> I am very glad to see this. Having a “you can abuse copyright to have proprietary control over an API” precedent on the books was a chilling effect for programmers.
It was always possible to release APIs as open-source. There's as much chilling effect about proprietary software as there ever was being careful about using licensed work, and that was never a problem.
On the other hand, the hunting season on companies providing software is now open. You're a startup providing a new database, or a well-thought library? Shit, you better take the VC money before someone else does and puts you out of business. And when a company like Amazon comes with an offer, you better not be in a bargaining mood.
It was always possible to release APIs as open-source. There's as much chilling effect about proprietary software as there ever was being careful about using licensed work, and that was never a problem.
On the other hand, the hunting season on companies providing software is now open. You're a startup providing a new database, or a well-thought library? Shit, you better take the VC money before someone else does and puts you out of business. And when a company like Amazon comes with an offer, you better not be in a bargaining mood.