From: harveyrj@vt.edu (R. J. Harvey)
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 95 08:11:41 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Netscape to copyright URLs?
Message-ID: <9508201511.AA06361@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 02:39 AM 8/20/95 -0400, Lucky Green wrote:
>Today's surf of Netscape's home page yielded an interesting question. Is
>Netscape trying to licence links to their products? To me
>http://home.netscape.com/comprod/mirror/netscape_now_program.html seems to
>suggest tha you can only display certain logos and info if you are
>licensed by Netscape. You could for example not put up a link to their
>"Download Netscape NOW" page without prior approval by Netscape.
>
>This seems to be a new development on the web. Since when does one need a
>license to include certain URLs in one's home page?
>
>Comments?
>
  My reading of that page suggests a somewhat different motive
and interpretation:  what they seem to be doing is copying the
Microsoft approach with respect to setting criteria that must be
met before you can use their logo on your page/product.  It doesn't 
prohibit putting links to their download page; it just prohibits
using their "Netscape Now!" logo without their permission.
  Note the criteria for being allowed to use their logo:  you
have to design your server to break with the current "standards"
(e.g., CGI) and embrace Netscape's extensions (e.g., backgrounds;
client pull/server push, SSL encrypted transactions), which they 
would like to foist on us as the new "standard."
  Essentially, they want us to help them create the perception
that if you don't show the "Netscape Now!" flag (didn't Nixon have
a similar slogan?) on your page, that you're just not a high-
quality operation.  Or maybe they're trying to change the subject
from the unfortunate publicity from the success of SSL Challenge...

rj

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R. J. Harvey               email:  harveyrj@vt.edu
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