Re: firefox -> iceweasel package is probably not legal
Sean Kellogg writes:
> When the consumer (a.k.a. debian user) goes to the console and decides s/he
> wishes to obtain firefox, from the fine folks at the Mozilla Foundation, they
> do what? They run 'apt-get install firefox.' When they do so they are not
> given Firefox from the Mozilla Foundation, they are given iceweasel, a Debian
> product based on the Firefox code base. While a fine product in its own
> right, the Mozilla people do not consider it to be Firefox.
Unless the user has specifically changed system configuration files,
"apt-get install" on a Debian system only installs software from
Debian. It does not install software from the Mozilla Foundation.
A trademark holder's rights do not extend to prohibiting anyone else
from claiming compatibility or similarity to their product. Given the
simple and obvious type of redirection that happens with a transition
package, I think this is the proper basis of analysis. Transition
packages are not "disclaimers" of any sort; they are hints to a person
or tools acting on that person's behalf.
Michael Poole
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