[phillmv]

I interpreted it as a concession to moral rights - we can't initiate a lawsuit without your consent, sort of idea.

More broadly, they're hedging their bits by trying to preserve some financial value to their patent portfolio.

Suppose you patent "swipe left to refresh" and five years later the private equity group that has bought the husk of your former company approaches you and offers you 10 grand for the right to litigate aggressively… I would find it hard to say no, despite thinking all software patents are bunk.

In the end, it's converting the yc pledge into legally binding language, and without limiting it to just startups. Like the pledge, it's rather toothless – but a step in the right direction.