This recording hopefully offers an overview about what “application programming interfaces” are, what role they play in the system architecture of computer software, as well as discussing the question if APIs should be copyrightable, as there’s a long legal battle going on of Oracle suing Google for their re-implementation of the Java “API”, and what the implications might be for the profession of computer software programmers, the field, industry and our digital future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Qh0O3Dt10 (in “VCF West XIII -- Time Paterson -- Original DOS and the old days”, Tim Paterson mentions a range of more or less different types of interfaces)