Implications of Google v. Oracle

Vast Industrywide Implications For Years To Come

This article was originally posted in April 2021. -Ed.

As a professional software developer, I am not accustomed to court cases, let alone Supreme Court cases, addressing the tradecraft of my profession; and when they do, I’m usually disappointed in the outcome. But this week, the Supreme Court issued a decision that directly addresses, not just computer programming in general, but API design, which I have worked on for decades, and as it happens, I agree with the Court’s ruling and look forward to the wide-reaching impact it will have on my profession¹.