Oracle has filed a motion to dismiss part of a petition to cancel its JavaScript trademark, citing a lack of evidence to support allegations of fraud. The move comes as the company faces mounting pressure to relinquish control over the JavaScript trademark, which it acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems in 2009.

The petition to cancel the trademark was filed by Deno Land, a JavaScript runtime provider, on November 22, 2024, with Node.js creator Ryan Dahl leading the efforts to void Oracle's ownership. Deno Land argues that Oracle committed fraud by submitting screen captures of the Node.js website to defend its ownership of the JavaScript trademark, despite having no affiliation with Node.js.

However, Oracle denies making a fraudulent submission, claiming it also submitted a specimen pertaining to the JavaScript Extension Toolkit page from Oracle's own website. The company is seeking to have the USPTO trial and appeal board extend the deadline to answer the petition to at least 30 days beyond the board's decision on the motion.

In a blog post on February 4, Deno Land CEO Ryan Dahl criticized Oracle's latest move, accusing the company of trying to stall the process and sidestep accountability. "Yesterday, Oracle filed a motion to dismiss in response to Deno's petition to cancel its 'JavaScript' trademark," Dahl said. "But instead of addressing the real issue—that JavaScript is an open standard with multiple independent implementations—Oracle is trying to stall the process and sidestep accountability."

Deno Land's petition also argues that Oracle should not hold the trademark because JavaScript was not an Oracle product and Oracle has abandoned the trademark anyway. However, Oracle has refused to give up the trademark, sparking a heated debate over who should control the popular programming language.

As the dispute continues, the tech community remains divided on the issue. While some argue that Oracle's ownership of the JavaScript trademark is unjustified, others believe that the company has a legitimate claim to the trademark. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for the future of JavaScript development and the open-source community.

Oracle could not be reached for comment on the issue, but the company's latest move is seen as a sign of its determination to maintain control over the JavaScript trademark. As the case progresses, it remains to be seen whether Oracle will ultimately be forced to relinquish its ownership of the trademark or find a way to maintain its grip on the popular programming language.