Few Brief Terms For Software and License types.
Propriety software - this is software that has been copyrighted and the copyright is likely to be enforced. It never comes with source code and cannot be redistributed in any form. Its use is often limited to one computer or one person.
Commercial software - developed by a company for the purpose of making money from it. This is usually propriety software but may be free software (in terms of cost) e.g. a loss leader.
Public Domain software - software that does not carry a copyright, source code may or may not be included. There is nothing to stop people making modifications of software, it may even become commercial software after development.
Shareware - usually "try before you buy" software. Freely distributed, but after a certain period of use, you must pay the license fee. Source code almost never supplied. .
Open source software- this is software that comes with the source code and permission to use, copy, distribute (modified or un modified) either with no cost or for a distribution fee. This is "free" software in that the word free refers to the users freedom of access to the software. This is the model used by Linux distributions.
Copyleft - this is software that has been released with specific instructions on distribution: anyone making modifications and redistributing the software cannot add any new restrictions. Every copy, even modified copies, must be free software. The General Public License (GPL) is the name of the license for copyleft software released under Linux.
There are many different forms of piracy. Just some examples of piracy are:.
End User Piracy- using multiple copies of a single software package an several different systems or distributing copies of the softwareto others.
Reseller Piracy - A reseller distributes multiple copies of the same software this includes preloading systems with software.
Internet piracy - electronic transfer of copyrighted software via the internet.
