Copyright Protection for Programming Languages

Is anyone aware of any direct authority on the question of copyright protection (or lack thereof) for programming languages, such as BASIC?  

I assume that there is a distinction to be made between:  

   1- the syntax 
   2- the grammar generally
   3- the vocabulary of command words
   4- the software engine, such as an interpreter or compiler, which
      implements the language
 
  

Jordan Breslow
<jordan_breslow[_at_]ccmail.geoworks.com>   Received on Tue Dec 06 1994 - 20:41:06 GMT