Crafting a special kind of license for a very special standard.

[John Cowan]

David Woolley scripsit:

> Internet Explorer probably would never have existed if MS could 
> re-implement Netscape's copyrighted code.

In fact, Netscape (through version 4) and IE (through version 6) are
independent reimplementations of the original NCSA Mosaic codebase.
Microsoft's predecessor in interest, Spyglass Inc., licensed the Mosaic
name and technology but did not reuse any of the Mosaic code, though
they could have.

Indeed, Microsoft attempted to license Netscape Navigator before
turning to Spyglass, but was turned down by Netscape.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_%28web_browser%29 .

-- 
John Cowan       http://www.ccil.org/~cowan        <cowan at ccil.org>
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  `Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)