software license

Objective Overview

•Discuss at the types of software licenses

•Discuss the types of commercial software licenses

• Discuss other topics brought up by software security Liscenses

Software Licenses

Computer software- intellectual property

•Source code is protected by copyright laws

Commercial Software•licensed to be sold for profit by the

companies that create it

•Very strict license, protecting copying or changing the software

Shareware•distributed for a low cost and free

for a limited time

•usually used as a trial or “free sample”

Freeware•distributed for no cost, but

copyright is still maintained

•no re-selling or changing

Public Domain•License allows changing the

software and giving it away

•Usually the copyright has expired or the rights have been waived

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

•users have the freedom to do anything the wish with it, including re-sell and make changes

•must republish under same license, so everyone can benefit

Freeware Vs FOSS

•Freeware- free in money

•FOSS- free as in freedom

Source Code•the instructions that make up the

software

•able to be altered to change the software

•written in languages such as C, Java, and basic

Source Code

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LERFIwHaApc

Security•FOSS can be secure in a sense that

many people can see and change problems within the software

•FOSS has a chance of malicious users changing the software for the worse

Transparency•software is seen by all, so it can be

verified if changed or not

•one example- electric voting machines

Commercial License•types of commercial licenses

•End User License Agreement (EULA) is the terms and conditions agreed to when software is installed

Commercial License (cont.)

•Single user license- 1 user can use the software

•multiuser license- about 4 people, meant for families

Commercial License (cont.)

•Site license- software is installed on as many users as the organization wants

•used for big organizations and often expensive

Copy Protection•commercial software producers try

to protect against piracy

•use things mechanisms such as activation codes and serial numbers

Protection Organizations

•help stop piracy

•Digital Rights Management(DRM)- protect media

•Federation Against Software Theft (FAST)-help software companies

Review•Commercial Software, Freeware, Shareware, Public Domain, and FOSS

•Commercial Licenses- single, multi, and site

•transparency?

•FAST (Federation Against Software Theft)

Sources

•Google Images

•Youtube

•ITGS book

•exambuilder.com