Copyright vs. GPL vs. API

[Angelo Schneider]

Hi all,

I just picked up some terms used in several other threads:

Q: Can an API be copylefted, copyrighted?
A: Simply: No! 
   Well, propably that is more complicated:
   An API is in its essence a specification which can be written on
   paper without using actual a real programming language:
   Eg:
   To perform a operation to get result blub-blab you need to
   call a function called "do-blub-blab".
   That functions accepts three parameters. The first one is
   of Type XXX and named yyy, that means ....

   To be more explicit: APIs, data formats, exchange formats etc.
   and several further stuff are in most european copyright laws
   explicit excluded from specific protection. 
   Thus no limitation in its usage/licesing etc. are possible.

   In my opinion a JAVA interface class cant be protected ny copyright 
   and licensing terms.

   Everybody is free to rewrite the same JAVA interface class with the
   same signature and the same methods.

   You could only controll distribution of the original source code,
   but you cant hinder anyone to rework them.

Copyright and licesing.
The Copyright existing in western countries (don't know about eastern
and african countries) gives you the right to controll what to do
or what to let to be done with your work iff several conditions are
true for that work (intelectual level exceeds normality, 
not done as in dayly work, etc.).

Well, in Europe we do not call it copyright, because the right to
copy is just some very smal part of a form of right I would translate
as "the creators rights" into english.

But in the essence those laws make it possible for us authors to
attach licenses for usage, distribution, derivation etc. to work.

However you can't force someone to release a program/code under GPL
because
he conforms/uses an API which was defined in/by code under the GPL.

Just some ideas/comments to some unprecisse statements I found in
several different threads/postings.

Regards,
	Angelo

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Angelo Schneider           OOAD/UML           Angelo.Schneider at xcc.de
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