Re: [Biopython] Generative AI policy for contributions to Biopython
Hilmar Lapp <[email protected]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:18:56 -0400
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.python.bio.general |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--===============3526725882863875120== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_FA50E742-3AAF-4990-85FB-1974E7B792AF" --Apple-Mail=_FA50E742-3AAF-4990-85FB-1974E7B792AF Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Just as a note, what is needed is not just an assertion of being free of = license restrictions, but also being free of someone else=E2=80=99s (who = isn=E2=80=99t the contributor) copyright claim, because Biopython=E2=80=99= s license declaration asserts copyright on behalf of =E2=80=9CThe = Biopython Contributors" for all code. That being said, the last sentence below holds regardless, namely that = this isn=E2=80=99t a new requirement since using AI has become an = option. The part that arguably is, however, new is that if I personally write = some piece of code, I do know and thus can sincerely assert whether and = to what extent I wrote it copying someone else=E2=80=99s code, and whose = code I took inspiration from. LLMs _can_ generate code that is new, but = memorization from learning is a known problem and I=E2=80=99m not sure = how a contributor using AI would be able to sincerely assert that some = part of their code isn=E2=80=99t already copyrighted by someone else, = even if there are no license restrictions. It seems to me that this issue is usually overlooked. If copyright is = held by the individual contributor, as I think the Biopython copyright = declaration means to say, then this is probably a non-issue at least in = the legal sense, meaning that no copyright violation liability rests = with the project as a whole. Just to be clear, IANAL! -hilmar On Sat, Apr 25, 2026 at 12:44=E2=80=AFAM Michiel de Hoon = <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >=20 > - The PR submitter takes responsibility for guaranteeing that the = contributed code is free of license restrictions, and therefore can be = released under Biopython's license. But the same requirement holds for = any code contributed to Biopython, not just AI-generated code. --=20 Hilmar Lapp -:- lappland.io --Apple-Mail=_FA50E742-3AAF-4990-85FB-1974E7B792AF Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" = content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body = style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = line-break: after-white-space;">Just as a note, what is needed is not = just an assertion of being free of license restrictions, but also being = free of someone else=E2=80=99s (who isn=E2=80=99t the contributor) = copyright claim, because Biopython=E2=80=99s license declaration asserts = copyright on behalf of =E2=80=9CThe Biopython Contributors" for all = code.<div><br></div><div>That being said, the last sentence below holds = regardless, namely that this isn=E2=80=99t a new requirement since using = AI has become an option.</div><div><br></div><div>The part that arguably = is, however, new is that if I personally write some piece of code, I do = know and thus can sincerely assert whether and to what extent I wrote it = copying someone else=E2=80=99s code, and whose code I took inspiration = from. LLMs _can_ generate code that is new, but memorization from = learning is a known problem and I=E2=80=99m not sure how a contributor = using AI would be able to sincerely assert that some part of their code = isn=E2=80=99t already copyrighted by someone else, even if there are no = license restrictions.</div><div><br></div><div>It seems to me that this = issue is usually overlooked. If copyright is held by the individual = contributor, as I think the Biopython copyright declaration means to = say, then this is probably a non-issue at least in the legal sense, = meaning that no copyright violation liability rests with the project as = a whole.</div><div><br></div><div>Just to be clear, = IANAL!</div><div><br></div><div> -hilmar<br = id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><div><span = style=3D"font-family: Menlo-Regular; font-size: 11px;">On Sat, Apr 25, = 2026 at 12:44=E2=80=AFAM Michiel de Hoon <</span><a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" style=3D"font-family: Menlo-Regular; = font-size: 11px;">[email protected]</a><span style=3D"font-family: = Menlo-Regular; font-size: 11px;">> = wrote:</span></div><div><blockquote type=3D"cite" style=3D"font-family: = Menlo-Regular; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: = normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; = text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; = text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-thickness: auto; = text-decoration-style: solid;"><br>- The PR submitter takes = responsibility for guaranteeing that the contributed code is free of = license restrictions, and therefore can be released under Biopython's = license. But the same requirement holds for any code contributed to = Biopython, not just AI-generated = code.<br></blockquote></div></div><br><div> <div><div style=3D"font-family: Monaco; font-size: 11px; orphans: 2; = widows: 2;">-- </div><div style=3D"font-family: Monaco; font-size: = 11px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Hilmar Lapp = -:- lappland.io</div></div><div><br></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div> <br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_FA50E742-3AAF-4990-85FB-1974E7B792AF-- --===============3526725882863875120== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Biopython mailing list - [email protected] https://mailman.open-bio.org/mailman/listinfo/biopython --===============3526725882863875120==--