Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

epiclaw.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–27 of 27 posts

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#21

Post by Oletros »

Twisell wrote: post #8

It's also interesting to read the counterpoint arguments of Florian Mueller on his FOSS patents blog. http://www.fosspatents.com/2014/01/api-copyrightability-to-b... The crucial point being that code written for Dalvik is actually not compatible with Java runtime. So how can you argue that borrowing code without consent is good for interoperability... when the product you deliver just break it?

The same Florian Mueller that never puts a disclaimer saying that he was an Oracle consultant for the case in the Oracle vs Google posts?

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#23

Post by Oletros »

jbandela1 wrote: post #9

This is a risk of using proprietary languages. Even if the implementation is open source if a single company actually controls the language you are running risks. In addition with Java there is the precedent of Sun and Visual J++ so it was known that Sun would go after people who provided incompatible implementations. This whole saga is simply a very bad move on Google's part with foreseeable consequences.

The difference is that Microsoft called the incompatible implementation Java.

Google never called it Java

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#24

Post by yuhong »

coldpie wrote: post #5

This court case is, with no exaggeration, the most important software industry case in decades, perhaps ever. As the article says, if you're familiar with Android, Google, Chrome, Firefox, Edge (nee Internet Explorer), OS X, Linux, and the Internet, it is no exaggeration to say that every single one of those technologies, products, and companies are in violation of copyright according to this decision. Oracle is lite…

The funny thing is that FSF/LPF actually pushed for such a boycott of Apple and a few other companies over the GUI copyright lawsuits during the 1988-1994 period. Needless to say, it wasn't effective and Apple etc eventually lost or dropped the lawsuit anyway.

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#25

Post by Twisell »

Oletros wrote: post #21
Twisell wrote: post #8

It's also interesting to read the counterpoint arguments of Florian Mueller on his FOSS patents blog. http://www.fosspatents.com/2014/01/api-copyrightability-to-b... The crucial point being that code written for Dalvik is actually not compatible with Java runtime. So how can you argue that borrowing code without consent is good for interoperability... when the product you deliver just break it?

The same Florian Mueller that never puts a disclaimer saying that he was an Oracle consultant for the case in the Oracle vs Google posts?

Thats unfair he put a lot of disclaimers in his post. It's just that they don't appears in the TL/DR that people share afterwards :P

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#26

Post by jbandela1 »

Oletros wrote: post #23
jbandela1 wrote: post #9

This is a risk of using proprietary languages. Even if the implementation is open source if a single company actually controls the language you are running risks. In addition with Java there is the precedent of Sun and Visual J++ so it was known that Sun would go after people who provided incompatible implementations. This whole saga is simply a very bad move on Google's part with foreseeable consequences.

The difference is that Microsoft called the incompatible implementation Java. Google never called it Java

I don't see a significant difference. If you look at the Google Android developer page http://developer.android.com/guide/components/fundamentals.h...

The first sentence is "Android apps are written in the Java programming language."

If that is not calling it Java, it is close enough as to be indistinguishable to the average programmer.

Re: Software Copyright and Innovation After Oracle v Google

#27

Post by Oletros »

jbandela1 wrote: post #26
Oletros wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that Microsoft called the incompatible implementation Java. Google never called it Java

I don't see a significant difference. If you look at the Google Android developer page http://developer.android.com/guide/components/fundamentals.h... The first sentence is "Android apps are written in the Java programming language." If that is not calling it Java, it is close enough as to be indistinguishable to the average programmer.

Yes, the programming language, not the platform. Android doesn't run in a Java Virtual Machine, it only uses the Java syntax

Microsoft was sued because they certified the platform and it was incompatible.

Google/Apache never certified the platform to call it Java

Post reply on HN