The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has officially taken on a challenge against a patent granted to Unstoppable Domains (UD) in the United States. In a petition filed on May 2, ENS aims to contest the validity of the UD patent, with the goal of preserving the collaborative nature of the internet.
According to ENS, UD has patented a technology that ENS pioneered, which they consider to be theft rather than flattery. The company believes that the UD patent poses a threat to their core vision and values, including the belief that essential web functions should be free and not hindered by patents.
The move by ENS has garnered support from some members of the crypto community. Adam Cochran from Cinneamhain Ventures argues that the UD patent is invalid and that blockchain names, designed by ENS, should remain a perpetual public good and open intellectual property. Advocates of decentralized finance (DeFi) at the DeFi Education Fund also expressed their support for ENS, aligning themselves with ENS in promoting and advancing open-source protocols.
However, there are those in the crypto community who oppose ENS’ petition. One member suggested that ENS has no other option but to attack UD, claiming that ENS discourages others from working with UD and imposes high fees on investors. Another member accused ENS of attempting to gaslight, stating that patents are not granted without due process and urging ENS to take their petition to court rather than relying on public opinion.
Unstoppable Domains founder Matthew Gould responded to ENS, stating that ENS was cited in the patent alongside other blockchain domain systems and that the patent had undergone a review process with these citations.
In response, ENS founder Nick Johnson challenged Gould to highlight key innovations in their patent that were not already a part of ENS. However, Gould did not provide further responses to ENS and Johnson.
Overall, the Ethereum Name Service is taking a stand against the Unstoppable Domains patent, with the crypto community divided in their support for or opposition to ENS’ actions.