Google vs Oracle answered a very different question. In that case, it was ultimately determined that Google could mimic an API in their own code, when building

Google vs Oracle answered a very different question. In that case, it was ultimately determined that Google could mimic an API in their own code, when building their own independent work-alike system. Whereas in the case of iOS applications, developers are agreeing to the Apple developer agreement and then directly embedding and/or linking to Apple intellectual property when compiling their binaries. -- As for the analogy I made to the GPL, this was only to demonstrate that the open source community also leverages the enforceability of license agreements to require developers who use GPL code in a certain way to comply with community expectations. It's the same legal principle, even though it's used to very different effect.