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0 pointscurt155y ago0 comments

>As it currently stands, APIs absolutely fall under copyright laws.

This opinion doesn't say so.

"We shall assume, but purely for argument’s sake, that the entire Sun Java API falls within the definition of that which can be copy-righted. We shall ask instead whether Google’s use of part of that API was a “fair use."

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3 comments · 1 top-level

kaba05y ago· 2 in thread

It would be dumb to declare true the opponent’s case in the argument, wouldn’t it?

UncleMeat5y ago

No, it is a sidestep. Even if the code is copyrightable, it doesn't matter. The majority decided it was better to make a case for fair use than for the uncopyrightability of APIs. That's all.

kaba05y ago

My understanding is that the original problem was that there is nothing in law that makes a difference between actual implementation code and API. Otherwise it would have been a trivial case.

And even in this, they rather go with the easier fair use claim that is case-by-case.

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