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{{Short description|Software rebranding due to trademark issues}}
{{Redirect|Iceweasel|the GNU browser formerly known as IceWeasel|GNU IceCat}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Iceweasel
| logo = Iceweasel icon.svg
| logo size = 96px
| screenshot = Iceweasel-30-debian-jessie.png
| screenshot size = 240px
| caption =Iceweasel 30 running on [[Debian]] "Jessie"
| author =
| developer = [[Debian]] Project
| operating system = [[Linux]], [[GNU]] and [[GNU variants|variants]]
| genre = [[Web browser]]
| license = [[Mozilla Public License|MPL]], [[GNU General Public License|GNU GPL]], [[GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL]]
| website = [https://packages.debian.org/jessie/iceweasel Debian package page]
}}
In 2006, a branding issue developed when Mike Connor, representing the [[Mozilla Corporation]], requested that the [[Debian]] Project comply with Mozilla standards for use of the Thunderbird [[trademark]] when redistributing the Thunderbird software.<ref name="bug">{{cite web | url=http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=354622 | title=Debian bug report on use of Mozilla Firefox trademark without permission}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/12/msg00328.html | title=mozilla thunderbird trademark restrictions / still dfsg free ?}}</ref> At issue were modifications not approved by the Mozilla Foundation, when the name for the software remained the same.
The Debian Project subsequently [[rebranding|rebranded]] the [[Mozilla Firefox]] program,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2006/10/msg00665.html | title=Re: Will IceWeasel be based on a fork or on vanilla FireFox? }}</ref> and other software released by Mozilla, so that Debian could distribute modified software without being bound by the trademark requirements that the Mozilla Foundation had invoked. The new names established by Debian were ''Iceweasel'' for Mozilla Firefox, ''Icedove'' for [[Mozilla Thunderbird]], and ''Iceape'' for [[SeaMonkey]]. These changes were implemented in the subsequent version of [[Debian|Debian (Etch)]]. In July 2007, ''Iceowl'', a rebranded version of [[Mozilla Sunbird]], was added to the unstable branch of Debian.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://packages.qa.debian.org/i/iceowl.html|title=Debian Package Tracking System - iceowl|work=debian.org|access-date=18 February 2016}}</ref>
In 2016, a number of Mozilla employees and Debian maintainers argued that the branding was no longer needed,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=815006|title=#815006 - Renaming Iceweasel to Firefox - Debian Bug report logs|work=debian.org|access-date=18 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3036509/linux/iceweasel-will-be-renamed-firefox-as-relations-between-debian-and-mozilla-thaw.html |title='Iceweasel' will be renamed 'Firefox' as relations between Debian and Mozilla thaw |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |publisher=[[PC World]] |date=2016-02-24 |access-date=2016-02-28 }}</ref> and on 10 March 2016, Debian's unstable branch switched back to the Mozilla branding, with the stable branch planning to switch after Iceweasel's [[End-of-life (product)|end of life]].<ref name="glandium">{{cite web |url=https://glandium.org/blog/?p=3622 |title=RIP Iceweasel, 13 Nov 2006 – 10 Mar 2016 |date=2016-03-10 |access-date=2016-03-11 }}</ref>
The decade-long branding issues between the Debian Project and Mozilla Corporation ended in 2017 when all Mozilla applications in Debian were reverted to their original names.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Great Debian Iceweasel/Icedove Saga Comes to an End {{!}} FOSS Force|url=http://fossforce.com/2017/02/great-debian-iceweasel-icedove-saga/|website=FOSS Force|date=27 February 2017}}</ref>
==Applications==
Debian's Iceweasel, Icedove, Iceowl, and Iceape were based on Mozilla's Firefox, Thunderbird, Sunbird, and SeaMonkey, respectively. The rebranded products still used some Internet-based services from Mozilla, including the Mozilla plugin finder service, and Mozilla add-ons and their update notifications. There was also no change to how non-[[free software|free]] components, such as Flash, were found or used.
