In theory an API can't be copyrighted because it's "information", and you can't copyright information, only its presentation. But of course copyright law is pretty arcane.
On Aug 13, 3:38 pm, François Masurel <[email protected]> wrote: > That's what I was asking to myself : what if Google simply infringed > Oracle copyrights by using Java specifications and namespaces ? Can > APIs be copyrighted ? > > If it's the case, what are the possible solutions beside paying > royalties to Oracle ? > > And then, why is the Wine project allowed to implement the Windows API > without retributing Microsoft (as far as I know) ? > > François > > On 13 août, 22:18, Fabrizio Giudici <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > Hash: SHA1 > > > > On Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 11:46 AM, DanH <[email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > I do wish that Sun had fully opensourced and open licensed Java > > > like they were planning to several years back. I'm guessing the > > > plan was killed when Oracle began negotiating with them. > > > Java Standard Edition _is_ fully open sourced under the GPL+CPE > > license (Java Micro Edition is a different thing, but it's not related > > with Android). As fas as I understand, even though you open source a > > product, there's still the patent thing. Usually these are handled by > > having the license to grant users a perpetual right to use the > > technology guaranteeing that they won't be accused of breaking a > > patent. But this clearly applies only to people using the "plain" open > > Java made by Sun / Oracle. Back to the license thing, I suppose that > > Oracle might refer to the Java specifications and namespaces (the > > java.* thing). Probably, even though Google has never claimed that > > Android is Java and their implementation doesn't derive from Sun, the > > weak point could be the fact that Android uses a subset of the runtime > > specifications and namespaces. > > > - -- > > Fabrizio Giudici - Java Architect, Project Manager > > Tidalwave s.a.s. - "We make Java work. Everywhere." > > java.net/blog/fabriziogiudici -www.tidalwave.it/people > > [email protected] > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > > Version: GnuPG/MacGPG2 v2.0.14 (Darwin) > > Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla -http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ > > > iEYEARECAAYFAkxlqJEACgkQeDweFqgUGxd7LQCgkq+uB04uYEOgtnRlDBpTuXIr > > oxwAn2pPRrHaRWHa6TkeU+/Mo+YdrRAQ > > =ZvTF > > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
