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The federal circuit ruled that an API is a "creative" work and thus is copyrightable. But is it really creative? It is an interface and made according some rule
by scriptproof 12y ago
The federal circuit ruled that an API is a "creative" work and thus is copyrightable. But is it really creative? It is an interface and made according some rules, not some sort of art... I must point out I have read the 28 pages ruling.
- delackner 12y agoIm no lawyer, but an API is the most creative part of an entire developer ecosystem to my mind. not the implementation. What made Cocoa so joyful to work with while years of previous Java and MS coding were dissonant painful experiences? All of them manage to get a button on the screen, respond to user input, etc. The naming and organization of different features in a clear and developer friendly way is entirely the API spec. Whether you should be able to protect such a creation from copying is an issue for society to choose. So far it has chosen poorly.
- empthought 12y agoJust read any given thread here about a language or a library. People argue the aesthetics of them, therefore they're a work with some creative/artistic element.
- AnthonyMouse 12y ago> The federal circuit ruled that an API is a "creative" work and thus is copyrightable. But is it really creative? I don't think that argument is a winner. Take any man-made thing, you can find some creativity that went into designing it. And that's the point -- creativity is not the sole determinant of copyrightability. What would be the purpose of the Patent Act if you could get 95 years of copyright protection just by describing invention as a creative process? Drug companies use creativity when creating cures for diseases. Should the formula or process of manufacturing for the Polio vaccine have to be licensed to this day under copyright?