Symantec owned & used the Norton name when the products were dogs so who else is to blame? They made it so are tarred & feathered in the public eye.
Nope. There were always two distinct anti-virus on offer. One being sold under the Norton brand, the other under the Symantec brand.
Its a bit like saying Compaq (as a brand, i.e. post-HP acquisition) is the same thing as HP. They are not the same either.