Netscape Communications Corp, following in the footsteps of technologies such as Linux, BSD Unix and the Apache web server, has established its web site for the open development of its Communicator 5.0 source code. The company announced on January 23 its intention to offer the source code of Communicator 5.0 for free in order to spur adoption of the technology. Netscape does this with the proviso that any enhancements made to the code must be returned free of charge to Netscape, which will be able to use them in future versions of the basic product. It’s called copyleft licensing on the internet. Netscape has established a web site (www.mozilla.org) where developers interested in modifying and redistributing the source code can meet. It will host discussion forums – either newsgroups or mailing lists and co-ordinate bug lists. Incidentally, Mozilla was the original code name of Navigator and then became the name of the company’s mascot.
