Unstoppable Domains won a major legal case just a year ago when the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected a challenge from ENS Labs. At the time, ENS Labs had tried to cancel Unstoppable’s patent for “Resolving Blockchain Domains.”

On 22 November 2024, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled that ENS Labs didn’t have a strong enough case to overturn the patent. The decision backed Unstoppable’s outlook towards tech and its responsible approach towards intellectual property.

Since then, Unstoppable Domains has refrained from using the patent to block or sue anyone. On the contrary, it has stuck to its promise of supporting open innovation in Web3.

According to Unstoppable Domains, it aims to protect its ideas while also encouraging collaboration and growth across the blockchain domain space.

“We are proud that the USPTO affirmed the integrity of our intellectual property,” said Matt Gould, Founder and CEO of Unstoppable Domains. “This victory underscores the originality of our technology and our continued commitment to responsibly advancing the Web3 naming ecosystem.”

USPTO Says Unstoppable Domains Blockchain Patent Still Stands

For anyone who is lost in the sauce, with the non-stop crypto updates 24/7, here is the rundown of this case. The ‘344 Patent was granted on 17 January 2023. It patent covers a functionality that lets blockchain domain names work through smart contracts.

Meaning, this tech makes Unstoppable Domains’.crypto registry possible, allowing people to use easy-to-read names instead of long blockchain addresses. Moreover, it skips the requirement for a middleman.

Some of its other standout features include gasless transactions, smart contract resolution, and decentralized domain management. The tools have been a part of Unstoppable’s arsenal since 2020.

Now, ENS Labs contested this patent by filing a petition against all 20 of its claims. The USPTO, however, could not find any depth to the petitions and, after reviewing the case, concluded that ENS didn’t provide enough evidence to move forward.

Further, the board ruled that ENS hadn’t proven its reference material as prior art or that it undermined Unstoppable’s technology. With that ruling, the case was officially closed.

Sandy Carter, Chief Business Officer of Unstoppable Domains said, “Protecting our IP is the only responsible way to ensure that the Web3 industry can continue to innovate for our community and partners. We will continue to build open, interoperable infrastructure that empowers developers, users, and partners around the world.”

Why Does This Ruling Matter?

The ruling vindicated Web3 and the blockchain industry by confirming legal protection for blockchain-based domain naming systems.

The ruling also reinforced Unstoppable Domains’ role as an industry leader when it comes to building tools for decentralized identity and Web3 infrastructure.

For the uninitiated, Unstoppable Domains, founded in 2018, is an accredited registrar that helps bring people into both traditional DNS and Web3. It creates blockchain-based domain names to give users full ownership over their digital identity without any renewal fees.

Instead of using long, complicated crypto wallet addresses, people can simply link their names to their wallets and apps, making everyday use of blockchain much easier.