The Mozilla project was started by Netscape in 1994 and led by Jerry Burch for the first two years. However, most companies did purchase an advance license from Netscape and continued using their products until they were bought by another company or ceased development. Because of Netscape’s advanced licensing scheme, most companies could not license the source code they needed to create browsers with similar functionality. Source codeĪs a result of the popularity of Netscape Navigator, many companies began to develop different versions of the browser. ![]() Netscape was one of the first companies to offer its product free usage for non-commercial purposes. The other browsers included Opera from Opera Software ASA (later bought by Sun Microsystems and then was bought by Microsoft), WebTV from Palm, and Mozilla from Netscape Company/Netscape Japan. However, companies developed nearly identical browsers to the original Netscape Navigator GUI. The advanced licensing scheme was intended to create a free for all browser for non-commercial purposes. The standard representation license also restricted use by companies that were not direct employees of Netscape. Additionally, no company could use the source code in any derivative work. No other company could use Netscape Navigators’ source code in their browser unless they purchased an advance license agreement. The license granted users unlimited use of Netscape’s source code without royalty payments. The license required users to agree not to create derivative works or incorporate certain proprietary technologies such as SSL in the code of a website. Netscape Navigator was free of charge to download and use, but it required a license that came with an annual fee. All other uses or disclosures of Netscape Product Source Code or the work product of Netscape’s performance hereunder, including, without limitation, to any other Licensee, whether or not by way of sublicense, shall be deemed a breach of this Agreement.” Advanced licensing scheme “No Licensee shall use or disclose any Netscape Product Source Code, except as expressly permitted by this Agreement (including, without limitation, in a stand-alone product which is not a derivative work of any other product). The license agreement was developed to allow Netscape to restrict access to the source code and disallow others from developing similar browsers that competed with Netscapes own products. Instead, it was used to restrict Netscape’s source code licensing by other companies. This license was not used to restrict usage. Advance License ProtocolĪ license agreement called the “Standard Representation License” (aka ‘SR’) was distributed with Netscape Navigator. ![]() It created a free usage of the source code for non-commercial purposes but made it difficult to use it for commercial purposes. In 1995, Netscape Communications introduced the Mozilla Public License (MPL) to their source code. Navigator used a plug-in architecture where Netscape extensions could be installed. A command bar was displayed at the top of the screen, which allowed users to access personal information, files, and local printers. The browser was installed by double-clicking the icon on a Windows-based operating system. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that made Netscape abandon the free browser model favouring an advanced licensing scheme. Navigator started as a for-free browser, but Netscape was sued because their license restrictions prevented other companies from developing browsers similar to Netscape Navigator’s GUI. The tabs opened various windows that could be used to display web pages in a window on the user’s screen. Netscape Navigator used tabs in a similar way to most contemporary web browsers. ![]() It was a Dominant browser for a long period. Netscape browser usage ranged from 85% to 95% at its peak. Conversely, an advanced licensing scheme prevented other companies from creating browsers similar to Netscape Navigators GUI. This allowed users to download Netscape Navigator from the internet and use it for personal browsing without charge, which increased its popularity. The browser was free and usable for non-commercial purposes. It is the first commercially successful web browser with a graphical user interface that renders images in line with the text. Netscape Navigator was a web browser created in 1994 by Netscape Communications Corporation.
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