And more specifically, how many are reasonably probable from a competent programmer....
If we get to the point where copyright is granular enough that a single line of code is copyrightable (eg 'cout << "Hello World";'), we are just as bad off as we would have been if Oracle had won the Java suit....
At least for the US the legal purpose of copyright is to "promote the progress of science and the useful arts" - which allowing the copyright of complete software works (libraries, programs, etc) does, but allowing the copyright of individual lines of code does not.
The question is where-in between does the line get drawn, and that ends up being answered by lawyers & judges at the end of the day....
Biting the hand that feeds IT
