<div><strong>Did you know the everyday word JavaScript is actually owned as a trademark by Oracle?</strong>
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<div>For developers, that means using the word "JavaScript" to describe your work, product, or even a conference could carry legal risk. It’s why we sometimes see the clunky term "ECMAScript" instead: because one corporation claims exclusive rights to the language billions rely on every day.
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<div>Oracle inherited the JavaScript trademark from Sun Microsystems, a relic of a failed co-branding attempt with Java. But 25 years later, JavaScript is no brand at all — it’s the generic name of the world’s most popular programming language, used across the web. Oracle didn’t create it, doesn’t maintain it, and doesn’t use it, yet still claims the name as if it were their product. <strong>U.S. law is clear: abandoned and generic terms cannot be owned.</strong> This fight is about keeping JavaScript free for millions of developers, educators, and companies — and we need your help to make sure no corporation can own our language.
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<div><strong>We need your help to continue this fight</strong>. Federal litigation against a corporation like Oracle is expensive. While the Deno company initiated this because we have a case as a JavaScript runtime, this case is really on behalf of all developers. Making JavaScript public domain will allow all of us to use it without legal concerns. That’s why we’re trying to raise $200k for the discovery phase, which will cover a variety of legal tactics, such as a professional survey to sample the public’s opinions about Oracle’s connection to the mark. <strong>None of the money will go to Deno, and if there are any funds remaining, they will be immediately donated to </strong><a href="https://openjsf.org/governance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>the OpenJS Foundation</strong></a><strong>.</strong>
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<div><strong>Key Legal Milestones</strong>
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<div>- <strong>1997</strong> – Sun Microsystems trademarks JavaScript.
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<div>- <strong>2009</strong> – Oracle acquires Sun, inherits the trademark.
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<div>- <strong>2019</strong> – Oracle renews the mark, using a Node.js screenshot (a project they don’t own) as evidence of use.
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<div>- <strong>Sept 2024</strong> – Ryan Dahl (creator of Node.js and co-founder and CEO of Deno) <a href="https://javascript.tm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">writes an open letter</a>, signed by Brendan Eich and 26,000+ developers, demanding Oracle release the mark.
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<div>- <strong>Nov 22, 2024</strong> – <a href="https://deno.com/blog/deno-v-oracle" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deno files formal petition with the USPTO to cance</a>l Oracle’s claim on three grounds: *genericness, abandonment, and fraud.*
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<div>- <strong>Feb 2025</strong> – <a href="https://deno.com/blog/deno-v-oracle2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oracle files motion to dismiss the fraud claim</a>, arguing their evidence was valid.
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<div>- <strong>Jun 18, 2025</strong> – The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) dismisses the fraud claim. The fight continues on genericness and abandonment — the heart of the case.
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<div>- <strong>Aug 7, 2025</strong> – <a href="https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=92086835&amp;pty=CAN&amp;eno=16" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oracle files a response</a> to Deno’s petition, denying that <strong>“there is broad industry and public consensus that the term ‘JavaScript’ is generic”</strong>.
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<div>- <strong>Sept 6, 2025</strong> – Discovery begins: both sides exchange documents, evidence, and depositions.
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<div>About us:
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<div>We are the team building <a href="https://deno.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deno</a>, a modern JavaScript/TypeScript toolchain and runtime, as well as <a href="https://deno.com/deploy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deno Deploy</a>, a simple platform for all types of JavaScript and TypeScript applications.
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Help Us Challenge Oracle's JavaScript Trademark

platform

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Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

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fund country is US and user language is English

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comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

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Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

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3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

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Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

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Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

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fallback mode accounts

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p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

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charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

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braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

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Thank you V3 testing whitelist

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Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

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NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

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Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

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Survicate

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Non-charity fund

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CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

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PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

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