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<h1><a href="../misc/npm-disputes.html">npm-disputes</a></h1> <p>Handling Module Name Disputes</p>
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<p>This document describes the steps that you should take to resolve module name
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disputes with other npm publishers. It also describes special steps you should
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take about names you think infringe your trademarks.</p>
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<p>This document is a clarification of the acceptable behavior outlined in the
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<a href="https://www.npmjs.com/policies/conduct">npm Code of Conduct</a>, and nothing in
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this document should be interpreted to contradict any aspect of the npm Code of
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Conduct.</p>
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<h2 id="tl-dr">TL;DR</h2>
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<ol>
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<li>Get the author email with <code>npm owner ls <pkgname></code></li>
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<li>Email the author, CC <a href="mailto:support@npmjs.com">support@npmjs.com</a></li>
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<li>After a few weeks, if there's no resolution, we'll sort it out.</li>
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</ol>
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<p>Don't squat on package names. Publish code or move out of the way.</p>
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<h2 id="description">DESCRIPTION</h2>
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<p>There sometimes arise cases where a user publishes a module, and then later,
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some other user wants to use that name. Here are some common ways that happens
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(each of these is based on actual events.)</p>
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<ol>
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<li><p>Alice writes a JavaScript module <code>foo</code>, which is not node-specific. Alice
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doesn't use node at all. Yusuf wants to use <code>foo</code> in node, so he wraps it in
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an npm module. Some time later, Alice starts using node, and wants to take
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over management of her program.</p>
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</li>
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<li><p>Yusuf writes an npm module <code>foo</code>, and publishes it. Perhaps much later, Alice
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finds a bug in <code>foo</code>, and fixes it. She sends a pull request to Yusuf, but
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Yusuf doesn't have the time to deal with it, because he has a new job and a
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new baby and is focused on his new Erlang project, and kind of not involved
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with node any more. Alice would like to publish a new <code>foo</code>, but can't,
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because the name is taken.</p>
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</li>
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<li><p>Yusuf writes a 10-line flow-control library, and calls it <code>foo</code>, and
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publishes it to the npm registry. Being a simple little thing, it never
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really has to be updated. Alice works for Foo Inc, the makers of the
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critically acclaimed and widely-marketed <code>foo</code> JavaScript toolkit framework.
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They publish it to npm as <code>foojs</code>, but people are routinely confused when
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<code>npm install foo</code> is some different thing.</p>
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</li>
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<li><p>Yusuf writes a parser for the widely-known <code>foo</code> file format, because he
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needs it for work. Then, he gets a new job, and never updates the prototype.
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Later on, Alice writes a much more complete <code>foo</code> parser, but can't publish,
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because Yusuf's <code>foo</code> is in the way.</p>
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</li>
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<li><p><code>npm owner ls foo</code>. This will tell Alice the email address of the owner
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(Yusuf).</p>
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</li>
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<li><p>Alice emails Yusuf, explaining the situation <strong>as respectfully as possible</strong>,
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and what she would like to do with the module name. She adds the npm support
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staff <a href="mailto:support@npmjs.com">support@npmjs.com</a> to the CC list of the email. Mention in the email
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that Yusuf can run npm owner <code>add alice foo</code> to add Alice as an owner of the
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foo package.</p>
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</li>
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<li><p>After a reasonable amount of time, if Yusuf has not responded, or if Yusuf
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and Alice can't come to any sort of resolution, email support
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<a href="mailto:support@npmjs.com">support@npmjs.com</a> and we'll sort it out. ("Reasonable" is usually at least
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4 weeks.)</p>
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</li>
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</ol>
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<h2 id="reasoning">REASONING</h2>
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<p>In almost every case so far, the parties involved have been able to reach an
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amicable resolution without any major intervention. Most people really do want
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to be reasonable, and are probably not even aware that they're in your way.</p>
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<p>Module ecosystems are most vibrant and powerful when they are as self-directed
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as possible. If an admin one day deletes something you had worked on, then that
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is going to make most people quite upset, regardless of the justification. When
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humans solve their problems by talking to other humans with respect, everyone
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has the chance to end up feeling good about the interaction.</p>
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<h2 id="exceptions">EXCEPTIONS</h2>
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<p>Some things are not allowed, and will be removed without discussion if they are
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brought to the attention of the npm registry admins, including but not limited
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to:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Malware (that is, a package designed to exploit or harm the machine on which
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it is installed).</li>
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<li>Violations of copyright or licenses (for example, cloning an MIT-licensed
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program, and then removing or changing the copyright and license statement).</li>
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<li>Illegal content.</li>
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<li>"Squatting" on a package name that you plan to use, but aren't actually
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using. Sorry, I don't care how great the name is, or how perfect a fit it is
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for the thing that someday might happen. If someone wants to use it today,
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and you're just taking up space with an empty tarball, you're going to be
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evicted.</li>
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<li>Putting empty packages in the registry. Packages must have SOME
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functionality. It can be silly, but it can't be nothing. (See also:
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squatting.)</li>
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<li>Doing weird things with the registry, like using it as your own personal
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application database or otherwise putting non-packagey things into it.</li>
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<li>Other things forbidden by the npm
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<a href="https://www.npmjs.com/policies/conduct">Code of Conduct</a> such as hateful
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language, pornographic content, or harassment.</li>
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</ol>
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<p>If you see bad behavior like this, please report it to <a href="mailto:abuse@npmjs.com">abuse@npmjs.com</a> right
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away. <strong>You are never expected to resolve abusive behavior on your own. We are
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here to help.</strong></p>
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<h2 id="trademarks">TRADEMARKS</h2>
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<p>If you think another npm publisher is infringing your trademark, such as by
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using a confusingly similar package name, email <a href="mailto:abuse@npmjs.com">abuse@npmjs.com</a> with a link to
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the package or user account on <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/">https://www.npmjs.com/</a>.
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Attach a copy of your trademark registration certificate.</p>
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<p>If we see that the package's publisher is intentionally misleading others by
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misusing your registered mark without permission, we will transfer the package
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name to you. Otherwise, we will contact the package publisher and ask them to
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clear up any confusion with changes to their package's <code><a href="../../doc/README.html">README</a></code> file or
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metadata.</p>
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<h2 id="changes">CHANGES</h2>
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<p>This is a living document and may be updated from time to time. Please refer to
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the <a href="https://github.com/npm/cli/commits/latest/doc/misc/npm-disputes.md">git history for this document</a>
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to view the changes.</p>
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<h2 id="license">LICENSE</h2>
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<p>Copyright (C) npm, Inc., All rights reserved</p>
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<p>This document may be reused under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
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License.</p>
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<h2 id="see-also">SEE ALSO</h2>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="../misc/npm-registry.html">npm-registry(7)</a></li>
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<li><a href="../cli/npm-owner.html">npm-owner(1)</a></li>
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</ul>
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</div>
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<p id="footer">npm-disputes — npm@6.4.1</p>
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