Re: NCSA Mosaic not freeware

> 
> Actually, the situation has become MUCH worse than that: Spyglass have sold
> the code to MICRO$OFT.  Guess what they'll do about NCSA Mosaic as soon as
> they have MS Mosaic out!  Currently, NCSA shells out betas for evaluation
> purposes (as Netscape does), but I assume that MS will stomp that out VERY
> quickly.
> 
> The last free version of NCSA Mosaic was 2.4, which was released before
> they sold their code to Spyglass.  There are some improved versions coming
> from places like Tuebingen University which are based on NCSA Mosaic 2.4,
> but I fear Micro$oft's law department will find a way to illegalize these
> versions as well.
> 
> OK, let's talk about HTML again.

Sorry to continue the divergence, but I thought it important to point that
NCSA has NOT sold the code for Mosaic.  The demand from commercial companies
wishing to LISCENSE Mosaic was great enough that NCSA farmed out the handling
of liscenses to Spyglass.  Spyglass bought the right to handle all future 
liscensing of Mosaic (4 or 5 companies had already purchased liscenses from 
NCSA -- I believe Spry was one of them -- and this agreement naturally didn't
effect exsisting argeements) but not the actual code.  NCSA still retains 
ownership of Mosaic.  They simply didn't want to bother with liscensing 
aspect.

Microsoft has purchased a liscense from Spyglass, as have several other 
companies, eg. Quarterdeck.  The liscense allows them to add their own 
enhancements to Mosaic as well.  Now here's the good part; NCSA has the right
to add any liscensee's (that would include Microsoft) enhancements in future
versions of Mosaic!  

Jonathan



      jonathan@ecn.purdue.edu  _/ _/       _/    _/   And it would of worked
    QUESTION AUTHORITY --     _/ _/       _/_/  _/  if it hadn't been for
  And the authorities        _/ _/       _/  _/_/  those meddling kids and
will question you.    _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/    _/  their stupid dog

Received on Wednesday, 12 April 1995 17:44:14 UTC