The code behind the API is still covered by copyright. Also, providing an API makes your software open and a preferred choice as a component in a larger system, which in turn can boost sales.
Without API's, Windows would not have become the leading OS, there would be no App Store, Play market, and Facebook would not have become the de facto authentication engine. Whether you like any of these platforms or not, it is their openness thru API's that helped them achieve market dominance.
Kudos for the judge. He really understands the subject. Near the end of his ruling he comments on Oracle's motives:
That interoperability is at the heart of the command structure is illustrated by Oracle’s
preoccupation with what it calls “fragmentation,” meaning the problem of having imperfect
interoperability among platforms. When this occurs, Java-based applications may not run
on the incompatible platforms. For example, Java-based code using the replicated parts of the
37 API packages will run on Android but will not if a 38th package is needed. Such imperfect
interoperability leads to a “fragmentation” — a Balkanization — of platforms, a circumstance
which Sun and Oracle have tried to curb via their licensing programs. In this litigation, Oracle
has made much of this problem, at times almost leaving the impression that if only Google had
replicated all 166 Java API packages, Oracle would not have sued. While fragmentation is a
legitimate business consideration, it begs the question whether or not a license was required in
the first place to replicate some or all of the command structure. (This is especially so inasmuch
as Android has not carried the Java trademark, and Google has not held out Android as fully
compatible.) The immediate point is this: fragmentation, imperfect interoperability, and
Oracle’s angst over it illustrate the character of the command structure as a functional system or
method of operation.
As pointed out by the lawyers, each of these articles come with an array of buttons to share them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and lots of other services. Clicking any of them would require you to pay fees to Newspaper Licensing Ireland. Such a clever way to save the dead tree media.
A million songs would take 10 years, 16 hours a day continuous listening. For each song to become a favorite, you'd have to listen to them multiple times. That would last a lifetime, with no time left for other entertainment.
Frankly, these numbers are meaningless. You would need a broad taste in music to have 10000 favorites. The problem (or rather the fun) is finding those songs. Spotify is an excellent tool to find music related to what you're listening to. Amazon also has great suggestions, but unfortunately I am unable to buy MP3 songs from Amazon because I live in the wrong country.
Even musicians have to follow this marketing mantra. You can make great music, but in these days you cannot get around the Internet to get people to notice you. However, without excellent art, you won't pass the "desire" stage.
The Beatles catalog is probably the most protected music catalog ever. None of the albums can be found on Amazon and several other download services. Search "Beatles" and you will find interviews, some old covers they did, and a bunch of songs preformed by Beatles tribute bands. No Beatles songs are included in themed compilations.
It's a shame that such cultural icons are kept from the public by their gatekeepers.
Contrary to popular belief, most of the sampling for Paul's Boutique was cleared, but at excessively lower costs compared to the statutory rates of today.
Extensive sound analysis of any song will reveal a similarity with other songs. The only way to prevent this is to invent new notes and new instruments to play them on for each new song.
A vote for the German Pirate Party is essentially an anti-establishment vote. Throughout Europe such votes are usually given to extreme right wing parties, but those have not been very popular in Germany since WW2.
The Greens used to be the anti-establishment party. The fact that they are losing votes probably indicates that people now see them as part of the establishment.
On the post: Fan-Made Movie Edits: Another Cultural Loss At The Hands Of Copyright
Somebody could then write a program that reads the script and apply them to the source material, showing the parts in the scripted order.
That would also allow other fans to alter the script and build upon the work by the original editor.
Just a thought...
On the post: Judge Delivers Thorough And Complete Smackdown Of Oracle's Copyright Claims
Re:
Without API's, Windows would not have become the leading OS, there would be no App Store, Play market, and Facebook would not have become the de facto authentication engine. Whether you like any of these platforms or not, it is their openness thru API's that helped them achieve market dominance.
