Generative AI (GenAI) tools have already started to transform software development practices. Despite their utility in tasks such as writing code, the use of these tools raises important legal questions and potential risks, particularly those associated with copyright law. In the midst of this uncertainty, this paper presents a study jointly conducted by software engineering and legal researchers that surveyed 574 GitHub developers who use GenAI tools for development activities. The survey and follow-up interviews probed the developers' opinions on emerging legal issues as well as their perception of copyrightability, ownership of generated code, and related considerations. We also investigate potential developer misconceptions, the impact of GenAI on developers' work, and developers' awareness of licensing/copyright risks. Qualitative and quantitative analysis showed that developers' opinions on copyright issues vary broadly and that many developers are aware of the nuances these legal questions involve. We provide: (1) a survey of 574 developers on the licensing and copyright aspects of GenAI for coding, (2) a snapshot of practitioners' views at a time when GenAI and perceptions of it are rapidly evolving, and (3) an analysis of developers' views, yielding insights and recommendations that can inform future regulatory decisions in this evolving field.

翻译：生成式AI（GenAI）工具已经开始改变软件开发实践。尽管这些工具在编写代码等任务中具有实用性，但其使用引发了重要的法律问题和潜在风险，特别是与著作权法相关的风险。在此不确定性背景下，本文呈现了一项由软件工程与法学研究者联合开展的研究，调查了574位使用GenAI工具进行开发活动的GitHub开发者。调查及后续访谈深入探讨了开发者对新兴法律问题的看法，以及他们对生成代码的可版权性、所有权及相关考量的认知。我们还探究了开发者可能存在的误解、GenAI对开发者工作的影响，以及开发者对许可/版权风险的认知程度。定性与定量分析表明，开发者对版权问题的看法存在广泛差异，且许多开发者意识到这些法律问题所涉及的细微差别。我们提供了：（1）针对574位开发者关于生成式AI编程许可与版权方面的调查；（2）在生成式AI及其认知快速演变时期对从业者观点的即时记录；（3）对开发者观点的分析，得出可为此新兴领域未来监管决策提供参考的见解与建议。