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.TH "NPM\-DISPUTES" "7" "August 2018" "" ""
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.SH "NAME"
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\fBnpm-disputes\fR \- Handling Module Name Disputes
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.P
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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\.
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.P
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This document is a clarification of the acceptable behavior outlined in the
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npm Code of Conduct \fIhttps://www\.npmjs\.com/policies/conduct\fR, 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\.
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.SH TL;DR
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Get the author email with \fBnpm owner ls <pkgname>\fP
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.IP 2. 3
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Email the author, CC support@npmjs\.com
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.IP 3. 3
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After a few weeks, if there's no resolution, we'll sort it out\.
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.RE
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.P
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Don't squat on package names\. Publish code or move out of the way\.
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.SH DESCRIPTION
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.P
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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\.)
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Alice writes a JavaScript module \fBfoo\fP, which is not node\-specific\. Alice
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doesn't use node at all\. Yusuf wants to use \fBfoo\fP 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\.
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.IP 2. 3
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Yusuf writes an npm module \fBfoo\fP, and publishes it\. Perhaps much later, Alice
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finds a bug in \fBfoo\fP, 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 \fBfoo\fP, but can't,
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because the name is taken\.
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.IP 3. 3
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Yusuf writes a 10\-line flow\-control library, and calls it \fBfoo\fP, 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 \fBfoo\fP JavaScript toolkit framework\.
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They publish it to npm as \fBfoojs\fP, but people are routinely confused when
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\fBnpm install foo\fP is some different thing\.
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.IP 4. 3
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Yusuf writes a parser for the widely\-known \fBfoo\fP 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 \fBfoo\fP parser, but can't publish,
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because Yusuf's \fBfoo\fP is in the way\.
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.IP 5. 3
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\fBnpm owner ls foo\fP\|\. This will tell Alice the email address of the owner
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(Yusuf)\.
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.IP 6. 3
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Alice emails Yusuf, explaining the situation \fBas respectfully as possible\fR,
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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 support@npmjs\.com to the CC list of the email\. Mention in the email
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that Yusuf can run npm owner \fBadd alice foo\fP to add Alice as an owner of the
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foo package\.
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.IP 7. 3
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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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support@npmjs\.com and we'll sort it out\. ("Reasonable" is usually at least
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4 weeks\.)
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.RE
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.SH REASONING
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.P
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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\.
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.P
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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\.
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.SH EXCEPTIONS
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.P
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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:
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.RS 0
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.IP 1. 3
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Malware (that is, a package designed to exploit or harm the machine on which
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it is installed)\.
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.IP 2. 3
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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)\.
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.IP 3. 3
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Illegal content\.
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.IP 4. 3
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"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\.
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.IP 5. 3
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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\.)
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.IP 6. 3
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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\.
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.IP 7. 3
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Other things forbidden by the npm
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Code of Conduct \fIhttps://www\.npmjs\.com/policies/conduct\fR such as hateful
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language, pornographic content, or harassment\.
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.RE
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.P
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If you see bad behavior like this, please report it to abuse@npmjs\.com right
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away\. \fBYou are never expected to resolve abusive behavior on your own\. We are
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here to help\.\fR
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.SH TRADEMARKS
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.P
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If you think another npm publisher is infringing your trademark, such as by
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using a confusingly similar package name, email abuse@npmjs\.com with a link to
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the package or user account on https:// \fIhttps://www\.npmjs\.com/\fR\|\.
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Attach a copy of your trademark registration certificate\.
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.P
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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 \fBREADME\fP file or
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metadata\.
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.SH CHANGES
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.P
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This is a living document and may be updated from time to time\. Please refer to
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the git history for this document \fIhttps://github\.com/npm/cli/commits/latest/doc/misc/npm\-disputes\.md\fR
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to view the changes\.
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.SH LICENSE
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.P
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Copyright (C) npm, Inc\., All rights reserved
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.P
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This document may be reused under a Creative Commons Attribution\-ShareAlike
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License\.
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.SH SEE ALSO
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.RS 0
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.IP \(bu 2
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npm help 7 registry
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.IP \(bu 2
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npm help owner
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.RE
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