Before a JSR posts its Final Release, if that JSR does not publish a milestone within 12 months, the PMO may at some point label it as "inactive". This label will appear on the JSR detail page for view by the public.

What does this mean?

The "Inactive" label has no immediate affect on your JSR. It's a quick way for the public to know that no milestones have been posted for at least 12 months. At that point, you can either work to remove the "Inactive" label or not.

How do I remove the "Inactive" label from my JSR?

There's one of two ways to remove an "Inactive" label: first, you can submit the next milestone in the process for publishing to the jcp.org web site (per the instructions for that milestone located in this Spec Lead Guide). As soon as the milestone is published, the "Inactive" label is removed. Second, you can withdraw your JSR. Then the JSR will appear as "Withdrawn" rather than "Inactive". Otherwise, you can choose not to submit the next milestone, which may eventually result in your JSR being withdrawn from the process.

How long will my JSR be "Inactive" before it is withdrawn?

The PMO will contact you about withdrawing your JSR six months after the "Inactive" label is applied, which means that JSRs that are inactive for eighteen months straight will be at risk for withdrawal.

My Expert Group has been very active. We've posted updates on our Community Update page and/or on a public project page such as java.net! I've even posted about it on my blog! My JSR shouldn't be listed as Inactive!

That means that you are being very transparent with the development of your specification. We applaud that effort. However, it does not mean that your JSR has made any progress in the process, as defined in the Java Community Process document. "Inactive" means that your JSR has not produced a JCP milestone in at least 12 months. The Inactive label is not intended to mean that no work has been done on the JSR. We encourage you to make updates to the JSR detail page, the Community tab, any discussion board and/or mailing aliases you use for your JSR to make your work on the JSR clear to the community.

It's true; for whatever reason, my JSR has stalled and seems unlikely to start up again. Do I have to wait until 18 months since the most recent activity before I can withdraw my JSR?

Under JCP 2.10, a Spec Lead can request that a JSR be listed as Dormant, even if it hasn't been listed as Inactive first.