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<p>On 2021-04-06 4:27 p.m., James Knott via talk wrote:<br>
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<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:55ec067a-dbf0-8849-f97b-d3e04b5af11e@jknott.net">I could
be wrong, but I seem to recall that Sun made Java available and
encouraged it's use. Then when Oracle bought Sun, they tried to
rein it back in. They did the same with OpenOffice. So, this
boils down to Oracle retroactively and unilaterally changing the
terms for using Java.
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<p>I was there at the the time, and Sun absolutely did: Java was
once a pretty little language called Oak, designed for tiny
embedded devices, like set-top boxes and smart cards. It grew up,
and then caught elephantiasis. Android therefor seem to me like
the kind of device an adult Oak was designed for.</p>
<p>Changing the subject slightly, the US Supreme court said "even if
we assume you can copyright an interface, your suit will fail
because it meets one (actually two) of the fair-use criteria".
That means the question of copyrighting interfaces didn't get
addressed.</p>
<p>I don't know US law, so interfaces might still be copyrightable
in the western court-region, but I rather suspect that the next
time Oracle wants to claim copyright on an interface, they'll have
to start <i>all over again</i> and try to fool the next trial
judge. They one in the Java case was a programmer, and didn't
fall for it.</p>
<p>--dave<br>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify
System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:davecb@spamcop.net">davecb@spamcop.net</a> | -- Mark Twain
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