===Iceape===
{{Main|SeaMonkey}}
[[File:Iceape-icon.svg|thumb|50px|Iceape logo]]
'''Iceape''' was a [[free software]] [[Internet suite]] based on SeaMonkey. It was developed by the Debian Mozilla Team in unison with the SeaMonkey Council's work on their release, but in accordance with Debian's policy of only using [[free content]] -- [[copyright]]ed artwork and [[proprietary software|proprietary]] [[plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]] were omitted.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}
A temporary lack of community development support resulted in Iceape being absent from the repository for Debian 5 ("Lenny"), though the {{Mono|iceape-dev}} and {{Mono|iceape-dev-bin}} libraries remained available. Support later resumed with Debian 6 ("Squeeze"), and by early 2013, the package was available for both Squeeze and June's release of Debian 7 ("Wheezy").{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}
As of December 2013,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.debian.org/security/2013/dsa-2819 | title=DSA-2819-1 iceape - end-of-life announcement for iceape}}</ref> the Iceape package was no longer being maintained by the Debian project and users were encouraged to migrate to other packages for security patches.
{{Clear}}
===Icedove===
{{Main| Mozilla Thunderbird}}
[[File:Icedove-icon.svg|thumb|50px|Icedove logo]]
'''Icedove''' was the Debian project's rebranded version of the Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail client. In February 2017, Thunderbird packages were reintroduced into the Debian repositories,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2017/02/msg00004.html | title=De-Branding of Icedove, reintroducing Thunderbird packages into Debian}}</ref> and on April 20, 2017, the Icedove package in Debian Stable was de-branded back to Thunderbird.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3832 | title=Debian Security Advisory DSA-3832-1 icedove}}</ref>
===Iceowl===
{{Main| Mozilla Sunbird}}
'''Iceowl''' was a [[calendar]] application distributed by the Debian project. It was based on [[Mozilla Sunbird]], but was made entirely of [[free software]]. The [[Lightning (software)|Lightning]] calendar extension for Mozilla Thunderbird was rebranded as Iceowl Extension.
{{Clear}}
[[File:Iceweasel icon.svg|thumb|50px|Iceweasel logo]]
==History==
=== History and origin of name ===
Mozilla Foundation owns the trademark "Firefox"<ref>{{US trademark|78344043}}; see [[History of Mozilla Firefox#Naming]]</ref> and claims the right to deny the use of the name and other trademarks to unofficial builds.<ref name="MozillaTrademarkPolicy">
{{cite web | url=https://www.mozilla.org/foundation/trademarks/policy.html | title=Mozilla Trademark Policy}}
</ref> The [[Debian Free Software Guidelines]] are used by the Debian project to determine whether a license is a free license, which in turn is used to determine whether something can be included in Debian. As the logo did not meet these requirements, it could not be used by software which was to be included in Debian. This effect of the Mozilla trademark policy led to a long debate within the [[Debian Project]] in 2004 and 2005.
During this debate, the name "Iceweasel" was coined to refer to rebranded versions of Firefox. The first known use of the name in this context is by Nathanael Nerode,<ref name=naming>{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/02/msg00279.html | title=Nathanael Nerode 27 Feb 2004 email to debian-legal}}
</ref> in reply to Eric Dorland's suggestion of "Icerabbit".<ref name=naming2>{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2004/02/msg01876.html | title=Eric Dorland 27 Feb 2004 email to debian-devel}}
</ref> It was intended as a parody of "Firefox".<ref name=gzhome>{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/ |title=Gnuzilla Homepage |publisher=Gnu.org |date=2010-10-17 |access-date=2010-11-09}}</ref> "Iceweasel" was subsequently used as the example name for a rebranded Firefox in the Mozilla Trademark Policy,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://viewvc.svn.mozilla.org/vc/projects/mozilla.org/trunk/foundation/trademarks/policy.html?revision=39674&view=markup | title = Mozilla Trademark Policy (Version 0.6 (draft)) | publisher = [[Mozilla Foundation]] | date = 2004-09-28 | access-date = 2011-06-12 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120723162603/http://viewvc.svn.mozilla.org/vc/projects/mozilla.org/trunk/foundation/trademarks/policy.html?revision=39674&view=markup | archive-date = 2012-07-23 }}</ref> and became the most commonly used name for a hypothetical rebranded version of Firefox. By January 1, 2005, such strategic rebranding had come to be referred to as the "Iceweasel route".<ref name=naming3>
