5 ms·

Are there plans to relicense React Native to MIT without a Patent timebomb as well?

by outside1234 9y ago

tomkinson 9y ago
My understanding this was already done last week. I could be wrong. GraphQL however, not yet.
- vvanders 9y ago
  Not React Native, that still has the patent clause.
  - yasserkaddour 9y ago
    GraphQL specification has been relicensed minutes ago to Open Web Foundation Agreement, graphql-js and relay to MIT. https://medium.com/@leeb/relicensing-the-graphql-specification-e7d07a52301b https://medium.com/@leeb/relicensing-the-graphql-specificati... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15340528 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15340528
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
Dolores12 9y ago
[edited]
- seattle_spring 9y ago
  React !== React Native
  - jonknee 9y ago
    Well, react-dom !== react-native. Both projects use core react.
  - ofirg 9y ago
    However React == React Native evals as true due to type conversion (in ECMAScript projects with or without a patent grant are both considered 'truthy'). Really even === is not good enough, The only reliably why to test for it right now is to put a patent claim against FB inside a try-catch. * I am not a lawyer and this should not be taken as legal advice.
- Godel_unicode 9y ago
  Here's the problem with that type of snark; when you're wrong it's really bad for you. You are responding to a question about react NATIVE, which still has the patent grenade (see below). https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/PATENTS https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/PATENTS
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - ec109685 9y ago
    What patents does react native utilize of facebook’s?
    - Godel_unicode 9y ago
      Not sure, but that's not relevant to the patent grenade. It revokes your license if you're involved in ANY patent action against Facebook, regardless of that patent being used in RN or not.
      - ec109685 9y ago
        It does not revoke your license to use RN if you sue Facebook.
danabramov 9y ago
It's possible in the future, but re-licensing React itself was already a very large change, and it will take more time to review the possibility of this for other projects like RN. Thanks for your patience!
- moomin 9y ago
  Yeah, pity said large change was implemented before checking if it was a good idea. Community: This license is a legal nightmare. Something needs doing! Facebook: We have done something. Community: Try listening to both sentences next time.
  - rhencke 9y ago
    The MIT license is extremely commonplace in web libraries and is well accepted. (used by jQuery, Preact, Angular, etc.) Can you clarify your concerns?
    - slaymaker1907 9y ago
      I'm not in anyway connected with FB, but I think the reason why React was licensed under MIT more quickly than React Native is because of that licensing environment. Web frameworks traditionally have very open licenses, but native seems more more restricted such as with Qt and the C# thing I don't remember the name of.
      - bennyg 9y ago
        Except the largest 3rd party Objective-C and Java (Android) libraries are usually MIT as well. I don't really think this has to do with traditions as far as per platform licensing goes.
      - bernadus_edwin 9y ago
        C# things : xamarin & mono
swah 9y ago
But now they "have" to relicense React Native, right? Otherwise someone will write a React Native clone starting from MIT-licensed React, no?
- andrewingram 9y ago
  I suppose they might, and good luck to them. React Native is a monstrously complex beast in comparison to React. Ultimately the React ecosystem would benefit from the attempt.
mihular 9y ago
But does MIT license really solve all patent issues? FB could still enforce patents regardless of license if I understood it properly.
- signal11 9y ago
  IANAL, but is it fair to say that using React under MIT doesn't leave you any worse off than using Angular and Vue? (both of which are MIT-licensed) Depending on the patent in question, it is possible to be on the hook even if you don't use React.
  - mihular 9y ago
    But do the others have explicit patents?
    - pritambaral 9y ago
      Does React?
      - mihular 9y ago
        I don't know. But Facebook owns around 5200 patents. Add the previous patent clause to it and you have a good probability that there are patents covering parts of react. VirtualDOM is certainly a candidate.
- mlsarecmg 9y ago
  Everyone can, that's precisely why they gave you a grant previously. Now that it's gone due to the outcry it's in the same, vague playing field that all other libraries are in. Every project you have ever written infringes on someones IP. The only thing that matters is that lawyers that previously got cold feet can now relax. We had a project for instance that was canceled, now it's being green-lit thanks to the MIT license.
  - TimTheTinker 9y ago

