ENS Developer Accuses Unstoppable Domains of Patent Theft

Nick S.D. Johnson, the chief developer behind Ethereum Name Services (ENS), has publicly accused Unstoppable Domains (UD) of patent infringement. He alleges that UD has unlawfully taken ideas from ENS, particularly regarding the "Blockchain Domain Name Resolution" patent filed in January this year. Johnson expressed his frustration on Twitter, emphasizing ENS's commitment to open standards and the ethical management of the global namespace.

The programmer highlighted that all of ENS's work is licensed, and anyone can verify this. Due to their dedication to these values, the ENS leadership has never considered patenting their work. In contrast, according to Johnson, Unstoppable Domains has gradually "stolen" ideas from ENS and is now attempting to claim them as their own.

Johnson claimed to have made unsuccessful attempts to "make progress in communicating with UD." He posted an open letter to Unstoppable Domains, underscoring the importance of innovation without permission and open standards in the Web3 ecosystem.

In January of this year, Unstoppable Domains received its first patent, numbered US11558344, titled "Blockchain Domain Resolution." Johnson asserts that this patent is entirely based on innovations developed by ENS, excluding any technological advancements introduced by UD.

The developer emphasized that such behavior is unethical. He stated, "We urge Unstoppable Domains to give legal weight to their public relations commitments and abandon this patent."

According to Johnson, making this decision will be a crucial step in ensuring that Web3 remains an open and innovative space. He believes it is essential not to restrict technological development but rather to encourage its evolution. If this does not happen, ENS Labs is prepared to challenge the patent, which, according to the organization's leaders, is entirely derived from their own inventions.