[Linux-aus] FireFox vs IceWeasel

[Paul Wayper]

Jeff Waugh wrote:
> Sorry, but this is fundamentally wrong. Firefox was not renamed to Iceweasel
> in Debian due to "allowing and using proprietary binaries". It was renamed
> because the maintainer believed MoFo's **trademark** compliancy requirements
> had a detrimental impact on his ability to comply with the DFSG.
>   
Well, if it's fundamentally wrong, you'd better go and correct the
IceWeasel pages on Wikipedia and on
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/, because they reckon it's also
because of using a closed-source reporting app and allowing binary plugins.

Sure, the artwork is also an issue.  I'm also told that the Mozilla
Foundation is insisting that installers break the File System Heirarchy
guidelines.  If someone tells me that they're demanding the souls of the
developer's first-born children, or putting dibs on the front seat of
your car, I won't be overly surprised.  It seems to me, from the
reaction of some of the people on this list, that all this
trademark-protection has made the Mozilla Foundation the new Object Of
Hatred amongst the Free Software Fanatics.  Calling them 'MoFo' doesn't,
IMNSHO, help anyone.

> If Debian can't: ship the trademark logo icon because it is non-Free, can't
> ship the trademark product name (because without the icon, Mofo refused the
> trademark license), can't pass trademark license rights to derivatives, and
> can't feasibly manage distribution and security patch approval... Then how
> can Debian be compliant with the trademark compliancy requirements, and how
> can they ship "Firefox"?
>   
Well, they could look at their 'guidelines' as, er, guidelines, not
hard-and-fast rules. :-)

Seriously though, I think that IceWeasel is the best way to resolve this
particular issue.  The Debian Free Software Guidelines should _not_ be
bent, and the trademark laws _can't_, so the only course is to split the
codebase and use different logos.  Hopefully the goodwill generated in
passing patches back to the Mozilla Foundation will see some kind of
change in policy or licensing from them in the future.

But as to whether we should start panicking that this will create
confusion amongst the people for whom FireFox is the first Open Source
application they've ever used, I think that's a complete storm in a
teacup.  Let IceWeasel be packaged up and put on Debian, and the rest of
us can keep on using FireFox on Linux and Windows and be happy with what
we've got.

Have fun,

Paul