This is a list of proprietary source-available software, which has available

source code In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer. Since a computer, at base, only ...

, but is not classified as

free software Free software, libre software, libreware sometimes known as freedom-respecting software is computer software distributed open-source license, under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, distribut ...

open-source software Open-source software (OSS) is Software, computer software that is released under a Open-source license, license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and Software distribution, distribute the software an ...

. In some cases, this type of software is originally sold and released without the

, and the source code becomes available later. Sometimes, the source code is released under a liberal

software license A software license is a legal instrument governing the use or redistribution of software. Since the 1970s, software copyright has been recognized in the United States. Despite the copyright being recognized, most companies prefer to sell lic ...

at its end of life. This type of software can also have its source code leaked or

reverse engineered Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompl ...

. While such software often later becomes

open source software Open-source software (OSS) is Software, computer software that is released under a Open-source license, license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and Software distribution, distribute the software an ...

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

, other constructs and

s exist, for instance

shared source The Shared Source Initiative (SSI) is a source-available software licensing scheme launched by Microsoft in May 2001. The program includes a spectrum of technologies and licenses, and most of its source code offerings are available for download a ...

creative commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

licenses.CHAPTER 5 Non-Open Source Licenses
, Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing – By Andrew M. St. Laurent, August 2004 If the source code is given out without specified license or

waiver A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. A waiver is often written, such as a disclaimer that has been accepted, but it may also be spoken between two or more parties. When the right to hold a ...

it has legally to be considered as still proprietary due to the Berne Convention. For a list of video game software with available source code, see

List of commercial video games with available source code This is a list of commercial video games with available source code. The source code of these commercially developed and distributed video games is available to the public or the games' communities. In several of the cases listed here, the gam ...

. For specifically formerly

proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software, software that grants its creator, publisher, or other rightsholder or rightsholder partner a legal monopoly by modern copyright and intellectual property law to exclude the recipient from freely sharing t ...

which is now free software, see

List of formerly proprietary software This is a list of notable software packages which were published under a proprietary software license but later released as free and open-source software, or into the public domain. In some cases, the company continues to publish proprietary rel ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Formerly Proprietary Software * Free software lists and comparisons

See also

References