Everyone who follows Java knew that the Apache Software Foundation was going to resign from its nominal Java Community Process leadership position. Apache had given fair-warning that it was not going to rubber-stamp Oracle’s Java plans in November. Then, when Oracle rolled over Apache and Google’s objections to its Java plans in December, the scene was set for Apache to leave and, eventually, force a Java code fork.

There’s a long story behind why Apache, a four-time JCP “Member of the Year” is going with its own Java-related plans. The story actually doesn’t start with Oracle, but with how Sun handled the “open-sourcing” of Java in 2006.

The problem’s core is that first Sun, and now Oracle, won’t give Apache a chance to certify Apache’s Project Harmony as being Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) compliant. Today, well, let’s let Apache speak for itself from its public statement:

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