Is the goal then to impose a way for cryptographically asserting a client instance is "authentic" according to the client publisher?

Nearly all of what people think of in terms of public vs confidential is AS policy, not spec requirements. So the question is more what is the goal - is it that instances of a client are distinct, so that they hold their own individual authorizations?

I point the finger at Noah Webster. IMHO, many American English deviations from British English were not done for a pragmatic reason but out of a desire for promoting nationalism and cultural independence.

Bee Movie takedown will mention a Hague tribunal instead of DMCA

Can we work gopher in somehow?