It’s time to free JavaScript (2024) • Hacker News Board

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#281

Post by qingcharles » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:48 PM UTC

crazygringo wrote: post #114

Should have [2024]. The "postmark" says Sep 16, 2024. And the list of updates at the top says they've since filed a petition to dismiss the trademark, and Oracle has filed to dismiss the petition.

The petition was partially dismissed and Deno was given leave to amend their petition (but no amended petition has yet been filed, that I can see). There was some initial worthless discovery and now a protective order has been granted allowing Oracle to file information they don't want out in public (e.g. trade secrets). That was at the beginning of November 2025 and the case is ongoing.

https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=92086835&pty=CAN&eno...

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#282

Post by DonHopkins » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:48 PM UTC

TeaVMFan wrote: post #223

StableAlkyne wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's less the fact that someone owns JS's trademark, and more that it's specifically Oracle (they got it when they bought Sun). Oracle is an incredibly litigious company. Their awful reputation in this respect means that the JS ecosystem can never be sure they won't swoop in and attempt to demand rent someday. This is made worse by the army of lawyers they employ; even if they're completely in the wrong, whatever pro…

The incredibly litigious company here is Deno. Deno sued on a whim, realized they were massively unprepared, then asked the public to fund a legal campaign that will benefit Deno themselves, a for-profit, VC-backed company. This personal vendetta will likely end with the community unable to use the term JavaScript. Nobody should support this.

Hi Larry Ellison! Will you mow my lawn?

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#283

Post by DonHopkins » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:51 PM UTC

Anarch157a wrote: post #276

collinmanderson wrote: post #203

The last time this was brought up, "WebScript" was mentioned as a possible alternative name. (Like WebAssembly, WebSockets, WebRTC, etc.) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45297066

My personal favourite is "JayScript".

DoobieScript

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#284

Post by 9rx » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:55 PM UTC

jtwaleson wrote: post #189

alberth wrote: post #177

Silly question: how are people negatively impacted by the trademark of "JavaScript"? Because in practice, isn't this a bit like "Kleenex" - where everyone knows you mean "tissue" (EMCAScript).

EMCA -> ECMA

Europe-Canada-Mexico Agreement?

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#285

Post by 9rx » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:56 PM UTC

falcor84 wrote: post #22

siwatanejo wrote: post #3

I actually think that people should rather use EcmaScript name instead of JavaScript, because it's a way better name (much less confusing, given that this lang doesn't have anything to do with Java anyway). I wish Oracle started suing people to force everyone to use the better name.

But everyone already calls it JS. I think the transition would have been so much easier if the official name started with "J".

JSONScript

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#286

Post by amelius » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:58 PM UTC

RiverCrochet wrote: post #255

amelius wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point I'm going to assume that adding -Script to a trademarked name allows me to use that name freely.

Oracl3Script?

Yeah, that's how I'm going to call my LLM-based law-firm.

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#287

Post by seniorThrowaway » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 5:59 PM UTC

garyrob wrote: post #262

msgilligan wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

POJO is one of my favorite acronyms. Along with POTS and COTS. POTS = Plain Old Telephony System COTS = Commercial Off-The-Shelf

> POTS = Plain Old Telephony System I worked for NY Telephone for years in the '80s, and it was referred to there as "Plain Old Telephone Service" not System. Not that it's a big deal at this point!

I started my career as a telecom tech in the mid Atlantic (late 90's) and can confirm it was that for me too

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#288

Post by elAhmo » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

siwatanejo wrote: post #3

I actually think that people should rather use EcmaScript name instead of JavaScript, because it's a way better name (much less confusing, given that this lang doesn't have anything to do with Java anyway). I wish Oracle started suing people to force everyone to use the better name.

EcmaScript is a terrible name, there is no way people will call JS that. How do you even pronounce it? What does it mean? What is it?

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#289

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 6:04 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: It’s time to free JavaScript (2024)

#290

Post by morshu9001 » Thu, Dec 04, 2025, 6:06 PM UTC

giancarlostoro wrote: post #139

siwatanejo wrote: post #3

I actually think that people should rather use EcmaScript name instead of JavaScript, because it's a way better name (much less confusing, given that this lang doesn't have anything to do with Java anyway). I wish Oracle started suing people to force everyone to use the better name.

I am going to sound crazy, but, if Microsoft would free up TypeScript and every browser added native TypeScript features to JavaScript… and then we all just started calling it TypeScript. Maybe? Then you would see native ts files. Oracle will never give up JS. The funny thing is the number of people who confuse Java and JS.

Was going to say the same thing. I'm fine just using Typescript with types disabled (which is not the same as using TS without specifying types)