In many cases the data you are shown never existed before in exactly that way until you asked for it
If the answer didn't exist until I asked for it, am I not its creator, using WA as a tool?
Imagine a painter buying paint which says: "anything you paint with this paint is ours." Or a Rails eula saying "anythins you build with Rails is copyright DHH."
Is there a difference?
(I understand that WA can slap on any TOS they want, I'm just wondering if this one is reasonable)
The paint in your analogy is the data behind Wolfram|Alpha. W|A are the ones that organized the data into a usable form, then created a tool, which is theirs, that we can use to access the data.
It is as if you were at a party and were shown to a room with an easle, brushes, and paint, none of it yours, and were told you should feel free to create anything you wish. Oh, and you may use the Star Trek matter generator in the corner to make an exact copy for yourself before you leave.
Attribution sounds reasonable to me. Especially since anyone who sees WolframAlpha as the source will understand that you were the one who querried the data out.
If the answer didn't exist until I asked for it, am I not its creator, using WA as a tool?
Imagine a painter buying paint which says: "anything you paint with this paint is ours." Or a Rails eula saying "anythins you build with Rails is copyright DHH." Is there a difference?
(I understand that WA can slap on any TOS they want, I'm just wondering if this one is reasonable)