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From: jac@allegra.UUCP (Jonathan Chandross)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: My parents own my output.
Message-ID: <7880@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Nov-87 21:39:12 EST
Article-I.D.: allegra.7880
Posted: Tue Nov 17 21:39:12 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Nov-87 04:28:10 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 25

If I write a program that generates machine code from a high level language
do I not own the output?  Of course I own it.  I also own the output from
a theorum prover, a planner, and similar systems, no matter how elaborate.

One of the assumptions being made in this discussion is that an AI can be
treated as a person.  Let us consider, for the moment, that it is merely
a clever piece of programming.  Then I most *certainly* do own its output
(assuming I wrote the AI) by the reason given above.  (Software piracy is a 
whole other ball of wax.)  

The alternative is to view the AI as an sentient entity with rights, that
is, a person.  Then we can view the AI as a company employee who developed
said work on a company machine and on company time.  Therefore the employer
owns the output, just as my employer owns my output done on company time.

The real question should be: Did the AI knowlingly enter into a contract with
the employer.  

I wonder if the ACLU would take the case.


Jonathan A. Chandross
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Murray Hill, New Jersey
{moss, rutgers}!allegra!jac