After experiencing 'good' and 'bad' API design, I'm really hoping that people who invest in creating great APIs get to benefit from their hard work even after this.
This decision doesn't appear to speak to why the 11,500 lines were actually important, other than to 'steal' developers away from Java - which in effect is poaching without the hard paper trail and paystubs.
So in the end, I find this setting us all up for the real battle... the utility of APIs and languages, which will bring us back to settle squarely what is a 'utility' & 'design' patent, and what is a copyrighted material.
I'm curious to know who will take it up -- I doubt anyone of consequence will be copying APIs after this.
This decision doesn't appear to speak to why the 11,500 lines were actually important, other than to 'steal' developers away from Java - which in effect is poaching without the hard paper trail and paystubs.
So in the end, I find this setting us all up for the real battle... the utility of APIs and languages, which will bring us back to settle squarely what is a 'utility' & 'design' patent, and what is a copyrighted material.
I'm curious to know who will take it up -- I doubt anyone of consequence will be copying APIs after this.