Proprietary Licence

A proprietary licence is the licence used for proprietary software, which is also called closed source. It sits alongside open source as one of the two licence types in this topic.

The source code stays private

When you install proprietary software, you get the finished program only. The source code is kept secret by the person or company that owns the software. You can run the program but you cannot open it up to see how it works or change what it does.

For example, a dance school buys a ready-made class-booking program. The printed class list comes out in a fixed layout, and the staff cannot alter it themselves, because the code that produces the layout is not shared with them.

What the licence restricts

A proprietary licence places limits on three things:

• Copying — you may not make extra copies to hand round to other people.
• Modifying — you may not change the software, since you have no source code to change.
• Redistributing — you may not pass the software on, or sell it, to anyone else.

The licence can also limit how many users or devices may run the software and how long it may be used, so paying once does not automatically let you install it on every computer in a building.

Bought ready-made

Proprietary software is usually off-the-shelf: written in advance for a wide market and bought ready to install, often for a one-off price or as a subscription. Buying a copy does not make the software yours — the licence only gives you permission to use it, under the conditions set out in the agreement.