React (software): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:07, 10 January 2016

Revision as of 22:09, 10 January 2016

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== Patents clause controversy ==

The initial public release of React in May 2013 used a standard [[Apache License|Apache License 2.0]]. In October 2014, React 0.12.0 replaced this with a [[BSD licenses#3-clause|3-clause BSD license]] and added a separate PATENTS text file that permits usage of any Facebook patents related to the software.<ref>{{cite web|title=React CHANGELOG.md|url=https://github.com/facebook/react/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md#0120-october-28-2014|website=GitHub}}</ref> However in April 2015, Facebook announced that they were clarifying this file to address confusion about it,<ref>{{cite web|title=Updating Our Open Source Patent Grant|first=James|last=Pearce|date=10 April 2015|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/1639473982937255/updating-our-open-source-patent-grant/|website=code.facebook.com}}</ref> and React 0.13.1 introduced new language that effectively amends the BSD license terms in a nonstandard way:

<blockquote>''"The license granted hereunder will terminate, automatically and without notice, if you (or any of your subsidiaries, corporate affiliates or agents) initiate directly or indirectly, or take a direct financial interest in, any Patent Assertion: (i) against Facebook or any of its subsidiaries or corporate affiliates, (ii) against any party if such Patent Assertion arises in whole or in part from any software, technology, product or service of Facebook or any of its subsidiaries or corporate affiliates, or (iii) against any party relating to the Software. [...] A "Patent Assertion" is any lawsuit or other action alleging direct, indirect, or contributory infringement or inducement to infringe any patent, including a cross-claim or counterclaim."<ref>{{cite web|title=Additional Grant of Patent Rights Version 2|url=https://github.com/facebook/react/blob/b8ba8c83f318b84e42933f6928f231dc0918f864/PATENTS|website=GitHub}}</ref>''</blockquote>