Editing Freeware (section)

==Definitions==

===Software license===
{{main|Software license}}
Freeware software is available for use without charge and typically has limited functionality with a more capable version available commercially or as shareware. It is typically fully functional for an unlimited period of time.<ref>{{cite book
|last1= Dixon
|first1= Rod
|title= Open Source Software Law
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9b_vVPf53xcC&q=%22free+software%22+freeware&pg=PA4
|access-date= 2009-03-16
|year= 2004
|publisher= Artech House
|isbn= 978-1-58053-719-3
|page= 4
|quote= On the other hand, freeware does not require any payment from the licensee or end-user, but it is not precisely free software, despite the fact that to an end-user the software is acquired in what appears to be an identical manner.}}</ref>

In contrast to what the [[Free Software Foundation]] calls [[free software]], the author of freeware usually restricts the rights of the user to use, copy, distribute, modify, make derivative works, or [[reverse engineer]] the software.<ref name="linfo" /><ref name="lawrence">{{cite book
|last1= Graham
|first1= Lawrence D
|title= Legal battles that shaped the computer industry
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c6IS3RnN6qAC&q=%22Legal+battles+that+shaped+the+computer+industry%22+%22from+the+beginning+of+the+computer+age%22&pg=PA175
|access-date= 2009-03-16
|year= 1999
|publisher= Greenwood Publishing Group
|isbn= 978-1-56720-178-9
|page= 175
|quote=Freeware, however, is generally only free in terms of price; the author typically retains all other rights, including the rights to copy, distribute, and make derivative works from the software.}}</ref><ref name="adobe-reader">{{cite web |url=https://www.adobe.com/products/eulas/pdfs/Reader10_combined-20100625_1419.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510015219/http://www.adobe.com/products/eulas/pdfs/Reader10_combined-20100625_1419.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-10 |url-status=live |title=ADOBE Personal Computer Software License Agreement |quote=This license does not grant you the right to sublicense or distribute the Software. ... This agreement does not permit you to install or Use the Software on a computer file server. ... You shall not modify, adapt, translate, or create derivative works based upon the Software. You shall not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Software. ... You will not Use any Adobe Runtime on any non-PC device or with any embedded or device version of any operating system. |access-date=2011-02-16|lang=ar|publisher=[[Adobe Inc.|Adobe]]}}</ref><ref name="adobe-distribution">{{cite web |url=https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=distribution_form&pv=rdr |publisher=[[Adobe Inc.|Adobe]]|title=ADOBE READER AND RUNTIME SOFTWARE – DISTRIBUTION LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR USE ON PERSONAL COMPUTERS |quote=Distributor may not make the Software available as a standalone product on the Internet. Distributor may direct end users to obtain the Software, with the exception of ARH, through electronic download on a standalone basis by linking to the official Adobe website. |access-date=2011-02-16}}</ref> The [[software license]] may impose additional usage restrictions;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irfanview.com/eula.htm |title=IrfanView Software License Agreement. |quote=IrfanView is provided as freeware, but only for private, non-commercial use (that means at home). ... IrfanView is free for educational use (schools, universities and libraries) and for use in charity or humanitarian organisations. ... You may not distribute, rent, sub-license or otherwise make available to others the Software or documentation or copies thereof, except as expressly permitted in this License without prior written consent from IrfanView (Irfan Skiljan). ... You may not modify, de-compile, disassemble or reverse engineer the Software. |access-date=2011-02-16}}</ref> for instance, the license may be "free for private, non-commercial use" only,{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} or usage over a network, on a server, or in combination with certain other software packages may be prohibited.<ref name="adobe-reader" /><ref name="adobe-distribution" /> Restrictions may be required by license or enforced by the software itself; e.g., the package may fail to function over a network.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

===Relation to other forms of software licensing===
[[File:Open-source-vs-freeware.svg|thumb|This [[Venn diagram]] describes the typical relationship between freeware and [[open source software]]: According to David Rosen from [[Wolfire Games]] in 2010, open source software (orange) is most often gratis but not always. Freeware (green) seldom expose their source codes.<ref name="wolfire2010">{{cite web|url=http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/05/Open-source-software-is-not-always-freeware |title=Open-source software is not always freeware |date=May 16, 2010 |access-date=2016-01-18 |first=David |last=Rosen |publisher=wolfire.com}}</ref>]]
The [[U.S. Department of Defense]] (DoD) defines "open source software" (i.e., free software or free and open-source software), as distinct from "freeware" or "shareware"; it is software where "the Government does not have access to the original source code".<ref name="dod-definition">{{citation | url=https://dodcio.defense.gov/Open-Source-Software-FAQ/ | title=Frequently Asked Questions regarding Open Source Software (OSS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) | quote=Also, do not use the terms "freeware" or "shareware" as a synonym for "open source software". DoD Instruction 8500.2, “Information Assurance (IA) Implementation”, Enclosure 4, control DCPD-1, states that these terms apply to software where "the Government does not have access to the original source code". The government does have access to the original source code of open source software, so these terms do not apply. | access-date=2012-06-11}}</ref> The "free" in "freeware" refers to the price of the software, which is typically [[proprietary software|proprietary]] and distributed without source code. By contrast, the "free" in "free software" refers to freedoms granted users under the software license (for example, to run the program for any purpose, modify and redistribute the program to others), and such software may be sold at a price.

