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Originally Posted by HarryT
In all honesty I can see no reason why an API would not be protected by copyright. Is the design of an API not a creative process? If it is (and it certainly seems to me that it is) then it should automatically be protected by copyright under the Berne Convention.
Does anyone know what the arguments are to the contrary?
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It's not a simple thing to make, but essentially it's just naming convention of names and parameters. This convention can be then used to operate on code behind it.
In sense it would be like copyrighting using of certain terminology in certain contexts.
Also in EU APIs aren't copyrightable...
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2...opolise-ideas/
Quote:
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"To accept that the functionality of a computer program can be protected by copyright would amount to making it possible to monopolise ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development," the court stated.
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Essentially, even if good API design is very hard, in large scale it would be destructive. As you could copyright print("text"). And then use very basic thing of language as tool to attack competition...