Licenses for Software Engineering

Software licenses are legal agreements that specify how a programmer or company permits others to use their software. They define rights such as copying, modifying, or redistributing the software, and often include restrictions to protect intellectual property. Different licenses offer varying levels of freedom; some allow open sharing and modification (open-source), while others restrict use to certain conditions (proprietary). Essentially, licenses set the rules to ensure the software is used as intended, balancing creators’ rights with users’ freedoms.