Oracle wants $9.3B for Google’s use of Java in Android

Post by cwyers » Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 4:44 PM UTC

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #100

vetinari wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think so? The java.* API is not even that good (it is very verbose to achieve basic things). The only reason to re-implement it is compatibility with existing, third-party software using that API. If you would come with API, that would be technically better, but doing the same thing, do you think that everyone would rewrite all their libraries, frameworks and apps? No way.

That's the point. The API isn't valuable because of the creative expression (the thing copyright protects), it's valuable because its functionality (the thing copyright doesn't protect) is necessary for compatibility. Oracle apparently bamboozled the Federal Circuit into deciding that something called the "structure, sequence and organization" of the API should be copyrightable. But of course nobody cares about that…

Post by wcummings » Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 4:50 PM UTC

cwyers wrote: post #131

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the point. The API isn't valuable because of the creative expression (the thing copyright protects), it's valuable because its functionality (the thing copyright doesn't protect) is necessary for compatibility. Oracle apparently bamboozled the Federal Circuit into deciding that something called the "structure, sequence and organization" of the API should be copyrightable. But of course nobody cares about that…

If copying the APIs is only valuable for compatibility, why did Google do it? Android isn't compatible with any Java apps.

Post by AnthonyMouse » Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 4:58 PM UTC

cwyers wrote: post #131

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the point. The API isn't valuable because of the creative expression (the thing copyright protects), it's valuable because its functionality (the thing copyright doesn't protect) is necessary for compatibility. Oracle apparently bamboozled the Federal Circuit into deciding that something called the "structure, sequence and organization" of the API should be copyrightable. But of course nobody cares about that…

If copying the APIs is only valuable for compatibility, why did Google do it? Android isn't compatible with any Java apps.

Post by ArkyBeagle » Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 5:27 PM UTC

piffey wrote: post #120

rincebrain wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would likely cost much more than this extortion, and still wouldn't save them.

More than 9 billion? Give 36,000 people $250,000 a year salary and you still haven't hit 9.2 billion. Pretty sure they could get it done in a year with 36,000 people.

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 5:34 PM UTC

piffey wrote: post #120

rincebrain wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would likely cost much more than this extortion, and still wouldn't save them.

More than 9 billion? Give 36,000 people $250,000 a year salary and you still haven't hit 9.2 billion. Pretty sure they could get it done in a year with 36,000 people.