{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/01/msg00010.html | title=Joel Aelwyn 01 Jan 2005 email to debian-legal}}
</ref>
The term "ice weasel" appeared earlier in a line which [[Matt Groening]] fictionally attributed to [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]: "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."<ref>{{cite book | last = Groening | first = Matt | author-link = Matt Groening | title = Love Is Hell | publisher = [[Pantheon Books]] | year = 1986 | isbn = 0-394-74454-3 }}</ref>
Debian was initially given permission to use the trademarks, and adopted the Firefox name.<ref name=Gervsemail>
{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/06/msg01182.html | title=Gervase Markham 14 June 2005 email to debian-devel}}</ref> However, because the artwork in Firefox had a proprietary copyright license which was not compatible with the Debian Free Software Guidelines, the substituted logo had to remain.<ref name=Gervsemail2>
{{cite web | url=http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/01/msg00757.html | title=Gervase Markham 19 June 2005 email to debian-devel}}
</ref>
=== Trademark agreement revocation ===
In February 2006, Mike Connor, representing the [[Mozilla Corporation]], wrote to the Debian bug tracker and informed the project that Mozilla did not consider the way in which Debian was using the Firefox name to be acceptable.<ref name=bug /> Connor confirmed that the Mozilla Corporation was revoking the previous agreement which allowed Debian to use the Firefox name. Further messages from Mike Connor clarified Mozilla's new trademark policies: usage of the Firefox name is not allowed unless the rest of the branding is used and all of the browser's changes are approved by Mozilla Corporation.
As Debian releases are frozen on a long-term basis, software in the frozen stable releases needs to be patched for any newly discovered security issue. Under the revised guidelines, in order to use the Firefox name, approval from the Mozilla Corporation would have been required for all security patches, but the Debian project felt it could not put its security in the hands of an external corporation in that manner.<ref name=iceweaselsecurity>{{cite web | url= http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=354622#256 |title=Debian Bug Report #354662 Message #256 (Approval of Security Backports)}}</ref>
The "Iceweasel" name was revived in the Debian community as a possible name to give the rebranded version of Firefox. The Iceweasel found in Debian is not GNU IceWeasel (now [[GNU IceCat]]), but rather a rebranded Firefox created by the Debian project. The Debian maintainer has stated that he will "get in touch with [the GNU IceCat/IceWeasel team] to see what we can do together".<ref name=2iceweasels>
{{cite web | url=http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=97 | title=Facts about Debian and Mozilla Firefox }}
</ref> Similarly, Debian renamed Mozilla Thunderbird and SeaMonkey to Icedove and Iceape, respectively.<!-- Anyone have references for the coinage of Iceape and Icedove? -->
=== Rebranding ===
According to the ''Debian Package Tracking System'',<ref>[http://packages.qa.debian.org Debian Package Tracking System], retrieved 19 July 2013</ref> Iceweasel, Icedove, and Iceape were first accepted into the [[Debian]] project's ''unstable'' repository on November 20, 2006, on October 14, 2006, and on December 1, 2006, respectively. Icedove migrated to Etch and Thunderbird was removed on November 11, 2006. Iceape migrated to Etch on January 11, 2007 (the old Mozilla suite having previously been removed on October 6, 2006). Iceweasel migrated (and Firefox was removed) on January 18, 2007. Debian's first stable release to include Iceweasel, Icedove, and Iceape was Debian 4.0 (Etch), released April 8, 2007. Soon after the renaming Debian also replaced Mozilla's unbranded logos with new logos designed to fit with the new names, drawn by Ricardo Fernandez Fuentes.<ref>"copyright" file from Iceweasel package in Debian, version 2.0.0.2+dfsg-3</ref><ref name="iceweasel_2006-11-13">{{cite web |last=Dorland |first=Eric |last2=Hommey |first2=Mike |title=iceweasel (2.0+dfsg-1) unstable |work=Debian Changelog iceweasel |date=2006-11-13 |url=http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/i/iceweasel/current/changelog#version2.0_dfsg-1 |access-date=2011-11-22}}</ref>
=== User agent ===
