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

[Claude Almansi]

Hi Richard and All

On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 5:22 AM, Richard Stallman<rms@gnu.org> wrote:
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0This leaves the odd claims in the WA terms of use, e.g. "Fai=
lure to
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0properly attribute results from Wolfram|Alpha is not only a =
violation
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0of these terms, but may also constitute academic plagiarism =
or a
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0violation of copyright law.
>
> There is no reason to think he is joking -- rather, he's wrong. =C2=A0Usi=
ng
> results from a calculator or a search engine is not plagiarism.
> Computers are not entitled to credit the way people are.

That's precisely why I suspect a joke on people who
anthropomorphize/demonize computers. Imagine  a concrete case where a
student would  make a footnote in a paper attributing a calculation to
a Wolfram Alpha, or for that matter to OO Calc or MS Excel.  It'd
sound like the references in Georges Perec's "Experimental
demonstration of the tomatotopic organization in the Soprano
(Cantatrix sopranica L.)"
<http://pauillac.inria.fr/~xleroy/stuff/tomato/tomato.html>.

Some mathematicians can be slightly alienated from common mortals'
perceptions. But seriously believing that a bunch of equations is a
person a copyright can/must be attributed to would be taking things
too far, and probably into a straight jacket.
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0who had very stridently opposed the WBU proposal of a treaty=
 for the
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0blind, visually impaired and people with reading disabilitie=
s told be
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0afterwards that they would oppose ANY copyright restriction =
in favor
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0of ANY group because "Google News was stealing their intelle=
ctual
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0property".
>
> 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.
>

The lady  was too far gone in her ire to have this pointed out to her.
I just asked her if having a beef with Google News justified barring
people who can't read print from legal and decently usable access to
copyrighted texts.

Best,

Claude Almansi