Re: [directory-discuss] React.js

[Ian Kelling]

On Mon, Jan 9, 2017, at 11:35 AM, Richard Stallman wrote:
> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
> 
> React.js is nonfree because of its patent license restriction.
> 
> http://react-etc.net/entry/your-license-to-use-react-js-can-be-revoked-if-you-compete-with-facebook
> 
> Please DTRT in the directory.
> 
> -- 
> Dr Richard Stallman
> President, Free Software Foundation (gnu.org, fsf.org)
> Internet Hall-of-Famer (internethalloffame.org)
> Skype: No way! See stallman.org/skype.html.
> 
> 


My impression reading about this is that it is free. I've seen a lot of
people say things like this like this blog post, "your license to use
this software can be revoked", but that seems to be a misunderstanding.

The copyright of the software is the standard modified bsd, and there is
a separate patent grant unconnected to the copyright license.

I base this on two things. 1. The project README states: "React is [BSD
licensed](./LICENSE). We also provide an additional [patent
grant](./PATENTS)," The LICENSE file is a standard modified bsd
license. The PATENTS file discusses a patent grant only. You can see it
here https://github.com/facebook/react/raw/master/PATENTS

Facebook published an faq about this, at
https://code.facebook.com/pages/850928938376556, which states

"Does termination of the additional patent grant in the Facebook
BSD+Patents license cause the copyright license to also terminate?

No."

So if the patent grant is revoked, the software is still as free as any
other software under the modified bsd license.