ENS, Unstoppable Domains clash over blockchain domain name patent
• ENS founder Nick Johnson says he's "prepared to go to the mat" in a patent dispute with rival Unstoppable Domains over blockchain domain name technology.
• Johnson claims Unstoppable won a patent in January "based entirely on innovations that ENS developed," which he fears Unstoppable may leverage against ENS.
• Unstoppable CEO Matthew Gould denies stealing ENS's intellectual property, saying they patented distinct technology they built and used themselves.
• The dispute centers on open-source principles in blockchain, with ENS advocating code as public good rather than private IP rights.
• Unstoppable says they've pledged not to assert patent claims against Web3 Domain Alliance members like ENS, but Johnson challenges that as not legally binding.