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> it’s not clear how much switching to another React-like library like Preact or Vue would help; you need Facebook’s patent licenses anyway — in the eyes of the
by owens99 9y ago
> it’s not clear how much switching to another React-like library like Preact or Vue would help; you need Facebook’s patent licenses anyway — in the eyes of the law — for any library that uses data structures, algorithms, or techniques patented by Facebook.
Can someone clarify what the author means here?
- paulddraper 9y agoThe author is saying Facebook's React patent would cover Preact and Vue. Which is nonsense because there's really nothing patentable in React. --- The real concern is using React's license has conditions on other patents. But this is irrelevant for Preact, etc.
- hn_throwaway_99 9y agoPatents protect implementation techniques, not actual code like copyright does. Since something like Preact is API compatible with React, if there are any patents that cover functionality in React, they would also likely be needed by Preact, so switching to Preact wouldn't save you anything it terms of patent defense.
- owens99 9y agoThanks for this. Just to make sure I am getting it: Does this mean if you never used React, but use Preact or Vue that Facebook can still countersue you in the same way if you used React?
- cyphar 9y agoIf there is a patent that covers what preact or vue do, then yes. A patent on "react" would not use the term react (it might not even mention JavaScript or web browsers), and it applies to any implementation of a particular concept. So if some aspect of React's DOM handling is patented then anything that implemented DOM handling (patents are a bit more complicated but bear with me) would be a patent violation and any user of the code could be sued. You can also be sued even if you are just a user of a project that uses preact.
- Canada 9y agoIs the list of patents Facebook thinks are used by react even disclosed?
- timv 9y agoNo. The majority view seems to be that there are none. But Facebook has a very large patent portfolio, so if they wanted to sue/counter-sue you, they could probably find something that was close enough to lock you up in litigation for a long time.
- ergo14 9y agohttps://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 https://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 - The majority is probably wrong in this case, unfortunately.
- Lazare 9y agoIF Facebook has a patent on, say, the virtual dom, then they can sue you if you use Preact, or Vue, or any other library that uses a virtual DOM. And they can just outright sue you; no need to wait until you sue them and then countersue. You are, in fact, more vulnerable if you use Preact or Vue than if you just use React. ...if Facebook has a patent on the virtual dom. In point of fact, they appear not to have any patent on anything underlying React, so none of this matters one bit. The time you've spent reading this comment is already more time than this non-issue deserves.
- rocky1138 9y agoI thought Oracle's loss against Google for the Java/Android API lawsuit sort of set a precedent that APIs are not patentable...? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_America,_Inc._v._Google,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_America,_Inc._v._Google....
- Lazare 9y agoNo, it found that an API was not copyrightable. The case is not relevant. An API is already not patentable, and while the case included some patent claims, Google successfully argued they were not violating them.