As an experienced analyst, I believe that Matter Labs made the right decision in abandoning their efforts to trademark the term “ZK.” The backlash from the community, led by prominent figures in the ZK field and other industry players, was intense and justified.
As a researcher investigating developments in the blockchain industry, I’ve come across an interesting update from Matter Labs. They are the team behind ZkSync, an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution using Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs. Recently, they announced their decision to abandon their attempt to trademark the term “ZK” for their project. This means that other projects in the space can now use this term freely without infringing on Matter Labs’ intellectual property rights.
As a researcher, I’ve come across an announcement from Matter Labs dated June 3rd. They revealed that their decision to give up on trademarking the term “ZK” was based on the understanding that it would be virtually impossible for a consensus to emerge among individuals perceived as neutral by almost everyone.
Matter Labs Drops “ZK” Trademark Effort
Previously, Matter Labs applied for trademark rights to the term “zero-knowledge” (ZK) in nine countries. However, this move led to a conflict with Polyhedra Network, who intended to use ZK as their ticker symbol. The ensuing dispute lasted for a week and saw Polyhedra Network expressing strong criticism towards Matter Labs’ actions, labeling them as bullying behavior that went against the values of Web3.
As a researcher looking into recent developments in the industry, I discovered that shortly after Matter Labs’ announcement of their partnership with Polyhedra, several key players voiced their concerns. They believed that this collaboration could potentially result in the privatization of a publicly-held resource.
When opposition grew stronger, Matter Labs abandoned their plans for registering a trademark and clarified in an official announcement that what could succeed within the Ethereum community might not translate to effectiveness on a broader, globally diverse stage, due to the varying viewpoints, motivations, and parties involved.
“We’re thrilled to be involved in a community that prioritizes cypherpunk ideals with such passion. Our gratitude goes out to Zksync and its members for the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received. The arrival of ZK summer is just around the corner.”
Opposition
As a researcher in the field of zero-knowledge (ZK) projects, I can share that some influential figures within the community have collectively spoken out against a recent decision. These include Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali, inventors of ZK proofs, as well as Sandeep Nailwal and Brendan Farmer, co-founders of Polygon. Additionally, Eli Ben-Sasson, the CEO of StarkWare, has joined in this opposition. They have issued a formal statement expressing their firm stance against the move.
The importance of keeping “ZK” accessible to all parties was emphasized in the statement, while also acknowledging and dealing with the potential issue that granting the trademark might estrange Matter Labs from its intended audience.
StarkWare, a software business specializing in ZK-proof technology, considered the actions “oppressive.” In response, Linea, a Layer 2 scaling project supported by ConsenSys, joined other industry advocates in criticizing Matter Labs for potentially breaching the values of the cryptocurrency sector by seeking a trademark.
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2024-06-04 01:22