Software licensing determines how software can be used and distributed. The main types of licensing include:
- Shareware which allows free trial usage with restrictions on further distribution or modification.
- Public domain software which belongs to the public with no intellectual property claims and can be freely used and modified.
- Freeware which is free to use but sometimes includes optional fees and restrictions.
- Proprietary software which is purchased and covered by copyright, limiting how users can use and modify the software.
- Open source software which allows developers to freely access, modify, and redistribute source code.