Proprietary software
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Proprietary software is computer software on which the producer has set restrictions on use, private modification, copying, or republishing. Similar terms include "closed-source software" and "non-free software".
Proprietors may enforce restrictions by technical means, such as by restricting source code access, or by legal means, such as through copyright and patents.
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[edit] Literal and legal meanings
Exclusive legal rights to software by a proprietor are not required for software to be proprietary, since public domain software and software under a permissive licence can become proprietary software by distributing compiled (binary) versions of the program without making the source code available. Proprietary software includes freeware and shareware.
Software distributions considered as proprietary may in fact incorporate a "mixed source" model including both free and non-free software in the same distribution.[1] Most if not all so-called proprietary UNIX distributions are mixed source software, bundling open source components like BIND, Sendmail, X Window System, DHCP, and others along with a purely proprietary kernel and system utilities.[2][3]
For some free software, the same laws used by proprietary software are used to preserve the freedoms to use, copy and modify the software. This technique is called copyleft.
[edit] Reasons for
Proponents of proprietary software, like Microsoft, argue that requiring users to pay for software as a product increases funding for the research and development of software. They claim that per-copy fees maximise the profitability of software development.[4]
Proprietary software is said to create greater commercial activity over free software, especially in regard to market revenues.[5]
[edit] Reasons against
The free software movement's founder Richard Stallman sometimes uses the term "user subjugating software" to describe proprietary software, while Eben Moglen sometimes talks of "unfree software". The term "non-free" is often used by Debian developers to describe any software whose licence does not comply with Debian Free Software Guidelines, and they use "proprietary software" specifically for non-free software that provides no source code. The Open Source Initiative prefers the term "closed source software".
If the proprietor of a software package should cease to exist, or decide to cease or limit production or support for a proprietary software package, recipients and users of the package may have no recourse if problems are found with the software. Proprietors can fail to improve and support software because of business problems.[6] When no other vendor can provide support for the software, the ending of support for older or existing versions of a software package may be done to force users to upgrade and pay for newer versions.[7]
[edit] Semi-free software
Semi-free software, as defined by the Free Software Foundation, is software that is not free software, but comes with permission for individuals to use, copy, distribute, and modify (including distribution of modified versions) only for non-profit purposes.[8] Such software is also rejected by the Open Source Initiative and Debian.
PGP and Angband are examples of semi-free programs. The Free Software Foundation classifies semi-free software as non-free software, but draws a distinction between semi-free software and proprietary software.
[edit] Examples
Well known examples of proprietary software include Microsoft Windows, RealPlayer, iTunes, Adobe Photoshop, Mac OS X, WinZip and some versions of Unix.
Some free software packages are also simultaneously available under proprietary terms. Examples include MySQL, Sendmail and ssh. The original copyright holders for a work of free software, even copyleft free software, can use dual-licensing to allow themselves or others to redistribute proprietary versions. Non-copyleft free software (i.e. software distributed under a permissive free software licence or released to the public domain) allows anyone to make proprietary redistributions.
Some proprietary software comes with source code or provides offers to the source code. Users are free to use and even study and modify the software in these cases, but are restricted by either licences or non-disclosure agreements from redistributing modifications or sharing the software. Examples include Pine, the Microsoft Shared source licence program, and certain proprietary implementations of ssh.
Shareware, like freeware, is proprietary software available at zero price, but differs in that it is free only for a trial period, after which some restriction is imposed or it is completely disabled. Proprietary software which is no longer marketed by its owner and is used without permission by users is called abandonware and may include source code. Some abandonware has its source code placed in the public domain either by its author or copyright holder and is therefore free software, not proprietary software.
For certain proprietary software where the user can access source code, such as online applications (such as Internet forum software) or Java applications (where the source can be obtained by decompiling), some developers will obfuscate the source code in order to make it difficult for users to obtain the original code.
[edit] See also
- Commercial software
- Business software
- Retail software
- Proprietary firmware
- Proprietary hardware
- Open source software
- Comparison of open source and closed source
[edit] References
- ^ Engelfriet, Arnoud (August/September 2006). "The best of both worlds". Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) (19). New Hibernia House, Winchester Walk, London Bridge, London SE1 9AG, United Kingdom: Gavin Stewart. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- ^ Loftus, Jack (2007-02-19). "LinuxWorld: Managing mixed source software stacks". SearchEnterpriseLinux.com.
- ^ Tan, Aaron (2006-12-28). "Novell: We're a 'mixed-source' company". CNET Networks, Inc.
- ^ "The Commercial Software Model". Microsoft (May 2001). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Open Source Versus Commercial Software: Why Proprietary Software is Here to Stay". Sams Publishing (October 2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ "What happens when a proprietary software company dies?". NewsForge (October 2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Microsoft Turns Up The Heat On Windows 2000 Users". InformationWeek (December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ Semi-free software, definition by the Free Software Foundation
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