The notes in the case had been made during one of Williams' classes by an individual who heard the oral presentation. To deny a research professor the rights in his experimental protocols, data bases, computer programs, etc. because they are works for hire would have the undesirable consequence of restraining his mobility in what is still a somewhat peripatetic profession. For most scholars it would also be repugnant to give anyone the right to prevent others from using copyrightable research materials. For example, Professor Stallman believes that computer programs should be shared free of charge. He explains that sharing of computer programs is essential to their development, and that, instead of wasteful duplication of programming efforts that occur under the current system, the efforts could go instead into advancing the state of the art.
Schools exist to serve the public interest and are accountable on that basis to the public.
Therefore, vesting control of information developed by faculty to the employer school is logical only to the extent that it is necessary to carry out the school's goal of serving the public interest. To the extent that vesting control of information to schools results in the misuse of the information for the school's independent support, the policy supports the undesirable end of making the school less accountable to the public, and is therefore counterproductive. Therefore, vesting control of information developed by school employees to the employee is logical only to the extent that it is necessary to carry out the school's goal of serving the public interest. Given that the goal of every school employment contract is service, teaching and research, there is ample incentive in the ordinary employee relationship with the school to foster creativity, inventiveness and scholarship. To the extent that there is a trend toward less accountability for public service, teaching and research, both the employer schools and their faculties are responding to a deteriorating environment sponsoring less loyalty and dedication to the underpinning values of public service, and greater exploitation of opportunities to extract for personal gain whatever happens to be available at the moment from the public trough.