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by carussell 3199 days ago
A couple clarifications:

- She is talking there about the PATENTS grant in React and most other Facebook software, not about GraphQL.

- This is immediately preceded by a mention of the Apache Foundation. When she says it could conflict with Apache, it either means Apache Foundation projects (since they wouldn't be able accept contributions without reversing their stance), or she's suggesting that Apache Foundation might issue future revision of the license that specifically breaks compatibility. Because as of right now, there is no conflict with Apache-the-License, only Apache-the-Foundation, and it doesn't really matter how Apache Foundation feels about Facebook's PATENTS grant wrt license compatibility. The conflict is a policy one, not a legal one.
1 comments
btown 3198 days ago
In the source she is referring to the likely possibility that GraphQL ends up being licensed under the React PATENTS grant.
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carussell 3198 days ago
I don't understand the point of your comment.

The comment I responded to framed the situation as if GitLab took a look at the terms of the GraphQL spec, realized that it wasn't good for them, and made the above comments to explain why. The reality is, GitLab realized the current lack of FRAND-RF terms for GraphQL wasn't good for them, and they made the above comments only in response to somebody else's proposed solution to the current situation. That is, the comment doesn't explain why GitLab isn't using GraphQL right now, it explains why GitLab wouldn't use GraphQL if Facebook included the PATENTS grant. Which means that if someone is trying to understand the current situation or why GitLab originally halted GraphQL development, the comment I responded to isn't going to help anyone, because GraphQL is not and never has been subject to the terms of that grant.

If you're still not able to make sense of this, look no further than the first person account from the author of the Medium article referenced (who happens to be the same person who opened the issue):

> I've been a Facebook licensing defender for other OSS like React, but I think this is a completely different issue

Emphasis added by me.

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