/usr/share/java as maven repository?

[Steffen Moeller]

Dear all,

would it be reasonable to transform the /usr/share/java directory into 
something that may also function as an internal Maven repository?
http://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-repositories.html 

It would allow us to store multiple versions of a jar on the same machine and 
at the same time and thus avoid redundant downloads when compiling/starting 
software.

The ambiguity for which jar's version to take when there is no version 
specified could be organised by something analogous to Debian's alternative 
system.

Regards,

Steffen