouldn't do it for free.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, but Allows ... by thfuran on Wednesday June 21, 2023 @11:01AM (#36419367)

That sort of clause still persists in EULAs. It's in iTunes'. Or it was just a few years ago at any rate and I assume still is.

[ Parent | on HN ]