Why does Oracle own the name “JavaScript”?
Oracle does not own the name “JavaScript.” The name “JavaScript” is a trademark of Oracle Corporation, but the history behind this is a bit convoluted.
Netscape originally developed JavaScript and was initially called “Mocha.” It was later renamed to “LiveScript” and finally to “JavaScript” when it was officially released with Netscape Navigator 2.0 in December 1995. The name “JavaScript” was chosen as a marketing move when Sun Microsystems’ Java language was gaining popularity. The intent was to capitalize on the Java buzz, even though the two languages are distinct and have different design goals.
Sun Microsystems held the trademark for the name “JavaScript.” In 2010, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun Microsystems, so the trademark for “JavaScript” was transferred to Oracle.
However, it’s essential to note that while Oracle holds the trademark for the name “JavaScript,” the language itself is standardized by the ECMA International standards organization as “ECMAScript.” The most widely used versions of the language follow the ECMAScript standard.