FAQ: Oracle Contributor Agreement (OCA)

• General Information
• I tried to make a contribution to opensolaris.org and signed an OCA, but my contribution was not accepted. What is the result?
• Why is there a clause about patents in the OCA?
• I am contributing source for a device driver on behalf of my company, and my company holds hardware patents on the associated device hardware. Per the patent language in the OCA, are we giving up our hardware patents by contributing software to OpenSolaris?
• How do I file a completed OCA?
• Can I file my completed OCA by e-mail?

General Information

Please read the General Oracle Contributor Agreement FAQ for frequently-asked questions and answers.

Following are some additional questions that have come up in the OpenSolaris project:

I tried to make a contribution to opensolaris.org and signed an OCA, but my contribution was not accepted. What is the result?

The OCA covers the contribution, and the contribution remains part of the OpenSolaris project even if it is not specifically integrated into a particular component of the project. But you may continue to exercise your ownership rights (e.g., contributing the code elsewhere).

Why is there a clause about patents in the OCA?

The clause about patents in the OCA is meant to address the concern that software not carry anything 'hidden' with it that could prevent someone from being able to use the software as part of OpenSolaris. It is not Oracle's intent to expand a contributor's patent license beyond what is reasonably necessary to fulfill the stated goals of a Project (in this case, OpenSolaris).

I am contributing source for a device driver on behalf of my company, and my company holds hardware patents on the associated device hardware. Per the patent language in the OCA, are we giving up our hardware patents by contributing software to OpenSolaris?

The clause about patents in the OCA is meant to address the concern that software not carry anything 'hidden' with it that could prevent someone from being able to use the software as part of OpenSolaris. The clause does not grant anyone extra privileges. In the case of device drivers, if there is hardware information available via the software, that does not give someone the right to start trying to build the hardware.

How do I file a completed OCA?

See instructions on the Oracle Contributor Agreement page.

Can I file my completed OCA by e-mail?

Yes. See instructions on the Oracle Contributor Agreement page.

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