213792 - Change Name of Mozilla to Better Suggest 'Browser' Function

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(Marketing :: General, task)

Description

[Jason Parker]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.5a) Gecko/20030720 Mozilla Firebird/0.6
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.5a) Gecko/20030720 Mozilla Firebird/0.6


as discussed on the chatroom,, restoring the name "communicator" will help
end-stupid-users to associate it with the internet, as Netscape was a suggestive
name, but Mozilla not. look that the devil -internet explorer- is a really
suggestive name

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.
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Galileo Vidoni:
"as discussed on the chatroom,, restoring the name "communicator" will help
end-stupid-users to associate it with the internet, as Netscape was a suggestive
name, but Mozilla not. look that the devil -internet explorer- is a really
suggestive name"

Example:

Netscape Navigator / Netscape Communicator 
v.
Mozilla

Perhaps the 'Navigator,' or 'Communicator,' or even the 'Netscape' trademarks
can be transfered to the Mozilla Foundation?

Comment 1

[Robert Morris]

Netscape is in the process of transferring trademarks and whatnot to the
Foundation, not? Does that include Navigator and/or Communicator (assuming they
were trademarks in the first place)?

I know we're planning on calling Mozilla Firebird Mozilla Browser when it's
finished, but I think that, while that name may be suggestive, it's also plain
and not catchy. Mozilla Navigator may be better; that way, it's at least a
*little* not-plain and at least has the "Navigator" part that used to belong to
Netscape (a name which I doubt we'll ever get to use). Maybe not much better,
but a little--and we haven't even started rebranding that product yet.

As for the Mozilla/Seamonkey, that is, of course, a suite--and so for that, we
might need Communicator if they're interested in rebranding it. Somehow I doubt
that'll go through, since it would require a little effort, the name may still
belong to Netscape (?), and a year from now it's hopefully not what we'll be
marketing, anyway.

I'll grant that the "Mo" part of Mozilla isn't enough for most to catch on to
its function, but our marketing may be able to help with that. Unless, of
course, the target audience has a strong memory of Netscape history or still
associates Mosaic with the Web. :)

Comment 2

[Robert Mohr]

AFAIK, Netscape is not transferring trademarks to the Foundation.  Merely by
using Navigator and Communicator as product names, they became trademarks, but
not registered trademarks.  I heard somewhere that AOL wants to make an "AOL
Communicator", which would imply that they don't want to give up at least the
Communicator trademark.

The suite's name will stand--it will soon be replaced by the individual
applications, and then mostly forgotten.

Comment 3

[Grey Hodge (jX)]

We've already got names, as denoted in the branding document. After the hge
debate that was, I doubt seriously enyone wants to go through it again.

Comment 4

[Daniel Wang]

v