5 ms·

isn't FB's license very restrictive for many enterprise use cases?

shamas 9y ago
Is it?
rosser 9y ago
The apparently controversial part of the React license simply says that if you sue Facebook for anything patent-related, your license to the patents underlying React is automatically revoked. Otherwise, it's just BSD.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- tuxracer 9y ago
  And I might add GOOD! This type of creative licensing seems like an end-around a Congress and US Patent administration that seems woefully unwilling to make desperately needed reforms when it comes to software patents. If Congress is unable or unwilling to act then why not take it upon ourselves to include these types of clauses in even more licenses?
- ec109685 9y ago
  It's BSD, period. Additionally they added a patent grant as long as you don't sue them for patent infringement. They could have simply remained silent on the issue and it would be worse for developers. A patent grant is only a positive thing.
- lvillani 9y ago
  Wouldn't it make more sense to revoke the patents only if you sue them over React patents specifically? IANAL Hypothetically, there _may_ be good reasons to sue Facebook over patents unrelated to React, especially if they happen to break a patent you or your company owns. However, that would mean loosing access to React if I happen to develop applications that use that. Wouldn't such a blanket statement skew the power balance excessively in Facebook's favor?
  - rosser 9y ago
    Yes it would. Deliberately so, I'd say.
guelo 9y ago
Personally I would not want to work for a company that wants to retain the right to start a patent war with Facebook for unknown reason.
- aedron 9y ago
  What if Facebook legitimately broke your patent?
  - Vinnl 9y ago
    Then you should still be able to win if you're not using any Facebook patents on React. If you do (I have no idea if Facebook has relevant patents on React that would harm you), then consider your allowing Facebook to use your patents a fair deal with Facebook allowing you to use theirs.
- Flimm 9y ago
  What if the reason is that Facebook started a patent war with them? Is it fair that Facebook disables all of their opponents' patents, whether they are related to React or not? In my mind, that's not fair. If they promised to disable all of their patents, then that would be fair, but it's very one-sided.
abritinthebay 9y ago
No, but there's a lot of FUD floating around from people that don't understand Patent Grants and how they provide you, as an explicit license, with more rights than an implicit now-you-have-to-hope-you-can-prove-it-in-court license.

Is it?

The apparently controversial part of the React license simply says that if you sue Facebook for anything patent-related, your license to the patents underlying React is automatically revoked. Otherwise, it's just BSD.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
tuxracer 9y ago
And I might add GOOD! This type of creative licensing seems like an end-around a Congress and US Patent administration that seems woefully unwilling to make desperately needed reforms when it comes to software patents. If Congress is unable or unwilling to act then why not take it upon ourselves to include these types of clauses in even more licenses?
ec109685 9y ago
It's BSD, period. Additionally they added a patent grant as long as you don't sue them for patent infringement. They could have simply remained silent on the issue and it would be worse for developers. A patent grant is only a positive thing.
lvillani 9y ago
Wouldn't it make more sense to revoke the patents only if you sue them over React patents specifically? IANAL Hypothetically, there _may_ be good reasons to sue Facebook over patents unrelated to React, especially if they happen to break a patent you or your company owns. However, that would mean loosing access to React if I happen to develop applications that use that. Wouldn't such a blanket statement skew the power balance excessively in Facebook's favor?
- rosser 9y ago
  Yes it would. Deliberately so, I'd say.

guelo 9y ago

Personally I would not want to work for a company that wants to retain the right to start a patent war with Facebook for unknown reason.

aedron 9y ago
What if Facebook legitimately broke your patent?
- Vinnl 9y ago
  Then you should still be able to win if you're not using any Facebook patents on React. If you do (I have no idea if Facebook has relevant patents on React that would harm you), then consider your allowing Facebook to use your patents a fair deal with Facebook allowing you to use theirs.
Flimm 9y ago
What if the reason is that Facebook started a patent war with them? Is it fair that Facebook disables all of their opponents' patents, whether they are related to React or not? In my mind, that's not fair. If they promised to disable all of their patents, then that would be fair, but it's very one-sided.

abritinthebay 9y ago

No, but there's a lot of FUD floating around from people that don't understand Patent Grants and how they provide you, as an explicit license, with more rights than an implicit now-you-have-to-hope-you-can-prove-it-in-court license.