Oracle refuses to yield JavaScript trademark, Deno Land says

JavaScript runtime provider Deno Land’s efforts to get Oracle to yield the trademark for JavaScript have hit a snag, with Oracle refusing to voluntarily withdraw the trademark, Deno Land said.

A Deno Land post on X on January 7 provided an update about Deno Land’s continuing efforts to free up the trademark, which Oracle took ownership of when it purchased Sun Microsystems in 2009. “Oracle has informed us they won’t voluntarily withdraw their trademark on ‘JavaScript.’ Next: they’ll file their answer and we’ll start discovery to show how ‘JavaScript’ is widely recognized as a generic term and not controlled by Oracle.”

Deno Land filed a petition to cancel Oracle’s ownership of the JavaScript trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPT0) in late-November. Deno Land argued that Oracle had abandoned the trademark and freeing it up would enable use of the name “JavaScript” without concerns of legal overreach. Deno Land also accused Oracle of committing fraud in its trademark renewal efforts in 2019 by submitting screen captures of the website of JavaScript runtime Node.js, even though Node.js was not affiliated with Oracle.

Oracle on January 10 could not be reached for comment about the JavaScript trademark battle. Deno Land co-founder Ryan Dahl, creator of both the Deno and Node.js runtimes, said a formal answer from Oracle is expected before February 3, unless Oracle extends the deadline again. “After that, we will begin the process of discovery, which is where the real legal work begins. It will be interesting to see how Oracle argues against our claims — genericide, fraud on the USPTO, and non-use of the mark.”

The legal process begins with a discovery conference by March 5, with discovery closing by September 1, followed by pretrial disclosure from October 16 to December 15. An optional request for an oral hearing is due by July 8, 2026. The dispute between Oracle and Deno Land could go on for quite a while.