EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable

From	Rui Maciel <rui.maciel@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.programming
Subject	EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable
Date	2012-05-03 09:50 +0100
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<jntgs4$fb5$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)

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court of justice of the EU: The functionality of a computer program and the 
programming language cannot be protected by copyright

The purchaser of a licence for a program is entitled, as a rule, to observe, 
study or test its functioning so as to determine the ideas and principles 
which underlie that program

press release at:
http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-05/cp120053en.pdf


Excerpts:
- On the basis of those considerations, the Court holds that neither the 
functionality of a computer program nor the programming language and the 
format of data files used in a computer program in order to exploit certain 
of its functions constitute a form of expression. Accordingly, they do not 
enjoy copyright protection.
- 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.


So, what are your thoughts on this ruling?


Rui Maciel

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Thread

EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable Rui Maciel <rui.maciel@gmail.com> - 2012-05-03 09:50 +0100
  Re: EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> - 2012-05-03 11:21 +0200
    Re: EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable rossum <rossum48@coldmail.com> - 2012-05-03 17:09 +0100
  Re: EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2012-05-03 04:45 -0500
  Re: EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable walter@bytecraft.com - 2012-05-04 04:33 -0700
  Re: EU: programming languages and APIs can't be copyrightable walter@bytecraft.com - 2012-05-04 04:39 -0700

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