Proprietary software, also known as closed-source software, is software that is licensed exclusively by the copyright holder and cannot be modified or redistributed without the copyright holder's permission. This type of software is typically owned by a company or individual, who then enforces restrictions on its use.
Proprietary software has been around since the early days of computing, with some of the earliest examples being IBM’s mainframe computers and Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system. Over the years, many companies have developed proprietary software and services, often in the form of applications and databases, as well as more specialized types of software.
Proprietary software is usually created and maintained by a single entity, such as a company or individual. This entity holds exclusive rights to the software, including the rights to modify, copy, distribute, and sell it. Users of proprietary software must adhere to the terms and conditions of the license agreement, which may restrict how the software is used and distributed.
In general, proprietary software is not open source, meaning its source code is not publicly available. This makes it difficult for users to modify the software or create their own versions of it. Instead, users must rely on the original developer to provide updates and bug fixes.
Proprietary software is generally more expensive than open-source software, as users must pay for a license to use it. Additionally, because the source code is hidden, users are unable to view and modify it, meaning they must rely on the original developer to provide updates and bug fixes. Furthermore, proprietary software typically lacks the community support that open-source software enjoys, as users cannot discuss and troubleshoot the software with each other.