Definition of proprietary software

Proprietary software is one in which a Username your ability to use, modify, or redistribute it is limited, and often comes at a cost to license.

It is called proprietary, non-free, private or proprietary software to the type of computer programs or applications in which the user cannot access the code source or has restricted access and, therefore, is limited in its possibilities of use, modification and redistribution. This type of software is opposed to the more recently popularized free software, which allows anyone to modify and redistribute it.

Proprietary software is the most common, since it implies that to access it the user must pay for a license and can only make use of it in a restricted context, that is, in order for different computers to use it, other computers must subscribe licenses. Furthermore, this software may not be modified or perfected in your functioning, as well as not being redistributed to other recipients.

Proprietary software is often developed by corporations, as is that produced and distributed by Microsoft. These companies own the rights to

Author about the software and, therefore, users cannot access the source code, distribute copies, improve it or make the improvements public.

In the present, the popularity of free software developed by small companies or user groups has reached a great boom, as is the case with the operating system Linux. This type of application that allows a wide number of possibilities to the user beyond the simple fact of making use of it encourages conversations and participation active that often helps to refine the system agilely and reliably. Big companies have taken note of these changes and have had to be inserted in the race of free software by launching open versions of its programs or by inviting users to comment on it.

Topics in Proprietary Software