Are there plans to relicense React Native to MIT without a Patent timebomb as well?

tomkinson 9y ago

My understanding this was already done last week. I could be wrong. GraphQL however, not yet.

vvanders 9y ago
Not React Native, that still has the patent clause.
- yasserkaddour 9y ago
  GraphQL specification has been relicensed minutes ago to Open Web Foundation Agreement, graphql-js and relay to MIT. https://medium.com/@leeb/relicensing-the-graphql-specification-e7d07a52301b https://medium.com/@leeb/relicensing-the-graphql-specificati... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15340528 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15340528
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

Dolores12 9y ago

[edited]

seattle_spring 9y ago
React !== React Native
- jonknee 9y ago
  Well, react-dom !== react-native. Both projects use core react.
- ofirg 9y ago
  However React == React Native evals as true due to type conversion (in ECMAScript projects with or without a patent grant are both considered 'truthy'). Really even === is not good enough, The only reliably why to test for it right now is to put a patent claim against FB inside a try-catch. * I am not a lawyer and this should not be taken as legal advice.
Godel_unicode 9y ago
Here's the problem with that type of snark; when you're wrong it's really bad for you. You are responding to a question about react NATIVE, which still has the patent grenade (see below). https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/PATENTS https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/PATENTS
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- ec109685 9y ago
  What patents does react native utilize of facebook’s?
  - Godel_unicode 9y ago
    Not sure, but that's not relevant to the patent grenade. It revokes your license if you're involved in ANY patent action against Facebook, regardless of that patent being used in RN or not.
    - ec109685 9y ago
      It does not revoke your license to use RN if you sue Facebook.

danabramov 9y ago

It's possible in the future, but re-licensing React itself was already a very large change, and it will take more time to review the possibility of this for other projects like RN. Thanks for your patience!

moomin 9y ago
Yeah, pity said large change was implemented before checking if it was a good idea. Community: This license is a legal nightmare. Something needs doing! Facebook: We have done something. Community: Try listening to both sentences next time.
- rhencke 9y ago
  The MIT license is extremely commonplace in web libraries and is well accepted. (used by jQuery, Preact, Angular, etc.) Can you clarify your concerns?
  - slaymaker1907 9y ago
    I'm not in anyway connected with FB, but I think the reason why React was licensed under MIT more quickly than React Native is because of that licensing environment. Web frameworks traditionally have very open licenses, but native seems more more restricted such as with Qt and the C# thing I don't remember the name of.
    - bennyg 9y ago
      Except the largest 3rd party Objective-C and Java (Android) libraries are usually MIT as well. I don't really think this has to do with traditions as far as per platform licensing goes.
    - bernadus_edwin 9y ago
      C# things : xamarin & mono

swah 9y ago

But now they "have" to relicense React Native, right? Otherwise someone will write a React Native clone starting from MIT-licensed React, no?

andrewingram 9y ago
I suppose they might, and good luck to them. React Native is a monstrously complex beast in comparison to React. Ultimately the React ecosystem would benefit from the attempt.

mihular 9y ago

But does MIT license really solve all patent issues? FB could still enforce patents regardless of license if I understood it properly.

signal11 9y ago
IANAL, but is it fair to say that using React under MIT doesn't leave you any worse off than using Angular and Vue? (both of which are MIT-licensed) Depending on the patent in question, it is possible to be on the hook even if you don't use React.
- mihular 9y ago
  But do the others have explicit patents?
  - pritambaral 9y ago
    Does React?
    - mihular 9y ago
      I don't know. But Facebook owns around 5200 patents. Add the previous patent clause to it and you have a good probability that there are patents covering parts of react. VirtualDOM is certainly a candidate.
mlsarecmg 9y ago
Everyone can, that's precisely why they gave you a grant previously. Now that it's gone due to the outcry it's in the same, vague playing field that all other libraries are in. Every project you have ever written infringes on someones IP. The only thing that matters is that lawyers that previously got cold feet can now relax. We had a project for instance that was canceled, now it's being green-lit thanks to the MIT license.
- TimTheTinker 9y ago