On September 16, a powerful open letter from key figures in the JavaScript ecosystem called out Oracle for what they consider the abandonment of the JavaScript trademark. The signatories of the letter included Ryan Dahl, creator of Node.js and Deno, as well as Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript. Together, they are urging Oracle to release the JavaScript trademark into the public domain. By September 20, the petition had gathered more than 10,000 signatures, signaling strong support from the broader tech community for their cause.
The letter, titled “Oracle, it’s time to free JavaScript,” argues that Oracle’s ownership of the JavaScript trademark is outdated and unnecessary. The trademark originally came into Oracle’s possession following its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. However, the letter points out that neither Sun nor Oracle ever created a product that utilized the JavaScript trademark, and the trademark itself has been largely inactive, causing confusion and disruption within the industry. The community members argue that Oracle’s de facto abandonment of the trademark has hindered clarity and innovation in the JavaScript space.
Ryan Dahl, the CEO of Deno Land, emphasized that relinquishing the trademark would help eliminate this confusion. He argued that it would allow the official specification for JavaScript to properly refer to the language as “JavaScript,” instead of its current designation, “ECMAScript.” This change would pave the way for more clarity in branding and communication, such as enabling events like a “JavaScript Conference” and allowing companies like Deno to freely advertise their products without the looming threat of legal challenges from Oracle.
In addition to the public petition, Dahl and other members of the JavaScript community plan to take further legal action. They intend to file a formal petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in October, aiming to cancel Oracle’s trademark on JavaScript altogether. The move is a significant step toward returning the trademark to the public domain, where it could be freely used to represent the technology that has become central to the modern web.