[ale] We Win, We Win!!!

[Charles Shapiro]

Of course they are two gigantic asshole companies.  What we won was the
*principle* that APIs are not copyrightable.  That means that an Open
Source instantiation of a published Closed-Source API is safe from legal
threats.  You won't be Sued into Oblivion if you, for example, write an
implementation of Java that uses Java's libraries without reference to
Oracle's code (e.g. http://openjdk.java.net/ ), or a C stdlib
implementation which doesn't reference AT&T's old code ( e.g.
http://clang.org/, https://gcc.gnu.org/ ).  You can't  be hounded for
license fees if you **use** that implementation instead of the proprietary
one.

This heads off a major danger to pretty much any software development,
proprietary or Open Source.  Imagine the consequences if AT&T started
selling licenses to C's stdlib API -- so you couldn't use printf(1) without
paying them a fee, for example, or so the prototype (e.g. the name and the
arguments) of a call to rename a file suddenly became proprietary.  It'd be
Dramatic.

Judge William Alsup is kind of my Hero -- and this vindicates his original
decision.  You can read about why he's a Cool Dude (
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/19/16503076/oracle-vs-google-judge-william-alsup-interview-waymo-uber
).  The two dissenting Supremes ( Thomas and Alito) are luddite neanderthal
Boomer idiots who don't understand the issue.

-- CHS


On Tue, Apr 6, 2021 at 8:20 AM Jim Kinney via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:

> Oracle: death by flaying
> Google: death by slow boil
> Me: No. No! NO!
>
> On April 6, 2021 2:22:57 AM EDT, Steve Litt via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
>>
>> Charles Shapiro via Ale said on Mon, 5 Apr 2021 19:14:21 -0400
>>
>> The Supremes have ruled on Oracle V Google.  Judge Alsup is Vindicated.
>>>
>>> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-05/
>>> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-05/supreme-court-overturns-oracle-s-copyright-win-over-google>
>>> supreme-court-overturns-oracle-s-copyright-win-over-google
>>>
>>
>> How did we win? How does one pick sides between two gigantic asshole
>> monopolies? I mean yeah, I despise Ellison, but Google's not my nominee
>> for citizen of the year.
>>
>> SteveT
>>
>> Steve Litt
>> Spring 2021 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful
>> Technologist http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques
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>>
> --
> Computers amplify human error
> Super computers are really cool
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