[A2k] Re: How Wolfram Alpha's Copyright Claims Could Change Software

[Richard Stallman]

    This leaves the odd claims in the WA terms of use, e.g. "Failure to
    properly attribute results from Wolfram|Alpha is not only a violation
    of these terms, but may also constitute academic plagiarism or a
    violation of copyright law.

There is no reason to think he is joking -- rather, he's wrong.  Using
results from a calculator or a search engine is not plagiarism.
Computers are not entitled to credit the way people are.

    who had very stridently opposed the WBU proposal of a treaty for the
    blind, visually impaired and people with reading disabilities told be
    afterwards that they would oppose ANY copyright restriction in favor
    of ANY group because "Google News was stealing their intellectual
    property".

When people use the term "intellectual property", it is a sign
they are spreading confusion, so let's point it out.
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html.



I don't believe a computer is entitled to credit for its calculations,
and people should