Re: According to Mr. Orlowski
Perhaps the passing of time has clouded peoples memories.
If you cast your mind back to the SCO vs IBM case, a lot of it centred around the alledged copying of 'errno.h'.
The Judge ruled that this file was generic (or words that I can't remember) and did not violate copyright.
errno.h is a standard file in every Unix and Linux distro. It has been there for decades.
To use the definitions contained in that file is not a violation of copyright (well, the SCO Lawyers still seem to think so after 13+ years) so I'd go with the jury on the use of a published API but not the code behind it.
IMHO, it is ok to take a published API and reverse engineer what it behind it. As long as you don't peek at the original sources then you are ok. This is how the various 'clean-room' Java JVM's got developed.
If my recollection of the SCO events is wrong then sorry. The gory details are available of www.groklaw.net.
Where are you PJ, just when we need your dissecttion of the Oracle and Google Lawyers statements and truths and definite untruths?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
