Nick Johnson, the lead developer of ethereum Name Service (ENS), accused Unstoppable Domains of patenting its open source innovation regarding the “Blockchain Domain Resolution” in a November 16 open letter. aware on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Johnson claimed that the Unstoppable Domains patent was based solely on innovations developed by ENS without any unique contributions from the rival company.
Unstoppable Domains ‘anti-open innovation’ activities
Johnson further explained how Unstoppable Domains’ patenting efforts contradict the principles of open innovation, citing how the rival company recently filed a “request to reserve names similar to a ‘dawn phase’ that has been common in the domain name service (DNS) world for many years.”
On the other hand, ENS has refrained from patenting its innovations despite being a leader in the space, saying that its works are “under open source licenses” and “publicly available for anyone to implement.”
Johnson emphasized the need for Unstoppable Domains to legally commit to donating its first patent under an “unconditional and irrevocable patent commitment,” saying, “Press releases are not legally binding.” If not, Johnson warned that “ENS Labs is willing to challenge this patent, which we believe is derived entirely from our inventions; a position that we can and want to demonstrate.”
It concluded that the letter was necessary to “emphasize the importance of permissionless innovation and open standards in the web3 ecosystem and request (Unstoppable Domains’) cooperation to ensure that web3 names remain a place for innovation.”
Unstoppable Domains responds
In response, Matthew Gould, founder of Unstoppable Domains, highlighted his company’s commitment to driving advancements in web3 naming standards. He emphasized the critical role of collaborative efforts and discussions in navigating the changing industry landscape.
Meanwhile, Johnson proposed that Unstoppable Domains should extend the openness of its patent licenses beyond ENS, citing models such as patent non-aggression pacts used by companies like IBM.
However, Gould expanded the scope of the discussion, pointing out the broader implications for the industry, observing that the focus on Unstoppable Domains could easily move to patents or trademarks of companies in different regions later.
Gould reiterated the need for a proactive discussion forum, inviting ENS to join the Web3 Domain Alliance to foster an environment conducive to open dialogue and collaboration to shape the future of web3 naming standards.
