React license and Mozilla/Firefox

[zbran...@mozilla.com]

We're currently using React in multiple projects including Test Pilot extensions and DevTools.

It came to light that React license purposefully may impact its users position. A strong voice has been raised by Raúl Kripalani - https://medium.com/@raulk/if-youre-a-startup-you-should-not-use-react-reflecting-on-the-bsd-patents-license-b049d4a67dd2

Should we be worried about bundling our software with software that uses this license?

zb.

[Benjamin Kerensa]

This would be a legal team question not likely governance

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Benjamin Kerensa

[Ehsan Akhgari]

On 08/22/2017 12:38 PM, zbraniecki--- via governance wrote:
> We're currently using React in multiple projects including Test Pilot extensions and DevTools.
>
> It came to light that React license purposefully may impact its users position. A strong voice has been raised by Raúl Kripalani - https://medium.com/@raulk/if-youre-a-startup-you-should-not-use-react-reflecting-on-the-bsd-patents-license-b049d4a67dd2
>
> Should we be worried about bundling our software with software that uses this license?

Is the worry that Mozilla not be able to file a patent legal case
against Facebook? Or compliance with MOSPL
<https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/policy/patents/> or something else?

BTW I just noted that the text in about:license#react and
https://github.com/facebook/react/blob/master/LICENSE aren't the same.
Is the reason a change to the React license after
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1190440 was fixed?

[Rubén Martín]

Hi,

Daniele opened a topic about this the other day:

https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/react-license-and-mozilla/18293

Cheers.

El 22/08/17 a las 21:54, Ehsan Akhgari via governance escribió:

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Rubén Martín [Nukeador]
Mozilla Reps Mentor
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[Mike Hommey]

See also bug 1301878.

Mike

[zbran...@mozilla.com]

On Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 12:54:55 PM UTC-7, Ehsan Akhgari wrote:

> > Should we be worried about bundling our software with software that uses this license?
> Is the worry that Mozilla not be able to file a patent legal case
> against Facebook?

As far as I know Mozilla doesn't hold software patents. But I'm wondering about the impact of this on the value of Firefox as OSS.

Would it, for example, possible for some company not to be able to fork Firefox, or use it in some system because it comes with React bundled.

In a separate, but related, manner - what does it mean for OSS that we release our software bundled with React? Does it mean that we play into the strategy set by Facebook? How does this affect the value of Test Pilot extension or DevTools as our contribution to the pool of OSS, if it comes with the license in question?

How does the license of React source code affect license of Firefox source code? Does it mean that by default, when you embed Firefox (or fork), you're perpetuating the React license?

I have to admit that I expected that us using React meant that React was covered by the same license as our codebase is, but I'm no expert in this. Just got curious and a bit surprised with limited amount of communication about the impact of that on us in public.

zb.

[Benjamin Kerensa]

On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 3:12 PM, zbraniecki--- via governance <
gover...@lists.mozilla.org> wrote:

> On Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 12:54:55 PM UTC-7, Ehsan Akhgari wrote:
>

> > > Should we be worried about bundling our software with software that
> uses this license?
> > Is the worry that Mozilla not be able to file a patent legal case
> > against Facebook?
>

> As far as I know Mozilla doesn't hold software patents. But I'm wondering
> about the impact of this on the value of Firefox as OSS.
>
> Would it, for example, possible for some company not to be able to fork
> Firefox, or use it in some system because it comes with React bundled.
>

They would need to follow the licenses of all software they use so if it
has restrictions then look to the license for those restrictions.

>
> In a separate, but related, manner - what does it mean for OSS that we
> release our software bundled with React? Does it mean that we play into the
> strategy set by Facebook? How does this affect the value of Test Pilot
> extension or DevTools as our contribution to the pool of OSS, if it comes
> with the license in question?
>
> How does the license of React source code affect license of Firefox source
> code? Does it mean that by default, when you embed Firefox (or fork),
> you're perpetuating the React license?
>
> I have to admit that I expected that us using React meant that React was
> covered by the same license as our codebase is, but I'm no expert in this.
> Just got curious and a bit surprised with limited amount of communication
> about the impact of that on us in public.
>
> zb.

> _______________________________________________
> governance mailing list
> gover...@lists.mozilla.org
> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/governance
>



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Benjamin Kerensa

[Thomas Daede]

On 08/22/2017 03:12 PM, zbran...@mozilla.com wrote:
> As far as I know Mozilla doesn't hold software patents. But I'm wondering about the impact of this on the value of Firefox as OSS.

Mozilla does own software patents. However, they are all available under
the Mozilla Open Software Patent License [1]. Additionally, they may be
available under other terms, such as the W3C or AOMedia patent licenses.

[1] https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/policy/patents/

[Gervase Markham]

On 22/08/17 09:38, zbran...@mozilla.com wrote:
> It came to light that React license purposefully may impact its users position.

Our legal team is not unaware of this issue, and has done some analysis.
I guess it's up to them about how much they are willing to say publicly
about the results of that. I'll try and encourage someone to comment here.

Gerv

[Luis Villa]

This is not a substitute for an analysis specific to Mozilla's particular
needs, but Heather and I have both published analyses of this issue that
may be helpful for Mozillians seeking to learn more about the issue:

https://heathermeeker.com/2017/08/19/open-source-community-over-reacts-to-x-rated-code/
http://lu.is/blog/2016/10/31/reacts-license-necessary-and-open/

HTH-
Luis

On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 7:28 AM Gervase Markham via governance <
gover...@lists.mozilla.org> wrote:

> On 22/08/17 09:38, zbran...@mozilla.com wrote:

> > It came to light that React license purposefully may impact its users
> position.
>

> Our legal team is not unaware of this issue, and has done some analysis.
> I guess it's up to them about how much they are willing to say publicly
> about the results of that. I'll try and encourage someone to comment here.
>
> Gerv
>

[Nikos Roussos]

On 08/23/2017 05:54 PM, Luis Villa via governance wrote:
> This is not a substitute for an analysis specific to Mozilla's particular
> needs, but Heather and I have both published analyses of this issue that
> may be helpful for Mozillians seeking to learn more about the issue:
>
> https://heathermeeker.com/2017/08/19/open-source-community-over-reacts-to-x-rated-code/
> http://lu.is/blog/2016/10/31/reacts-license-necessary-and-open/

And some counter arguments:
https://www.elcaminolegal.com/single-post/2016/10/04/Facebook-Reactjs-License
https://medium.com/@raulk/if-youre-a-startup-you-should-not-use-react-reflecting-on-the-bsd-patents-license-b049d4a67dd2

"Facebook touts React.js as open source software. But in my mind the
license termination provision of the Additional Grant of Patent Rights
takes the offering outside the realm of open source software."

~nikos

[Daniele Scasciafratte]

An update by React and Open Source softwares:
https://ma.tt/2017/09/on-react-and-wordpress/

Also WordPress said bye to React that was using on a experimental project to be included on 5.0 version.

[gsqu...@mozilla.com]

Good news, everyone!

"we are going to relicense our open source projects React, Jest, Flow, and Immutable.js under the MIT license"
https://code.facebook.com/posts/300798627056246/relicensing-react-jest-flow-and-immutable-js/