According to the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF), "freeware" is a loosely defined category and it has no clear accepted definition, although FSF asks that [[free software]] (libre; unrestricted and with source code available) should not be called freeware.<ref name="gnu" />
In contrast the Oxford English Dictionary simply characterizes freeware as being "available free of charge (sometimes with the suggestion that users should make a donation to the provider)".<ref>{{OED|freeware}}</ref>

Some freeware products are released alongside paid versions that either have more features or less restrictive licensing terms. This approach is known as [[freemium]] ("free" + "premium"), since the "free" version is intended as a promotion for the premium version.<ref name="freeisnot"/> The two often share a code base, using a [[compiler flag]] to determine which is produced. For example, [[BBEdit]] has a [[BBEdit Lite]] edition which has fewer features. [[XnView]] is available free of charge for personal use but must be licensed for commercial use. The "free" version may be advertising supported, as was the case with the [[DivX]].

{{Anchor|Registerware}}[[Ad-supported software]] and registerware also bear resemblances to freeware. Ad-supported software does not ask for payment for a license, but displays advertising to either cover development costs or as a means of income. Registerware forces the user to subscribe with the publisher before being able to use the product. While commercial products [[Product activation|may require registration to ensure licensed use]], registerware do not.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=akoEAAAAMBAJ&q=registerware&pg=RA1-PA101|title = An exercise in frustration? Registerware forces users to jump through hoops|last = Foster|first = Ed|date = 11 Jan 1999|journal = [[InfoWorld]]|volume = 21|issue = 2|issn = 0199-6649|publisher = InfoWorld Media Group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkoEAAAAMBAJ&q=registerware&pg=PA46|title = Is registerware an anti-piracy necessity?|date = 1 Feb 1999|journal = [[InfoWorld]]|issn = 0199-6649|publisher = InfoWorld Media Group|volume = 21|issue = 5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=jz0EAAAAMBAJ&q=registerware&pg=PA61|title = Since you asked...|last = Foster|first = Ed|date = 14 Oct 2002|journal = [[InfoWorld]]|publisher = InfoWorld Media Group|volume = 24|issue = 41|issn = 0199-6649}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yT0EAAAAMBAJ&q=registerware&pg=PA68|title = A vote for fair play|last = Foster|first = Ed |date = 18 Nov 2002|journal = [[InfoWorld]]|issn = 0199-6649|volume = 24|issue = 46|publisher = InfoWorld Media Group}}</ref>

Shareware permits redistribution, but the license only allows limited use before paying the license fee.<ref>{{cite web
 | url         = https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html
 | title       = Categories of free and nonfree software
 | quote       = Shareware is software which comes with permission for people to redistribute copies, but says that anyone who continues to use a copy is required to pay a license fee.
 | access-date = 2023-04-03
 }}
</ref> Some features may be disabled prior to payment, in which case it is sometimes known as crippleware.

Both freeware and shareware sometimes have a limited evaluation period, after which the software is automatically disabled or starts displaying a request to pay a registration fee. In the latter case it is colloquially known as nagware.

===Creative Commons licenses===
{{Disputed section|Creative Commons Licenses not for Software|date=May 2018}}
The [[Creative Commons]] offer [[Creative Commons license|licenses]], applicable to all by copyright governed works including software,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode |title=Creative Commons Legal Code |date=January 9, 2008 |publisher=[[Creative Commons]] |access-date=February 22, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211175916/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> which allow a developer to define "freeware" in a legal safe and internationally law domains respecting way.<ref>{{cite web|last=Peters|first=Diane|title=CC's Next Generation Licenses — Welcome Version 4.0!|url=https://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/40768|work=Creative Commons|access-date=November 26, 2013|date=November 25, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126124736/http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/40768|archive-date=November 26, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=What's new in 4.0?|url=https://creativecommons.org/Version4|work=Creative Commons|access-date=November 26, 2013|year=2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129150056/http://creativecommons.org/Version4|archive-date=November 29, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CC 4.0, an end to porting Creative Commons licences?|url=http://www.technollama.co.uk/cc-4-0-an-end-to-porting-creative-commons-licenses|publisher=TechnoLlama|access-date=August 11, 2013|date=September 25, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902134000/http://www.technollama.co.uk/cc-4-0-an-end-to-porting-creative-commons-licenses|archive-date=September 2, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The typical freeware use case "share" can be further refined with Creative Commons restriction clauses like non-commerciality ([[CC BY-NC]]) or no-[[Derivative work|derivatives]] ([[CC BY-ND]]), see [[Creative Commons license#Six regularly used licenses|description of licenses]].{{original research inline|date=May 2018}} There are [[:Category:Creative Commons-licensed video games|several usage examples]], for instance [[The White Chamber]], [[Mari0]] or [[Assault Cube]],<ref name="contentlicense">{{cite web |url=http://assault.cubers.net/docs/license.html#entirepackage |title=AssaultCube - License |access-date=2011-01-30 |work=assault.cubers.net| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101225031357/http://assault.cubers.net/docs/license.html| archive-date= 25 December 2010| url-status= live|quote=''AssaultCube is FREEWARE. [...]The content, code and images of the AssaultCube website and all documentation are licensed under "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported''}}</ref> all freeware by being [[CC BY-NC-SA]] licensed with only non-commercial sharing allowed.