Node.js trademarks move to OpenJS Foundation

The OpenJS Foundation shepherds dozens of open source JavaScript projects including jQuery, Dojo, Electron, and Webpack.

Node.js trademarks have been transferred to the OpenJS Foundation from Joyent, the company that originally led the development of the popular JavaScript runtime.

With the move, announced February 14, the OpenJS Foundation will be responsible for ongoing management of the trademarks. A project of the Linux Foundation, OpenJS has hosted a number of open source projects critical to the JavaScript ecosystem including the jQuery JavaScript library, the Webpack bundler, and the Electron framework.

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Rules governing the usage of Node.js trademarks will be consistent with other OpenJS project trademarks. OpenJS Foundation staff and its Cross Project Council are working on efforts pertaining to areas including security and diversity. For the past six years, Joyent has granted OpenJS Foundation and, before that, the Node.js Foundation, a perpetual, free license to use Node.js trademarks. Node.js is an Impact Project at OpenJS, a level reserved for large and mature projects.

The Node.js Foundation and the JS Foundation merged in 2019 to form the OpenJS Foundation. Node.js founder Ryan Dahl was working at Joyent when he developed the technology in 2009. Since then, Dahl has gone on to lead the development of Node.js rival Deno. Joyent is a member of the board of OpenJS Foundation directors.