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Thanks 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 th

Thanks 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 ago
If 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 ago
  Is the list of patents Facebook thinks are used by react even disclosed?
  - timv 9y ago
    No. 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 ago
      https://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 https://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 - The majority is probably wrong in this case, unfortunately.
Lazare 9y ago
IF 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.

Thanks 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 ago

If 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 ago
Is the list of patents Facebook thinks are used by react even disclosed?
- timv 9y ago
  No. 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 ago
    https://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 https://www.google.com/patents/US20170221242 - The majority is probably wrong in this case, unfortunately.

Lazare 9y ago

IF 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.