Software types and licensing
From WBITT's Cooker!
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* FreeWare: Software that is available for use at no cost, OR, for an optional fee. Software referred to as freeware is almost always proprietary and closed source, and thus not free/open-source software. The author of a freeware usually restricts one or more rights to copy, distribute, and make derivative works of the software. Skype is one example. It is freely download-able, but it's source code is not available. Not even for Linux. | * FreeWare: Software that is available for use at no cost, OR, for an optional fee. Software referred to as freeware is almost always proprietary and closed source, and thus not free/open-source software. The author of a freeware usually restricts one or more rights to copy, distribute, and make derivative works of the software. Skype is one example. It is freely download-able, but it's source code is not available. Not even for Linux. | ||
* ShareWare: The word, or term shareware, refers to proprietary (close source) software, that is provided to users, without payment, on a trial basis, and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability or convenience. Other terms used for shareware are trialware or demoware. Shareware is usually offered either with certain features only available after a particular license is purchased, OR, as a full version, but for a limited trial period of time. Once the trial period has passed, the program may stop running, until a license is purchased. Shareware is often offered without supports or updates, which only become available with the purchase of a license. Almost all commercial antivirus software are a good example of shareware. | * ShareWare: The word, or term shareware, refers to proprietary (close source) software, that is provided to users, without payment, on a trial basis, and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability or convenience. Other terms used for shareware are trialware or demoware. Shareware is usually offered either with certain features only available after a particular license is purchased, OR, as a full version, but for a limited trial period of time. Once the trial period has passed, the program may stop running, until a license is purchased. Shareware is often offered without supports or updates, which only become available with the purchase of a license. Almost all commercial antivirus software are a good example of shareware. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Software license types: | ||
| + | Mainly two types: Proprietory and Free/Open-Source Software | ||
| + | ** Trade Secret | ||
| + | ** Proprietory: The software publisher grants a license to use one or more copies of software, but ownership of those copies remains with the software publisher, hence use of the term "proprietary". This license contains an extensive list of activities which are restricted, such as: reverse engineering, simultaneous use of the software by multiple users, and publication of benchmarks or performance tests. | ||
| + | ** Limited | ||
| + | ** GPL | ||
| + | ** Public Domain | ||
Revision as of 12:19, 28 September 2010
Software types:
Any software has two forms: It's source code and it's executable binary form.
- For binary form of a software, which has some copyright and is released under some form of software license, there are main two licensing schemes : Proprietory software and Free Software
- Except software in Public Domain, all types of software are normally protected under some form of copyright.
- For the source code of the software (both proprietory and free), there are different protection mechanisms, ranging from unprotected public license to completely protected trade secret.
- A typical software license grants an end-user permission to use one or more copies of software, in ways, where such a use would otherwise may result in copyright infringement of the software owner's exclusive rights under copyright law. In other words, the copyrighted software only becomes usable by the end user, after the owner of the "copy rights" of the software grants some "usage" rights to the end-user.
- When software is purchased "off-the-shelf", such as from a software shop, or internet website, it comes bundled with a license.
- When software comes pre-installed on the hardware you purchase, (such as PC, laptop, etc), it comes as an OEM license.
- FreeWare: Software that is available for use at no cost, OR, for an optional fee. Software referred to as freeware is almost always proprietary and closed source, and thus not free/open-source software. The author of a freeware usually restricts one or more rights to copy, distribute, and make derivative works of the software. Skype is one example. It is freely download-able, but it's source code is not available. Not even for Linux.
- ShareWare: The word, or term shareware, refers to proprietary (close source) software, that is provided to users, without payment, on a trial basis, and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability or convenience. Other terms used for shareware are trialware or demoware. Shareware is usually offered either with certain features only available after a particular license is purchased, OR, as a full version, but for a limited trial period of time. Once the trial period has passed, the program may stop running, until a license is purchased. Shareware is often offered without supports or updates, which only become available with the purchase of a license. Almost all commercial antivirus software are a good example of shareware.
- Software license types:
Mainly two types: Proprietory and Free/Open-Source Software
- Trade Secret
- Proprietory: The software publisher grants a license to use one or more copies of software, but ownership of those copies remains with the software publisher, hence use of the term "proprietary". This license contains an extensive list of activities which are restricted, such as: reverse engineering, simultaneous use of the software by multiple users, and publication of benchmarks or performance tests.
- Limited
- GPL
- Public Domain
