Oracle v. Google

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> James Grimmelmann, a copyright scholar at Cornell University and former software developer, agrees with that. "The Federal Circuit's decision threatens the continued vitality of software innovation," he told Ars in 2019.

> If APIs can be restricted by copyright, then every significant computer program could have legal landmines lurking inside of it. Grimmelmann warns that API copyrights could easily give rise to API trolls: companies that acquire the copyright to old software, then sue companies that built their software using what they assumed were open standards. API copyrights could also hamper interoperability between software platforms, as companies are forced to build their software using deliberately incompatible standards to avoid legal headaches.

> Software companies and digital rights groups have made these arguments to the Federal Circuit on two separate occasions—once in 2014 and again in 2018. But the Federal Circuit, known for its friendliness to patent holders and its casual attitude about following precedents, wasn't persuaded.

Seems to sum it.
 

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Haven't finished reading it yet, but couldn't companies still coordinate to form interoperability clusters, amidst some sea of singular/proprietary APIs? Couldn't that prove lucrative? It would appeal to a certain consumer's line of reasoning: "Might as well pick the language that is most compatible with other languages, all other things being equal. Rather than be cut off."

(edit: that is, couldn't some kind of API coordination and interoperability be incentivized?)

That said, such clustering could amount to some kind of conglomerate proprietary reign, whereunder you either coordinate your tech or face being stranded on the outskirts. Then again, I don't know anything about programming.
 
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