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Android Java Oracle The Courts Your Rights Online

Oracle Vs. Google and the Right To Use APIs 155

jfruh writes "Even as an EU court rules that APIs can't be copyrighted, tech observers are waiting for the Oracle v. Google trial jury to rule on the same question under U.S. law. Blogger Brian Proffitt spoke with Groklaw's Pamela Jones on the issue, and her take is that a victory for Oracle would be bad news for developers. Essentially, Oracle is claiming that, while an individual API might not be copyrightable, the collection of APIs needed to use a language is. Such a decision would, among other things, make Java's open source nature essentially meaningless, and would have lots of implications for any programming language you can name."
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Oracle Vs. Google and the Right To Use APIs

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03, 2012 @08:29PM (#39885165)
    ANNOUNCEMENT

    A team from Burson Marsteller on behalf of Microsoft has joined the discussion, and will be moderating and directing it to ensure Microsoft's interests are well served.

    They will be using a number of sockpuppets, including Bonch, Sharklaser, CriticalAnalysis, Overly Critical Guy, TechLA, TechNY, TechCar and many others.

    Their presence in this discussion indicates:

    1. Microsoft is concerned that free and undirected speech about this topic would be undesirable for them
    2. All postings must be considered suspect.
    3. All moderation must be considered suspect.
    4. Anyone participating in this discussion tacitly agrees that reputation management and astroturf is acceptable.

    Please avoid posting anything of value in this discussion. Treat all who do post with contempt and mockery.

  • by gman003 ( 1693318 ) on Thursday May 03, 2012 @09:51PM (#39885769)

    What we need is a professional, full-time expert in car metaphors, who can go before the court and say "This case here is like a carburetor..."

Neutrinos have bad breadth.

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