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Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

issues.apache.org

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Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#381

Post by vedanta »

numair wrote: post #18

Finally, people are beginning to realize the insanity of this entire PATENTS file situation! When I first brought up how misguided people were for embracing React and projects with this license, I was downvoted to hell on HN. But really, everyone, THINK ABOUT IT. This is a company that glorifies and celebrates IP theft from others, and lionizes their employees who successfully clone others’ projects. They’ve built th…

Can't believe how great it is that a developer needs to check the license of open source libraries before using them.

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#382

Post by Zzzen »

vedanta wrote: post #381
numair wrote: post #18

Finally, people are beginning to realize the insanity of this entire PATENTS file situation! When I first brought up how misguided people were for embracing React and projects with this license, I was downvoted to hell on HN. But really, everyone, THINK ABOUT IT. This is a company that glorifies and celebrates IP theft from others, and lionizes their employees who successfully clone others’ projects. They’ve built th…

Can't believe how great it is that a developer needs to check the license of open source libraries before using them.

To be specific, it is an open source developer

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#383

Post by vedanta »

Zzzen wrote: post #382
vedanta wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't believe how great it is that a developer needs to check the license of open source libraries before using them.

To be specific, it is an open source developer

In this case, but really anyone using the library could be affected if found infringing on patents within the library.

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#384

Post by Dowwie »

cma wrote: post #35
numair wrote: post #18

Finally, people are beginning to realize the insanity of this entire PATENTS file situation! When I first brought up how misguided people were for embracing React and projects with this license, I was downvoted to hell on HN. But really, everyone, THINK ABOUT IT. This is a company that glorifies and celebrates IP theft from others, and lionizes their employees who successfully clone others’ projects. They’ve built th…

Yep, the patent grant is not fully reciprocal. As I understand it: To use React, you give Facebook permission to use any of your software patents (edit: all patents, even on a new jet engine) throughout your whole company. Facebook gives you permission to use only the software patents necessary for React. If your company sues Facebook over an unrelated software patent (edit: as above, any patent), your React license…

IANAL. One-sided contracts fail during legal process. There must be sufficient mutual benefit (mutuality in legalese). Has Facebook successfully defended the license's mutuality in court yet?

Maybe someone out there has access to legal cases and could help?

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#385

Post by trueadm »

thelarkinn wrote: post #161
nojvek wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny enough that the author of Inferno now works for React team at Facebook. Inferno was a great project with perf that blows react out the water. Not sure if it’s maintained anymore.

He intentionally left the project to protect the IP of Inferno from falling into the same patent'y business is what I heard.

This wasn't the case. I left the project to focus my attention on React.

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#386

Post by nojvek »

trueadm wrote: post #385
thelarkinn wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He intentionally left the project to protect the IP of Inferno from falling into the same patent'y business is what I heard.

This wasn't the case. I left the project to focus my attention on React.

Haha! When the author actually comes to clarify and make a response. Oh! I love HN!

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#387

Post by somenewacc »

jzelinskie wrote: post #27

As the other comments say, RocksDB is going to be dual licensed both GPLv2 and Apache. What's the advantage to doing so? If I choose to consume the library via the Apache license, I'd never have to contribute back code; doesn't this invalidate the copyleft of GPLv2?

From here: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-303

> Hi all, wanted to jump in here to let everyone know that the RocksDB team is adjusting the licensing such that it will be dual-licensed under the Apache 2 and GPL 2 (for MySQL compatibility) licenses.

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#388

Post by SwellJoe »

blazespin wrote: post #371
SwellJoe wrote: post #364

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I want an example of a case where a small software company successfully litigated a patent lawsuit against a huge company like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc. Preferably one where the instigator of the lawsuit was legitimately defending something novel and innovative. This is subjective, of course, and I tend to come down on the side of software not being something that should be patentable... but , it is patentabl…

Well, defending the company might entail getting acquired by another large company or NPA. I don't know of any examples where a small company sued a large one and continued to do business based on that lawsuit, but the threat of getting acquired certainly adds value to the company itself and discourages large companies from blatant copying. Take that threat away, and small companies lose value and large companies cop…

So, do you have an example of that?

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#389

Post by AlexTes »

snarfy wrote: post #46
softinio wrote: post #4

I really have no idea why react is so popular with such a silly license. I agree with this move. There are plenty of OSS projects out there without patent thing attached to its license so no reason to use react.

Honestly, I didn't read the fine print. I've been having fun playing around with it. I assumed the license was OK considering its popularity.

As far as I can tell the license is okay unless your product depends on suing Facebook while at the same time being so strongly dependent on React you can't switch it out.

Re: Apache Foundation disallows use of the Facebook “BSD+Patent” license

#390

Post by cosinetau »

FRex wrote: post #43
numair wrote: post #18

Finally, people are beginning to realize the insanity of this entire PATENTS file situation! When I first brought up how misguided people were for embracing React and projects with this license, I was downvoted to hell on HN. But really, everyone, THINK ABOUT IT. This is a company that glorifies and celebrates IP theft from others, and lionizes their employees who successfully clone others’ projects. They’ve built th…

RakNet does that too (it's owned by Facebook via Occulus for a while now, Facebook bought Occulus then Occulus bought RakNet): https://github.com/facebookarchive/RakNet/blob/master/PATENT... Is this widespread at all or is it just Facebook..? Edit: I'm glad to be downvoted for asking a genuine fucking question if anyone else does this since Apache mentions Facebook and the only place I ran into PATENTS file is anothe…

I love that while we discuss this awful attitude by the corporate giants like Facebook and Google, internally in "our own" (HN really isn't the community's, get a grip) we are CONSTANTLY worrying about getting downvoted for asking what we see as a genuine question.

There's a larger problem here, and I feel it comes down to our collective attitudes.

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