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Mozilla Foundation Launches Mozilla Corporation

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the just-keeping-kicking-out-out-the-code dept.

An anonymous reader writes "MozillaZine is reporting that the Mozilla Foundation has created a commercial subsidiary to continue development of Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird. Don't let the word "commercial" scare you, the new Mozilla Corporation (as it has been dubbed) will be owned 100% by the Mozilla Foundation. The change is mostly a legal/tax thing to avoid the problems of pursuing revenue-generating avenues while remaining a non-profit. There will be no change to the development process and end-users won't notice much difference either. See also the Mozilla Foundation press release about the Mozilla Corporation and the Mozilla reorganization FAQ."

3 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. Re:MHO about possible IPO by maxwell+demon · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If the proper binding contracts are not put in place before hand, then we can say good buy to the popup blockers.

    If the Mozilla Corporation should go wrong, the Foundation can just re-start to release the official Firefox/Thunderbird versions themselves, including any improvements dome by the Corporation in the mean time. That's the power of Open Source: Even if the corporation gets evil, it cannot suddenly remove the code. The only possible weak point would be the trademark, but I hope the trademark rights remain at the Foundation.
    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  2. Re:MHO about possible IPO by cwhicks · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I disagree as well. Unfortunately, very few people continue to do "the right thing" when there is money to be made to not do "the right thing", i.e. insert ads, stop blocking certain pop-ups, add propriatary code. I am not saying this will happen, but up until now the insentive for adoption has been the opposite of what the insentives will be now.

    Also, when money becomes available, like flies to shit, people whose only interest is money immediatly try to get involved and usually succeed.

    --
    - I like pudding.
  3. Re:Mozilla has sold out to Google already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    All the services you mention, from the default Google engine in the Search Bar, to the link prefetching feature (which existed for over two years before Google starting taking advantage of it), to the Internet Keywords functionality (the I'm Feeling Lucky Location Bar search), were developed before Google starting giving them any money.