FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.7.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 21.0-b17, mixed mode, sharing)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 7 sp1

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
Java 7

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
I'm migrating a swing application from Windows XP to Windows 7 and also from Java 6 to Java 7. The swing application sometimes makes the font bold to indicate that it is a mandatory value. The same piece of code works well in Windows XP and causes a NullpointerException in Windows 7.

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 7

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Run this code on Windows XP and compare result with Windows 7.

public static void main(String[] args) {
Font font = new TitledBorder("").getTitleFont();
Font test = getMandatoryFont(font);
}

public static Font getMandatoryFont(Font font) {
Font mandatory = font.deriveFont(Font.BOLD);
return mandatory;
}

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The font is changed to bold
ACTUAL -
In Windows XP (java7) the code works fine
In Windows 7 (java 7) there is a NullPointerException

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
NullpointerException

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public static void main(String[] args) {
Font font = new TitledBorder("").getTitleFont();
Font test = getMandatoryFont(font);
}

public static Font getMandatoryFont(Font font) {
Font mandatory = font.deriveFont(Font.BOLD);
return mandatory;
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Handle null in getMandatoryFont