I don't get it at all
Disclaimer. I am just a simple developer who has been writing code for 15 years, some of this are API's that are being used by some our customers.
So I know that creating a good API takes time and effort. It's easy to misinterprete function and parameter names and nobody ever wants to read the documentation. You have to take special care when you create the interfaces. Since it takes time to create something it should be worth something no?
Why not compare it with a writer who writes a book or a musician who writes a song?
Anyway I don't really like Java nor Oracle, but SUN spent time on creating it and it should be worth something unless they give it away. Oracle bought SUN so now they own Java.
Simple as that.
Probably not.
What am I missing?
And what's that stuff about a sqrt that always returns zero? Seriously are they debating at that level?
Also I don't understand the google everything-should-be-for-free attitude. Like the register pointed out before they can only do this because they have vast advertising income. That's very scary to me since they could waste normal software vendors.