Sdk: PATENTS and LICENSE and competition with core Google products?

[niccolox]

hi there

don't want to come across as a troll here but I'd like a plain English language interpretation of the PATENTS and LICENSE documents included in Dart Lang SDK

https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/blob/master/PATENTS
https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/blob/master/LICENSE

hypothetically, could I use Dart Lang SDK and Angular Dart to make a competing product to Adwords / Adsense ?

do I then risk losing my license by "inducing infringement" ?

I know quite a few companies chose not to use React JS because of the PATENTS clause and although FB has different language, there seems to be a similar issue being addressed

thanks

[sillsm]

Hi, open source attorney for Dart here.

• You may use our stuff.
• Give us credit by replicating our license files in any distributions.
• Don't sue us over patents related to this, or we'll terminate any patent licenses that may or may not attach to this product.
• Feel free to make competing products. But don't claim you are Google, or are endorsed by Google.

[niccolox]

hi Max

thanks for hosing me down so quickly, dont want to be a FUD merchant

2 follow ups;

1. can I use Dart in an AGPL licensed product ? (I see EdX is AGPL for instance ) is the current Dart license and patents addition compatible?

2. also, why are different Dart projects including the PATENTS file and some not? I am not encouraging you do add them by the way, I'd actually find it less emotionally laborious and a simpler story to sell to a business decision maker if there where no PATENTS files at all

[sillsm]

1. Sure.
2. I'll investigate and try to make this more consistent. Where present, Dart PATENTS files give you an extra explicit patent license from Google over the project, so nothing to be scared of.

[niccolox]

Thanks. But what patents are relevant?

There is no patent for Dart Lang ?

On Mar 24, 2017 9:22 AM, "Max Sills" [e-mail] wrote:

>

1. Sure.
2. I'll investigate and try to make this more consistent. Where
   present, Dart PATENTS files give you an extra explicit patent license from
   Google over the project, so nothing to be scared of.

—
You are receiving this because you authored the thread.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/issues/29103#issuecomment-289070924,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAbsplq8TAkA38_kj9ui5vCjux5LIrn5ks5ro-3dgaJpZM4MhEkp
.

[Cat-sushi]

I think license language doesn't treat each individual patent.
And, existing patents at any point of time are not the matter, because patents will be granted and expire at some point in the future.

[natebosch]

@sillsm - is there more to do on this issue? Can it be closed?

[Cat-sushi]

I think BSD+PATENTS License of Dart is totally different from the old license of Facebook.
So, I believe there is no problem here, regardless whether dart has patents or not.

[niccolox]

Sorry to be blunt. But I dont trust Google Inc to honor the spirit, if not
the law, of this arrangement.

Just have to look at search or censorship or Android as psuedo open source.

Very sad. Close the issue. I for one will never advocate a Google sponsored
open source project

On Sat, Sep 1, 2018, 6:01 AM Cat-sushi [e-mail] wrote:

I think BSD+PATENTS License of Dart is totally different old license of
Facebook.
So, I believe there is no problem here, regardless whether dart has
patents or not.

—
You are receiving this because you authored the thread.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/issues/29103#issuecomment-417858160,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAbsplg9XGUxCi813UPO2NPCUrgjeqh_ks5uWoUSgaJpZM4MhEkp
.

[Cat-sushi]

@niccolox What do you think is the problem?
Apache License 2, which also has patent clauses, is widely recognized as a open source license.

[niccolox]

its not technical
some questions
who owns the copyright?
are most of the contributors from a single corporate entity?
what happens if the corporation decides to fork and re-licence?
Android is the prime example here
its not a technical thing, you should close this
I used to trust Google and its ecosystem, now.. the opposite is true
fortunately, I work in a cash based, small tech company with very few commitments so I influence these decisions for my team and my customers every day
no Kubernetes, off Android, Gmail and apps not so much, looking at GA alternatives, Prometheus is great but no trust etc etc etc
get the idea?
good will takes a long time to build, very easy to destroy