The problem is being dramatically over-blown. It’s only a problem if you intend to sue Facebook for patent infringement.
Since software patents are a plague on the industry and should not exist in the first place, I’d be thrilled if EVERY OSS project had a similar patent clause. It would effectively invalidate all software patent claims and save the whole industry an enormous amount of wasted time and money.
We could all go back to competing based on who makes the best products rather than who can afford the best lawyers.
What we really should be doing is fixing the broken patent system. Facebook is taking a stand in the best way they know how, and I applaud them for it.
Instead of banning the license, why don’t all the big companies band together and sign a patent litigation cease fire agreement?
They want to say they only use their software patents defensively against patent trolls? Prove it. Put it in writing.
Then open all your patents with a patent grant like Facebook’s.
