This article makes for an interesting read. Here follow two early paragraphs for context:
Oracle controls the JavaScript trademark because in 2009 it acquired Sun Microsystems, which applied to trademark the name with the US Patent and Trademark Office back in 1995. The trademark was granted in 2000.
While the database giant does not use the name for any commercial products, its ownership of the trademark has led JavaScript-oriented organizations such as events biz JSConf to adopt branding that avoids the term. As the signatories to the letter observe, the world’s most popular programming language therefore can’t have a conference that mentions what it’s about.
Toward the end, the article mentions an initiative to legally pursue Oracle for trademark abandonment.
If it’s such a problem, maybe we just collectively move on to ES or TypeScript nomenclature?
Typescript and JavaScript are different languages and the distinction is important, especially because the two are used in conjunction with each other.
Especially because TypeScript compiles down to
JavaScriptJSYeah but why would you ever use javascript instead of typescript.
Don’t answer that. 😂
For an application? Never. I’d still use it for something very small like a build script where the hassle of separate compile and run stages makes the whole thing a hassle to use. That might change now, though, since I think Node has gained the ability to execute Typescript directly.
Because I’m a browser and I can’t read typescript.
The article mentions that the letter indicated intent to petition with the USPTO to cancel the Javascript trademark due to abandonment. Hopefully that is successful since that seems to be the best outcome short of Oracle willingly forfeiting it.