Deno v. Oracle: Canceling the JavaScript Trademark

On November 22, 2024, Deno formally filed a petition with the USPTO to cancel Oracle’s trademark for “JavaScript.” This marks a pivotal step toward freeing “JavaScript” from legal entanglements and recognizing it as a shared public good. If successful, the petition will eliminate barriers that have stifled community use of the name. Conferences could reclaim titles like “JavaScript Conference” instead of settling for “JSConf.” The language’s specification could finally drop the cumbersome “ECMAScript” moniker and be known simply as the “JavaScript Specification.” Communities like “Rust for JavaScript Developers” would no longer fear legal threats over their use of the term.