Week 6: Clear on Software Licensing

Although I was clear on the different types of software licensing agreements, I found the online article Making Sense of Software Licensing: The Stuff in Small Print Really Does Matter by author Chris Peters to be very helpful as far showing just how many types of agreements there are.


Directly quoted from the Peters article, the following definition of a software agreement couldn't be better:

"A software license is an agreement between you and the owner of a program which lets you perform certain activities which would otherwise constitute an infringement under copyright law."

EULA

We've all had to agree to EULA's, or end user license agreements, when downloading new programs onto our systems. These agreements explicitly state the terms in which the program is to be used. Without them, it would be impossible to use any program without infringing on copyright. Instead of looking at them as one more thing to click through during installations, realize that they are beneficial in making sure the licensor and licensee are both protected. 

Free vs. Proprietary

"Free" software refers to the rights you have when using the software--this type is usually redistributable and can be modified without paying a fee or obtaining any kind of permission. Proprietary licenses have fewer rights. Monetary price has no correlation; either type may be free or must be purchased. 

Public Domain and Copyleft

Copyleft is similar to free software in the sense of unrestricted rights, that is, all except for one. Any modifications must fall under the same terms as the original software, which prevents other developers from releasing their own versions under a proprietary license. When releasing any work into the public domain however, all rights are forfeited including ownership of the work, and it it free to use in any manner.


For a further analysis on licensing, the article can be found here.

Graphic Source: GNU Operating System: Categories of Free and Nonfree Software