> APIs are functional, not artistic. They belong in the domain of patent law, not copyright. I think you're mixing up different types of intellectual property:

> APIs are functional, not artistic. They belong in the domain of patent law, not copyright. I think you're mixing up different types of intellectual property: - Trademarks are intended to identify a source. Trademarks cannot be functional, they have to be descriptive. - Copyright must express a creative idea. That idea can be artistic, or functional. Computer code and APIs can be copyrighted (as they most often are), but they can also be patented. - Patents cover inventions with some utility. One can definitely patent a piece of art if it provides some utility. It's not uncommon for companies to throw all three at whatever they are cooking up.