Types of Software Distribution

Private

As you have learned today, copyright types and content distribution are matter of worldwide debate. Currently, there are three main types of software distribution licenses. Click on each of them to know more!

Opensource

Free

Private

This is the most common type of software license. Under this license, no one is allowed to distribute, install or even use the software without the needed permissions. Access is usually gained by purchasing the software or by generating a paid membership. It is also known as closed-source software, because no one can modify or access its source code!

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Open-source

For this type of license, the copyright owner allows users to access the source-code to study it and, in some cases, even modify it. Some owners might require payment for the software, for access to features , etc; which means it might not be free. Permission to create new works or updates from the source-code might be allowed as long as they're distributed with the same type of license.

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Free

In this case, it's not about being free of payment. It's about the freedom creators of this software give others to not just download and use their software, but also access the source-code, create modified versions, distribute them, and even license the new software based on their work in any way they choose. This type of license is based on mutual trust between the user and creator to behave ethically.

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