Overall understanding about Software Licensing
Hi readers!
Every business uses software to manage business processes, communicate with employees, customers, and vendors, and for myriad other purposes. In most instances, software products require activating licenses or agreeing to terms and conditions before programs can be downloaded, installed, or accessed.
What is Software Licensing?
A Software license is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of Software.
Software licenses typically provide end-users with the right to one or more copies of the software without violating Copyrights. The license also defines the responsibilities of the parties entering into the license agreement and may impose restrictions on how the software can be used.
Typically, the software license includes:
- Warranties and disclaimers
- Visibility of underlying source code to the user
- Restrictions on how the software can be used
- Duration of the agreement
- Device Usage
Types of Software Licenses
There are numerous sorts of software licenses, and disobedience with a license can result in serious consequences. Mainly, 5 software license categories are used to cover different kinds of software and various business arrangements.
1. Public Domain License
In the public domain license, anyone is free to use and modify the software without restrictions. Public domain software may not always follow acceptable coding methods or meet the security criteria that the application demands.
It is not necessarily true that software that does not come under specified licensing terms is public domain code. Before copying, reusing, or distributing software, be sure it’s actually public domain.
2.LGPL License
LGPL License is referred to as Lesser General Public License. Under this type of license, developers have the right to link to open source libraries within their own software.
3.Permissive License
A permissive software license, often known as a BSD-like or BSD-style license, is a free software license with few restrictions on how it can be used, modified, or redistributed, and usually includes a warranty disclaimer.
4.Copyleft
The concept of allowing the ability to freely distribute and alter intellectual property in exchange for the same rights being preserved in derivative works developed from that property is known as copyleft.
5.Proprietary License
Non-free software, often known as proprietary software, or closed-source software and It is computer software for which the publisher or another person maintains some rights from licenses to use, edit, share modifications, or share the software.
What Is a Software License Agreement?
A software license agreement is a legal document that stipulates several key conditions between a software company or developer and a user to allow the use of the software.
These conditions are designed to protect the developer’s intellectual property rights and to limit claims against them for potential damage resulting from the use of their software. In some cases, pricing and terms of payment may also be included, though this is often covered in a separate document. The primary purpose of the agreement, however, is to provide detailed ground rules for use of the software:
- Duration of the terms of the agreement.
- How the software can be used.
- Ownership of the software — most often specifying that the provider retains all rights of ownership.
Why do we need to use license software?
- You will receive technical assistance using authentic software, providing a dependable support system.
2. You receive complete instructions and documentation with the product, which clarifies your usage rights.
3. You have access to updates, upgrades, and security fixes to better meet your technological demands and improve your computer experience.
4. You prevent needless IT and cybersecurity threats to your PCs and network, as well as the loss of sensitive company information.
5. If you use pirated software, you may face legal or criminal liability under copyright laws, which might harm your reputation.
Every day you work with many and different software. Most of the time you download at least one software per week. So, always try to explore your software license so as to know what it contains?, what type of software license it is? and whether it is favorable for you or not. Moreover, all the time use licensed software that benefits both you and the owner.
Thank you very much for reading!
Hope to see you again with the next article. Till then, STAY SAFE!!!
Happy reading …
-Thushara Samaraweera-
