[eqvinox]

> API signature is the UI equivalent for a library/programming interface software.

It isn't. "A main window with toolbars and an edit area." is the equivalent of the API signature. The layout, icons, ordering, etc. is artistic work of the "how" and copyrightable.

(FWIW by your logic, LibreOffice would be violating Microsoft's copyright already and we could only ever have one office suite in the world.)

[wbillingsley]

No, that's not a reasonable interpretation of his comment. Other OO VMs (e.g. dot NET) exist and do not have the Java API. Google's argument is that the API is required to maintain compatibility with Java programs, not bytecode-based VM programs in general.