JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
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JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
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Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#2Wikipedia says: "Today, 'JavaScript' is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. It is used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape Communications and current entities such as the Mozilla Foundation." [1]
It's one of a long list of Java-related trademarks originally registered by Sun:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100528154600/http://www.sun.co...
Maybe Sun originally intended it to be the name of a Java-related product, and when Netscape invented JavaScript, they found out too late that the name had already been trademarked by Sun, so they licensed the trademark from Sun instead of changing the name? I'm just guessing. Does anyone know the real history?
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#3Wikipedia says: "Today, 'JavaScript' is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. It is used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape Communications and current entities such as the Mozilla Foundation." [1] It's one of a long list of Java-related trademarks originally registered by Sun: https://web.archive.org/web/20100528154600/http://www.sun.co... Maybe Sun originally intended it to be the name of…
It's right there in the Wikipedia article you linked to:
Although it was developed under the name Mocha, the language was officially called LiveScript when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed JavaScript when it was deployed in the Netscape browser version 2.0B3.
The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support for Java technology in its Netscape Navigator web browser. The final choice of name caused confusion, giving the impression that the language was a spin-off of the Java programming language, and the choice has been characterized as a marketing ploy by Netscape to give JavaScript the cachet of what was then the hot new web programming language.
It was a marketing thing.
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#4Wikipedia says: "Today, 'JavaScript' is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. It is used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape Communications and current entities such as the Mozilla Foundation." [1] It's one of a long list of Java-related trademarks originally registered by Sun: https://web.archive.org/web/20100528154600/http://www.sun.co... Maybe Sun originally intended it to be the name of…
It's right there in the Wikipedia article you linked to: Although it was developed under the name Mocha, the language was officially called LiveScript when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed JavaScript when it was deployed in the Netscape browser version 2.0B3. The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support…
That's explains how LiveScript became Javascript but it doesn't answer the more interesting question: how did Netscape end up using a Sun trademark?
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#5Can"t common use be used to nullify a trademark?
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#6Wikipedia says: "Today, 'JavaScript' is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. It is used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape Communications and current entities such as the Mozilla Foundation." [1] It's one of a long list of Java-related trademarks originally registered by Sun: https://web.archive.org/web/20100528154600/http://www.sun.co... Maybe Sun originally intended it to be the name of…
It's right there in the Wikipedia article you linked to: Although it was developed under the name Mocha, the language was officially called LiveScript when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed JavaScript when it was deployed in the Netscape browser version 2.0B3. The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support…
Gah. It’s such a weird naming choice. I still have peers confusing Java and Javascript...
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#7Nothing to see here, everyone calls it ECMAScript.
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#8Wikipedia says: "Today, 'JavaScript' is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. It is used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape Communications and current entities such as the Mozilla Foundation." [1] It's one of a long list of Java-related trademarks originally registered by Sun: https://web.archive.org/web/20100528154600/http://www.sun.co... Maybe Sun originally intended it to be the name of…
According to Crockford[0], Netscape called it LiveScript, originally. In their attempt to 'destroy Microsoft', they teamed up with Sun. One of Sun's original goals with Java was making it the client-side scripting language for the browser. However, Netscape had LiveScript. Apparently the negotiations almost broke down over this point.
In an enlightened moment, (probably) Marc Andreessen proposed renaming LiveScript to JavaScript (despite the fact that the languages have very little in common), and joy was had. Sun got the JavaScript trademark (and passed it on to Oracle), and Netscape got a perpetual exclusive license to use it.
When JavaScript was standardized to avoid Embrace, Extend, Extinguish, Netscape refused to share its license, and so the official language was renamed to ECMAScript, after the standards body. When Sun was bought by Oracle, it also got the trademark, and presumably, Mozilla inherited the exclusive license from Netscape.
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Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's right there in the Wikipedia article you linked to: Although it was developed under the name Mocha, the language was officially called LiveScript when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed JavaScript when it was deployed in the Netscape browser version 2.0B3. The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support…
That's explains how LiveScript became Javascript but it doesn't answer the more interesting question: how did Netscape end up using a Sun trademark?
I don't really understand what remains unclear. The cited section explains that when Java got put into the browser, executives of both companies got together and decided that it would be good PR to rename LiveScript into JavaScript.
As Java was a trademark by Sun, they obviously had to register JavaSript as well (if they hadn't already done so - I did not look up the timeline, but it's not really relevant to the argument). Getting a license from Sun made it possible for Netscape to use the name without the Java trademark becoming diluted. Remember, if you don't defend your trademark, you'll lose it.
Re: JavaScript is a trademark owned by Oracle
#10Nothing to see here, everyone calls it ECMAScript.
This is far from the truth, unfortunately. We will get there eventually, but everyone has to do their part in removing JS from their vocabulary.