"Just free it" is the message that Java's founder James Gosling wants to send Oracle chief Larry Ellison via T-shirts he has asked delegates to wear at the upcoming JavaOne conference.
"If you're attending JavaOne or OpenWorld, I'd appreciate it if you'd wear one, just to let Larry know that you care," Gosling has told his supporters.
Gosling said he won't actually attend the event itself, but will "cruise" nearby "disreputable bars". He wants attendees to show Oracle sales people that they are unhappy with what the vendor's direction for the technology he created by wearing a T-Shirt with a logo he has designed (pictured).
Google has also announced it will boycott the JavaOne event, which is at the tail-end of the database giant's annual OracleWorld conference in September.
Last month Oracle filed a lawsuit against Google over what it claimed was elements of Java used in Google's Android smartphone operating system.
"We wish that we could [attend JavaOne], but Oracle's recent lawsuit against Google and open source has made it impossible for us to freely share our thoughts about the future of Java and open source generally," said Joshua Bloch, Google Open Source Programs Office on the company's blog.
"This is a painful realisation for us, as we've participated in every JavaOne since 2004."
Oracle boss Larry Ellison last week promised to outline Java's future under his stewardship at the event.
