USPTO Petitioned To Cancel Oracle's JavaScript Trademark

Software company Deno Land has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Oracle's JavaScript trademark, citing trademark abandonment and fraud. The November 22 filing claims Oracle has not sold JavaScript products or services since acquiring the trademark through its 2009 Sun Microsystems purchase. The petition alleges Oracle committed fraud during its 2019 trademark renewal by submitting Node.js website screenshots without authorization.

The legal action follows a September open letter from JavaScript creator Brendan Eich, Node.js and Deno creator Ryan Dahl, and other prominent JavaScript developers urging Oracle to relinquish the trademark. The letter has garnered over 14,000 signatures.

Re: Can't wait for the comments on this one...

[PoopMelon]

Came here for exactly the same thing lol

One reason to abandon Java/Javascript altogether

[RogueWarrior65]

When you marry yourself to an effectively proprietary language, why would you expect to be able to do anything you want with it?

Re:

[Miles_O'Toole]

Another corporate blow boy heard from. "Rogue Warrior" my ass.

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[ShanghaiBill]

an effectively proprietary language

JavaScript and Java are open standards.

The only thing encumbered is the name.

why would you expect to be able to do anything you want with it?

Because you can.

Re: One reason to abandon Java/Javascript altogeth

[Midnight Thunder]

If you are treating Java and JavaScript as the same thing, then you are either a Scrum Grand Master or if youâ(TM)re a dev, then you need to hand in your dev card.

Oracle can claim ownership of Java branding, but Iâ(TM)d be hard pressed to see it claim ownership of the JavaScript trademark. Mozilla is closer to being the true owner of said trademark, if anyone is.

JavaScript != Java

[Morpeth]

I'm confused by this, how the hell did Oracle get the TM for his? Aside from the naming confusion, they are two different languages -- I get that Oracle got the rights to Java when they bought Sun back in the day, but JavaScript was developed by Eich and then it became the EMCAScript standard -- two different beasts. Or is this just some BS moneygrab / marketing shit from Oracle?

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[ebh]

Which also raises the question: Why don't we all just call it ECMAscript? Has the trademarked thing whose source files end in .js diverged from ECMAscript enough to consider them two different things?

Re: JavaScript != Java

[Ken_g6]

How do you pronounce ECMAScript? Eck-ma-script? Sounds icky. E.C.M.A. Script takes too long to say.

It's obvious and easy to pronounce JavaScript. Like it's faster and easier to say Kleenex than facial tissue, or Xerox rather than photocopy machine.

Re: JavaScript != Java

[Midnight Thunder]

Because ECMAscript doesnâ(TM)t role off the tongue as easily and is really only known by the people worrying about the standards. Those busy trying to code just think of Javascript, or its typed sibling Typescript.

Re: JavaScript != Java

[felixrising]

But let's all remember, this is Oracle and typical Oracle play to extract maximum revenue, via entrapment or any other method possible.

Re:JavaScript != Java

[znrt]

the development was a joint venture between netscape and sun, they finally went with "javascript" because it was actually meant to be the glue between java and the browser and since "java" was already a popular it seemed a good marketing idea. worst name choice ever, though, and sun just got to keep the trademark.

https://exploringjs.com/es5/ch... [exploringjs.com]

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[UnknowingFool]

Sun owned the trademarks to JavaScript and Java. I do not know the detailed history. This petition does have legal merit as a trademark can be considered abandoned if the owner does nothing with it for 3 years and has no plans to use it. Unfortunately that second stipulation is harder as Oracle can just show “plans” to use it.

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[mysidia]

They did something with the mark.. Indubitably they must have licensed a Node developer permission to use the mark; As evidenced by them screenshotting Node's website. Licensing another person or company's usage of the mark is still Using the mark.

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[UnknowingFool]

Yes but did they recently license the mark or did Sun license the mark back in the day? It would be interesting to see what the USPTO rules as "using".