Multiple Software Licenses

No matter how many programs there are, we can only distinguish two types: paid and free. For those who are interested in knowing more about licenses, it will be useful to read this article.

Availability of different licenses implies different producer responsibility for the final buyer. Yes, and the availability of maintenance of computers, if it is implied, will hang from the license. In addition, the license stipulates the conditions for using the program. Under certain circumstances, it can be both paid and free. Almost like Schrodinger's cat.

What is a license?

De facto - license programs are conditions in which the authors allow you to use the result of their work. Almost all programs are licensed. Often with its text you can get acquainted directly during the installation. At one stage you will be offered to read its text and put a tick in front of "agree". From a legal point of view, by agreeing with the license, you assume the license obligations for owning the product. Even if it is free, you become the owner of a licensed copy of the program.

Under the terms of the license, the programs fall into three categories: freeware, shareware and commercial. In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated, but first we take this division as the main one. In each category there are different types of licenses. Let's analyze the main.

Freeware license

Free . These programs are distributed for the best price - for free. You will not be asked to pay in a month and do not limit the functionality, advertising the paid version. On the other hand, you agree to the exclusive rights of the author of the program to its code.

Free for home use . This means that if you use the program for non-commercial purposes, then you do not have to pay for it. At the enterprise, such a program can be installed only by obtaining an extended license for money.

Public Domain - a public license. Generally does not have an author. A child of postmodernism.

Opensource (and GNU - General Public License . Roughly speaking, what is outside and enclosed in brackets is not the same, but for simple we will assume otherwise. The essence of this license is that you can not only use it, but even make your own changes to the code. True, provided that you do not change the license.

These were free programs that have no limitations and do not "extort" money in any way. Below we will consider other types of free programs, which, rather, have advertising goals.

Advertising-free licenses

Donate - The most "soft" way: You use the full version, but the author periodically reminds that if you like everything, then you can support it financially.

AdWare - the old kind of "free" programs: you are not deprived of the functions of the program, but they show ads in the program (if in pop-up windows during startup or while working, then we have Nagware or begware ). The program earns just on the money that the author receives from the sale of advertising.

Registerware - to use the program, the license requires you to register on the site. So the author gets statistics and your mail address to send advertising letters to him.

Shareware license

"Sharovary" is a shareware program. You are invited to read the full (complete in the case of trialware Or truncated in the case Shareware, although this is a conditionally delimited version of the program for a limited time (the number of starts or days) and decide on the purchase. Often one of the limitations of free versions before paid in the presence of computer maintenance.

Demo is a demo version. Functional went under the knife, sometimes even a part of the basic functions, for example preservation.

Paid licenses

P ayware - Just for the money. Such programs often have versions of programs distributed under licenses, which we examined in the shareware section. This is usually the "boxes" that we buy in the store.

Here is the list of the most common licenses.