Ethereum Name Service Sues Unstoppable Domains Over Patent

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has initiated a legal challenge against Unstoppable Domains (UD). It focuses on a contentious blockchain naming patent, marking a significant dispute in the blockchain industry. 

The patent, originally filed by Unstoppable Domains, ostensibly incorporates technology developed by ENS. This has led to accusations of intellectual property misappropriation.

Ethereum Name Service Vs. Unstoppable Domains: Legal Battle

ENS’s legal petition, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), claims that Unstoppable Domains has improperly patented a technology that the company originally developed as open-source. This technology pertains to the resolution of blockchain domain names — a critical function in decentralized web services.

“UD’s patent grab is a stark deviation from our ethos. They’re privatizing what should be public, disrupting the very foundation and ethos of Web3 and the open internet. ENS remains unwavering in our fight for decentralization and the collective good,” a statement from ENS read.

The organization expressed its commitment to ensuring such technologies remain free and accessible, echoing a foundational principle of the Web3 ethos.

Read more: Ethereum Name Service (ENS): Everything You Need To Know

In its petition, ENS also argues that the patent held by Unstoppable Domains could restrict innovation. It contends that its contribution to the technology was foundational and should not be controlled by a single entity’s patent. Additionally, ENS has highlighted several other patent applications filed by Unstoppable Domains, including basic technologies necessary for blockchain and cross-chain applications.

Nonetheless, Ashton Wolf, Managing Partner at MohrWolfe, told BeInCrypto that there are no legal grounds for Ethereum Name Service to make a justifiable case against Unstoppable Domains. He said only ethical considerations could help drop the lawsuit or an offer to purchase the patent.

“Unstoppable Domains would most likely not sell the patent, however, especially after these accusations. They could lease it out if they licensed the patent, which cannot be co-owned. For instance, Unstoppable Domains can license the patent to ENS for domain services. They would have a contract that defined the usage rights so that Unstoppable Domains would be licensing in return for compensation of some sort. Unstoppable Domains now has exclusive rights for the lifetime of the patent to use it any way they wish, including licensing and leasing it out,” Wolf told BeInCrypto.

Still, Worlf emphasized that Unstoppable Domains’ undermines the open-source ethos so important to blockchain.

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