Software Licensing…

A software license is a legal instrument governing the use or redistribution of software. Software licenses typically provide end-users with the right to one or more copies of the software without violating copyrights. all software is copyright protected, Authors of copyrighted software can donate their software to the public domain, in which case it is also not covered by copyright and, as a result, cannot be licensed.

A typical software license grants the licensee, typically an end-user, permission to use one or more copies of the software in ways where such a use would otherwise potentially constitute copyright infringement of the software owner’s exclusive rights under copyright.

Software License Types

There are many different individual software licenses can choose

• Perpetual: This lets the customer install and utilize the software for an indefinite amount of time. There is limited technical support, typically 90 days.
• Subscription: This license lets the user utilize the software for a certain amount of time. It will include technical support and allows the user to access upgrades or patches that are offered during the subscription period. At the end of the subscription, the user has some different options, such as:

1. Renew the subscription

2. Buy a perpetual license at a discount

3. Remove the software from the device

• Freeware: This license is provided by the creator that lets the user use the software for free without paying any fees.
• Shareware: This allows for a trial period of software use. If the user likes it, they can then pay a shareware fee or discontinue use of the software.

these are some example of the type of licence

Installing and Activating Software

The process for installing software varies from product to product. need to read the specific instructions witch receive to properly install and activate the software.

there are few terms, it will be helpful to know are

• License Key (also known as a software key or product key) — This is usually a long string of letters and numbers that user enters at some point in the software installation process. The key helps ensure that the user is in compliance with software vendors’ or creators’ copyright restrictions and is authorized to use their software. Not all software requires a license key.
• Activation — This is the process of entering user license key to turn on the full set of features available in a software package. For example, if a person downloads a free trial version of the software, he may need to purchase and enter a license key to start using the full paid version. Not all software requires activation. Activation may be done offline or, more frequently, online.
• Deactivation or Transfer — If a user wants to stop using the software on one computer and start using it on a different computer, he may need to deactivate the license on the old computer before he can transfer it to a new computer.

Free and open-source software licenses

Every once in awhile, community uproar over contentious open source licensing is a popular product will grab headlines, causing all of us to debate what open-source licenses are really about. Last year it was the Apache Foundation’s ban of components with Facebook React’s contentious patent clause which caused a stir that sent developers running for the Reddit boards. These past few months, Redis Labs and MongoDB have made changes in the open-source licenses of some of their most popular open-source databases, leaving many to scratch their heads, highlighting the need to have open-source licenses explained in human speak.

The simplest explanation is that open source licenses are legal and binding contracts between the author and the user of a software component, declaring that the software can be used in commercial applications under specified conditions. The license is what turns code into an open-source component. Without an open-source license, the software component is unusable by others, even if it has been publicly posted on GitHub.

some references :https://www.upcounsel.com/software-license-types

some references :https://en.wikipedia.org/