3 ms·
It's not just big companies necessarily either. Say you are a small startup working on something really innovative and you have a patent on part of your work. F
by blktiger 9y ago
It's not just big companies necessarily either. Say you are a small startup working on something really innovative and you have a patent on part of your work. Facebook decides to build something similar, violating your patents in the process, and they are going to put you out of business. If one of your core technologies is react under the BSD + Patents license, then you are screwed. You can't sue to save your business because even if you do you have to immediately recall all of your software and replace React.
Sure, not everyone is in that situation. Facebook is big enough though that if you have any patents you have to be _very_ careful about that license.
- ec109685 9y agoWhy would you immediately have to recall your software? Facebook would have to have counter sued you for some hypothetical patent they have for React first and “recall all your software” would have had to be the court ordered remedy.
- blktiger 9y agoTrue, they would have to counter-sue but you don't think they would in that situation? Technically your license is invalid and if you have _shipped_ software to customers that is violating the license is it not?
- ec109685 9y agoSuing Facebook does not invalidate your license to use their software and source code. The BSD license still applies after you sue Facebook. It can’t be taken away.