How many centuries did it take for civil engineering, for example, to become the codified, standardized, and respected calling it is now? While I'm sure "software development" will leapfrog that span of time, but it's only been 75 years since the discipline was invented to begin with (Lovelace's work was more applied math than anything else, but the starting point is arguably between then and, let's say, FORTRAN?).
That is to say, as a programmer, I feel like we're wading in an ocean of unknown size and depth. As we learn, by trial and error, the confines of that space will fuel the standardization and codification of the craft will only increase as a function of time until it isn't craft, but applied science.
Edit: s/applied science/engineering/
If Atari was really out to copyright the project into oblivion, they're likely to succeed in a legal sense*.
Within the confines of the current laws and known history of the game, and being a fan of both works, I think this compromise is fair.
*NotALawyerClause