[Discuss] can you copyright an API?

[Jerry Feldman]

On 04/24/2012 09:30 PM, Edward Ned Harvey wrote:
>> From: discuss-bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org [mailto:discuss-
>> bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org] On Behalf Of Edward Ned Harvey
>>
>> In the Oracle v Google case...  First of all, I don't know if the alleged
>> patent infringement is something that was released under openjdk...  But
>> even if it is, that's irrelevant, because google didn't base what they did
>> from openjdk.
> * Remember, in this case, some of the allegations are patent infringement,
> and some are copyright infringement.
From yesterday's court transcript from Google's attorney (I think Van
Nest) from http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20120424115304346
"if APIs are copyrightable would be a "substantial departure" for the
computer industry."

Also, on the comical side, one of Oracle's witnesses really pissed off
David Boies, Oracle's lead attorney and partner in Boies Schiller (SCO's
attorneys)

While one of the issues is how much should Google pay Oracle, there are
some major issues that affect our industry. I don't think that  this
will have any effect on software patents per se, but the issue on APIs
affects a lot of us.

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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