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Would Netscape FireFox Be A Better Mainstream Name?

Following AOL's decision to end development on Netscape Navigator, writing in Silicon Alley Insider, Henry Blodget notes that since the Netscape name is still well known to many people who are not sure what FireFox or Mozilla, AOL should sell it to the Mozilla Foundation to be used by a rebranded FireFox. His proposal is:

Now that AOL (TWX) has officially killed the already dead Netscape browser, here's what the company should do with the brand and portal that remain: Sell them to Mozilla/Firefox. Mozilla should then rebrand the Firefox browser "Netscape Firefox," connect it to a retooled Netscape portal, and have another go at Microsoft's IE.

Doing this would help Mozilla expand beyond tech circles into the mainstream who knows that Netscape was a browser they once used or at least heard of, but have no knowledge of FireFox.

Most of the comments to this suggest ridicule the idea and claim that the Netscape brand has no value; however I think it’s worth at least a study.

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