Java would just be the start. Companies large and small would file suits arguing that anything setting up compatibility on the basis of APIs violates copyright. The industry would grind to a halt under the weight of litigation.
Not really, it would just mean that you should check your license before using an API. All of the major programming languages come with a license (including Java, and even Microsoft APIs), so you should be fine as far as that goes.
Even with this ruling, you should check your license for any API you use, that's just good sanitation. Otherwise you risk being in a fair-use copyright case which might not go the same way.
For a new project, sure. But there are projects that go back many years, even decades, where this could become a sudden problem because until Oracle filed against Google, almost no one thought there was an issue with reusing declarations. It would be nice to have an explicit, statutory exemption in copyright law, but I don't trust Congress to do that correctly or to not break other things along the way.
But there are projects that go back many years, even decades, where this could become a sudden problem because until Oracle filed against Google, almost no one thought there was an issue with reusing declarations.
Which project are you talking about here? Certainly not Java, it was well licensed. Google just didn't want to follow the license.
Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do.
-- R. A. Heinlein
Java lives! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Java would just be the start. Companies large and small would file suits arguing that anything setting up compatibility on the basis of APIs violates copyright. The industry would grind to a halt under the weight of litigation.
Re: (Score:3)
Not really, it would just mean that you should check your license before using an API. All of the major programming languages come with a license (including Java, and even Microsoft APIs), so you should be fine as far as that goes.
Even with this ruling, you should check your license for any API you use, that's just good sanitation. Otherwise you risk being in a fair-use copyright case which might not go the same way.
Re:Java lives! (Score:3)
For a new project, sure. But there are projects that go back many years, even decades, where this could become a sudden problem because until Oracle filed against Google, almost no one thought there was an issue with reusing declarations. It would be nice to have an explicit, statutory exemption in copyright law, but I don't trust Congress to do that correctly or to not break other things along the way.
Re: (Score:2)
But there are projects that go back many years, even decades, where this could become a sudden problem because until Oracle filed against Google, almost no one thought there was an issue with reusing declarations.
Which project are you talking about here? Certainly not Java, it was well licensed. Google just didn't want to follow the license.