Software licenses are agreements between software developers and users that specify the terms and conditions under which the software can be used. A software license defines what the user is allowed to do with the software, and typically includes restrictions on the number of computers the software can be installed on, the length of time the software can be used, and the scope of support and upgrades provided by the software vendor.
There are several types of software licenses, including:
- Commercial software licenses: These are licenses for software that is sold to customers for a fee. They usually come with strict restrictions on how the software can be used, and the user must agree to these terms in order to use the software.
- Open-source software licenses: These are licenses for software that is made available to the public for free, and users are free to use, modify, and distribute the software as they see fit. Examples of open-source software include the Linux operating system and the Apache web server.