[GTALUG] Google wins over Oracle in Java API copyright suit

[Russell Reiter]

On Tue, Apr 6, 2021, 12:31 PM D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk, <talk at gtalug.org>
wrote:

> Oracle sued Google, claiming Android infringed Oracle's patents on Java.
> Somehow.  That failed.
>
> So they sued for copyright infringement based on the copying of the API
> declarations.
>
> The computer community had been very scared that APIs could be
> copyrighted, something nobody had expected.
>
> The US Supreme Court decided that this particular case came under "fair
> use". and was no infringement.  This was NOT a general decision about
> APIs.
>
> This is very good news of Free Software.  And consumers.
>
>
> https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210405/09243546552/supreme-court-sides-with-google-decade-long-fight-over-api-copyright-googles-copying-java-api-is-fair-use.shtml
>

I read that article with interest after I had used a pharmacological/health
sciences metaphore about copyright in another thread. This description of
how the courts view a value added proposition, is closer to the crucible of
linux topicality, but the principal is the same.

Shame on Oracle for not sharing what they conceptually borrowed elsewhere
for their product.

You may use other copy protected work under fair use if it adds value to
the proposition. I think this decision makes that pretty clear.


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