In general, the amount of time/energy/cost invested in something is not a prime indicator of whether it is copyrightable, under the law. This is a misconception.
Facts are not copyrightable no matter how much time/energy/cost went into compiling them, and this is clearly established law.
Google's case is that an API specification or implementation is more like a set of facts. Which as a software engineer, seems pretty plausible to me, they do seem like a set of facts, a description of fact about how software works. On the other hand, unlike facts, they were not purely observed, but were indeed invented by humans -- but recipes aren't copyrightable either, even though they are not observed but invented too. Neither are the rules of a game. These are all considered more like 'facts' than creative works. Doesn't matter if eg you spent years and millions of dollars researching food chemistry to make your recipe.
I don't think its entirely clear who will win, but I don't think Google's case is as weak as you think, although i agree that Oracle's contention isn't entirely off base. . In particular, in general, how much time and energy went into making something is not generally one of the most significant factors in determining copyright or fair use. (Additionally, the well-established law around reverse engineering and creating clones -- that it is allowed -- is in Google's favor, as that analogy seems pretty strong too). Copyright law is -- has always been, or at least for 100 years -- about a bunch of competing factors balanced against each other.
And when it comes to technology advances, has always relied on analogies to previous technologies and industries, and who has the most persuasive analogy. And then we have the fact that the people deciding what analogy applies best may not entirely understand the technology as a social fact...
Facts are not copyrightable no matter how much time/energy/cost went into compiling them, and this is clearly established law.
Google's case is that an API specification or implementation is more like a set of facts. Which as a software engineer, seems pretty plausible to me, they do seem like a set of facts, a description of fact about how software works. On the other hand, unlike facts, they were not purely observed, but were indeed invented by humans -- but recipes aren't copyrightable either, even though they are not observed but invented too. Neither are the rules of a game. These are all considered more like 'facts' than creative works. Doesn't matter if eg you spent years and millions of dollars researching food chemistry to make your recipe.
I don't think its entirely clear who will win, but I don't think Google's case is as weak as you think, although i agree that Oracle's contention isn't entirely off base. . In particular, in general, how much time and energy went into making something is not generally one of the most significant factors in determining copyright or fair use. (Additionally, the well-established law around reverse engineering and creating clones -- that it is allowed -- is in Google's favor, as that analogy seems pretty strong too). Copyright law is -- has always been, or at least for 100 years -- about a bunch of competing factors balanced against each other.
And when it comes to technology advances, has always relied on analogies to previous technologies and industries, and who has the most persuasive analogy. And then we have the fact that the people deciding what analogy applies best may not entirely understand the technology as a social fact...