The developer of the Zksync Ethereum Layer 2 network, Matter Labs, abandoned its bid to trademark the term ‘ZK’ just days after asserting its right to do so. Matter Labs’ trademark bid withdrawal follows a furious community backlash that ultimately saw co-inventors of zero-knowledge proofs publicly chastise the developer.
Community Backlash Forces Matter Labs to Drop ‘ZK’ Trademark Bid
This article was published more than a year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
WRITTEN BY
SHARE
Community Backlash Ends Matter Labs’ ZK Trademark Push
Matter Labs, the developer of the Zksync Ethereum Layer 2 network, announced on June 2 that it’s abandoning all attempts to trademark the acronym “ZK,” which stands for zero-knowledge proofs. The company made the decision after evaluating feedback received since revealing its trademark intentions.
According to a post on X, the developer appeared to acknowledge community discontent that ensued after Matter Labs revealed its ZK-related trademark applications. Matter Labs initially asserted its legal right to trademark the acronym but also expressed its commitment to finding a structure that would make it accessible to all ZK technology builders.
The announcement sparked outrage from competing platforms, that went as far as accusing Matter Labs of violating the crypto ethos by attempting to legally claim a public good. In a May 30 statement, competing platforms urged Matter Labs to withdraw all trademark applications and cease using the “ZK” ticker.
Matter Labs Affirms Commitment to the ZK Movement
While Matter Labs did not directly address the statement by Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali, co-inventors of zero-knowledge proofs, the developer suggested a lack of community consensus made proceeding with trademark registration impossible.
“These [community] discussions came down to one important fact: it would be impossible to agree on a group of people perceived as credibly neutral by nearly everyone. What could have worked for Ethereum would not necessarily work for the entire world,” the scaling platform said.
Matter Labs concluded the post by reiterating its commitment to the movement and expressing gratitude to the Zksync community for their messages of support during this period.
Was Matter Labs right to abandon its ZK trademark bid? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
