Seriously. I mean you and I and most every programmer knows an API when we see
one. But here now we have Judge Alsup tasked with determining whether or no an
"API" may be protected by copyright. So the judge needs a legal definition of
what is an API, both in the specific sense of a Java API, and if possible, in a
general sense that might be misapplied to all programming languages, past,
present, and as yet unnamed.
Sounds so far as if Google would like a very
narrow definition e.g. "A Java class API *is* the class interface", whereas
Oracle would like something more vague and general and creative. In particular
something involving documentation.
Judge Alsup's decision on this one will
reach far beyond Java, so its important he formulates a "What is an API"
definition that meets with general industry and academic consensus. He's got
maybe eight weeks. Anyone want to moderate a discussion?
(Don't look at me,
IANAL and this job probably needs one...)
--- Real Programmers mangle
their own memory. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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