On the post: Judge Delivers Thorough And Complete Smackdown Of Oracle's Copyright Claims
That interoperability is at the heart of the command structure is illustrated by Oracle’s
preoccupation with what it calls “fragmentation,” meaning the problem of having imperfect
interoperability among platforms. When this occurs, Java-based applications may not run
on the incompatible platforms. For example, Java-based code using the replicated parts of the
37 API packages will run on Android but will not if a 38th package is needed. Such imperfect
interoperability leads to a “fragmentation” — a Balkanization — of platforms, a circumstance
which Sun and Oracle have tried to curb via their licensing programs. In this litigation, Oracle
has made much of this problem, at times almost leaving the impression that if only Google had
replicated all 166 Java API packages, Oracle would not have sued. While fragmentation is a
legitimate business consideration, it begs the question whether or not a license was required in
the first place to replicate some or all of the command structure. (This is especially so inasmuch
as Android has not carried the Java trademark, and Google has not held out Android as fully
compatible.) The immediate point is this: fragmentation, imperfect interoperability, and
Oracle’s angst over it illustrate the character of the command structure as a functional system or
method of operation.
On the post: Irish Charity Told It Needs To Pay A License Fee To Link To A Newspaper Article
On the post: Regina Spektor: I'm Lucky That People Can Get All My Music For Free
On the post: Fox Issues DMCA Takedown To Google Over SF Chronicle Article... Claiming It Was The Movie 'Chronicle'
Re: Re: 1 out of millions
That would make indexing sites like Isohunt profitable... so I guess that will not happen.
On the post: Spotify In A Box: Why Sharing Will Never Be Stopped
Your favorite million songs
Frankly, these numbers are meaningless. You would need a broad taste in music to have 10000 favorites. The problem (or rather the fun) is finding those songs. Spotify is an excellent tool to find music related to what you're listening to. Amazon also has great suggestions, but unfortunately I am unable to buy MP3 songs from Amazon because I live in the wrong country.
On the post: Is It A Problem If People Only Discover A Musician Because They Have A Cool Kickstarter?
Even musicians have to follow this marketing mantra. You can make great music, but in these days you cannot get around the Internet to get people to notice you. However, without excellent art, you won't pass the "desire" stage.
On the post: Boom: Jury Says No Patent Infringement By Google In Oracle Case
Re:
On the post: Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Tenenbaum Case; Allows Charade To Continue
Re:
On the post: Economist: Copyright Is An Antiquated Relic That Has No Place In The Digital Age
Re:
This may be true for new songs, but not for a 2-minute mono track recorded in the 50's.
From Amazon: Maybellene - Chuck Berry 2:20 $1.09
On the post: Tenenbaum To Supreme Court: Let's Get This Constitutional Debate On Statutory Rates For Copyright Infringement Rolling
30 songs, assuming his BitTorrent client has been set to a maximum share ratio 2:
Maximum revenue loss per song = (2+1) times $0.99 = $2.97, total is $89.10.
On the post: Court Goes Censorship Crazy Against Dutch Pirate Party
On the post: EMI Kills Off More Innovation: MP3Tunes Declares Bankruptcy Due To 'Withering' Legal Costs
On the post: The Ridiculous Hoops Mad Men Had To Jump Through To Use Part Of A Beatles Song
Here, There and Everywhere?
It's a shame that such cultural icons are kept from the public by their gatekeepers.
On the post: Bad Lawsuit, Worse Timing: Beastie Boys Sued Over Infringing Samples On Seminal Albums
Extensive sound analysis of any song will reveal a similarity with other songs. The only way to prevent this is to invent new notes and new instruments to play them on for each new song.
On the post: Pirate Party Wins Again In Germany
Another explanation
The Greens used to be the anti-establishment party. The fact that they are losing votes probably indicates that people now see them as part of the establishment.
On the post: UK High Court Expands Censorship Regime: Orders The Pirate Bay To Be Blocked
On the post: Fight Is On Between Oracle And Google Over Java API Copyrights
Jurors are no programmers
On the post: :-( Samsung, Research In Motion Sued For Making It Easy To Use Emoticons
Software patents
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