Let me try to be a bit more precise here. You can't very well write much 
Java code, without needing to implement an interface or an abstract 
class... or a lot of these actually. The AWT/Swing event system comes to 
mind as one of the most obvious parts of the API where this is true. So 
where would you draw the line... are we only allowed to implement 
interfaces? Extend abstract classes? Where is this stated/formulated?

How about if you think of the Java runtime as one giant SPI... except 
apparently you are only allowed to come with drop-in supplements, not 
replacements in a few places - even if you refrain from calling your work 
"Java". Are we only allowed to augment JDBC, JCE, JNDI, JAXP, JBI, Java 
Sound, ImageIO which have been designed specifically for third part 
drop-ins? Again, where is this stated/formulated?

The problem once again comes from the fact that Java is openly developed 
(which is nice) but *not* an open standard (which sucks). Had Java been 
standardized under ECMA/ISO, this whole copyright case would be moot from 
the get go. B.t.w any verdict against Google could be seen as having wide 
effect on the industry, i.e. Microsoft would be free to go after Wine 
developers etc. etc.

On Monday, May 7, 2012 11:08:55 PM UTC+2, Casper Bang wrote:
>
> > Using Java != releasing an alternate implementation. It seems that the 
> > author of the article is well positioned to win the FUD prize of the 
> year. 
> > 
> That's a fine line though! Embrace + extend = use, and in all other 
> sciences, that's how progress is made. In many ways this is version 2 
> of Sun vs. MS, and even if Sun won the first one, they lost the war. I 
> also have a very hard time seeing how Oracle could win this one... the 
> battle, perhaps... but not the war.

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