Some web sites do not recognize the browsers' [[user agent]] strings and refuse to work properly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft breaks HotMail for Linux users? |publisher=Linux-watch.com |date=2008-11-07 |url=http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS6023147333.html |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090303010012/http://linux-watch.com/news/NS6023147333.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-03-03 |access-date=2011-01-30 }}</ref> As a workaround, Iceweasel 3.5.5 adds a "like [[Mozilla Firefox|Firefox]] x.x.x" string to the user agent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=399633#102 |title=#399633 - iceweasel: Please mention Firefox in the user-agent string. - Debian Bug report logs |publisher=Bugs.debian.org |access-date=2010-11-09}}</ref>
=== Firefox issue resolution ===
In June 2013, the practise of backporting security fixes into Iceweasel ended, in favour of serving the latest versions of Firefox ESR (in rebranded form) to Debian 7 and later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/552920/ |title=Debian, Iceweasel, and security |author=Jake Edge |date=June 5, 2013 |website=LWN.net |publisher=Eklektix, Inc. |access-date=July 15, 2025}}</ref>
As described by Sylvestre Ledru in a bug in the Debian bug tracking system,<ref name="bury_hatchet_deb_bug">{{cite web | url=https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=815006 | title=Renaming Iceweasel to Firefox | publisher=Debian BTS | last=Ledru | first=Sylvestre | access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref> Mozilla and Debian agreed on renaming Iceweasel to Firefox. Mozilla recognizes that Debian potential changes are not impacting the quality of the release.
Debian users who performed a {{mono|dist-upgrade}} in June 2016 received the following system message. According to Chris Hoffman of ''[[PC World]]'', "After a decade, Debian and Mozilla are burying the hatchet. Iceweasel is about to re-assume its proper name".<ref name="bury_hatchet">{{cite web | url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3036509/linux/iceweasel-will-be-renamed-firefox-as-relations-between-debian-and-mozilla-thaw.html | title='Iceweasel' will be renamed 'Firefox' as relations between Debian and Mozilla thaw | publisher=PC World | last=Hoffman | first=Chris | access-date=June 12, 2016}}</ref>
<pre>iceweasel (45.0esr-1) unstable; urgency=medium
* The iceweasel package was replaced with the firefox-esr package.
* Preferences under /etc/iceweasel/prefs will need to be copied manually
to /etc/firefox-esr.
* Other customizations under /etc/iceweasel will need additional manual
steps, through CCK2 or addons.</pre>
The developers of [[Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]] picked up the Iceweasel project<ref>{{cite web |title=IceWeasel History |url=https://wiki.parabola.nu/IceWeasel_History |website=Parabola Wiki |publisher=[[ Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]] Hackers |access-date=8 February 2021 |date=25 June 2020 |quote=The Gnuzilla, Connochaetos, and Parabola web browsers however, were and still are, re-configured significantly more than the Debian IceWeasel was, in order to meet the GNU guidelines. That is the primary reason why Gnuzilla, Parabola, and Connochaetos still refer to their web browsers as something other than: "Firefox".}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iceweasel |url=https://wiki.parabola.nu/Iceweasel |website=Parabola Wiki |publisher=[[ Parabola GNU/Linux-libre]] Hackers |access-date=8 February 2021 |date=8 April 2020 |quote=Iceweasel differs technically from Firefox, mainly in that it removes support for DRM and other features that the FSDG considers to be non-free or anti-features, such as DRM and recommendations of non-free add-ons.}}</ref> and it continues to be maintained.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://git.parabola.nu/abslibre.git/log/libre/iceweasel | title=Iceweasel development in Parabola's abslibre.git repository}}</ref>
== Licensing ==
The rebranded programs are available under Mozilla's standard [[Mozilla Public License|MPL]]/[[GNU General Public License|GPL]]/[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL]] tri-license. Like Mozilla, the default icons are under the same tri-license, but unlike Mozilla, there are no trademark restrictions.{{Citation needed|date=October 2014}}
==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Firefox version history]]
==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Debian}}
{{Mozilla}}
{{FOSS}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mozilla Corporation Software Rebranded By The Debian Project}}
[[Category:Free web browsers]]
[[Category:POSIX web browsers]]
[[Category:Web browsers based on Firefox]]
[[Category:Software forks]]
[[Category:Debian]]
[[Category:2006 software]]
[[Category:Software that uses XUL]]
[[Category:Trademark disputes]]
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