10 Greatest Unspoken Star Trek Plot Points

The iconic Next Generation episode The Measure Of A Man portrays a legal battle in which Data must prove that he, as a machine, is sentient and not merely the property of Starfleet. The writing in this episode is incredible and both sides make interesting points but in the end Data is victorious and is given the right to free choice.

Sadly, this was only done on an individual basis with Data specifically in mind (which later extends to other Soong-type androids). In the Voyager episode Author, Author we see that discrimination against sentient artificial lifeforms is still very much prevalent when a holonovel publisher attempts to steal the holographic Doctor's story that he programmed and wrote on the grounds that it was not created by a person and thus no one can own it.

Though the Doctor eventually wins his case, just as with Data, the same can not be said for all of the EMH Mark 1's, the same model as the Doctor, who were discontinued from their starships and forced to work in the mines, as we see in the end of the previously mentioned episode. One has to wonder how many other A.I. lifeforms are being taken advantage of throughout the Federation.