Software licenses - what they actually mean? - Part 1

You might probably have heard of different software licenses like freeware, shareware, demo, trial, public license etc. But what do they actually mean? What are the do's and don't s with them? What are the services we get from software provider? In this post I am trying to answer them.

First about Freeware

Freeware is usually a software that you get for free. It does not cost you anything.

What you are allowed with a freeware?

1. You are allowed to use the software free of charge.

2. For most of the freewares you are allowed to distribute unchanged copies of the software to anyone you like.

What you are not allowed with freeware?

1. Freeware versions of many commercial software prohibits its users to use the software for commercial purpose. Here the software is free of charge for personal use only. They will charge the product If you want to use it for commercial purpose.
2. The user is not allowed to change the distribution in any way including adding or deleting features or customizing by editing the source code which by the way you will not be exposed to normally.
3. There are some freeware which does not allow distributing the installer file. Internet explorer is one of them. Read user agreement carefully for such limitation of use.

Many freewares are much much better than their priced competitors.

So what is the problem if you use it carelessly?

Well, the most concerning thing about freeware is the security. they comes with no warranty as you are not paying for it. If anything happens to your system its your own problem.
Some freeware downloads contain malicious viruses. So always check the installation file with an antivirus software.
Some software sends back authorized information to the parent server. Do not allow any unnecessary internet access to any software.
The person who built the software suddenly stop further updates on the software. This leaves you on a blind end road. This would not create a problem if it uses standard file format to
store data. Other wise you are in trouble here.

A little tip for you here - If a file is not in any usual format and is small, try to open it in notepad. Many file formats are just only extension change to .txt files.

How to be on safer side with freewares?

Most of the freewares are safe even so I recommend researching a bit about the software you intend to install. This will bring up news about stability and safety of the program. Downloading from established companies like downloads.com also guaranties peace of mind to some extend as they will thoroughly review the product before inclusion.