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March 31, 2013

Developer Freedom At Stake As Oracle Clings To Java API Copyrights In Google Fight
Sacha Labourey, Steven G. Harris, TechCrunch, March 31, 2013


A good ruling that should be upheld as the judge argues that "when there is only one way to express an idea or function, then everyone is free to do so and no one can monopolize that expression." The issue concerns Java APIs, but could refer to any APIs. "APIs exist for a reason: They act as the communication channel, the lingua franca, the boundary, between the provider of the implementation and users of that implementation." More: "You make some bets when you create an API, but they’re not about monetizing the API. They’re about monetizing the things the API unlocks access to. You’ll find APIs documented and used in many books, blogs and open-source projects. Adoption is probably the key measure of success of an API."

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