In early 2012, Google(s goog) swept Oracle in what the presiding judge described as the “World Series” of intellectual property trials, leading the court to declare that Oracle(s orcl) could not assert copyright over Java APIs, aka application programming interfaces.

Now, a rematch is underway in Washington, D.C. where an appeals court is indicating that it could rule in Oracle’s favor and, in doing so, pour legal cement on a basic building block of web architecture.

If you’re unfamiliar with the case, the key issue is whether or not APIs —  structural pieces of software that let different programs talk to each other — qualify for copyright protection. In the original trial, US District Judge William Alsup, who is well-versed in California tech issues, said that APIs are not eligible for protection on the grounds that they are a basic idea, not a form of creative expression.

During a Washington hearing…