> If Google/Oracle cannot copyright APIS, then they're free to use their market positions to snuff out upstarts by copying / re-implementing their programs.
Do you have examples of this? I’m having a hard time thinking of types of programs that are susceptible.
I’d argue that the small businesses have much more to lose by APIS being copyrightable as you then are locked out of ecosystems. You’d have to pay to play to build compatible or replacement products. If this was the rule of the land in the 70s+ would we have had GNU tools or BSDs?
Do you have examples of this? I’m having a hard time thinking of types of programs that are susceptible.
I’d argue that the small businesses have much more to lose by APIS being copyrightable as you then are locked out of ecosystems. You’d have to pay to play to build compatible or replacement products. If this was the rule of the land in the 70s+ would we have had GNU tools or BSDs?