What are the Legal Requirements for Freeware?
Everyone loves to get something for free, but it’s important to realize that freeware does have certain legal requirements. When discussing copyright laws in relation to software, you must first understand the various software classifications. A program can be freeware, shareware, commercial software, or public domain. Freeware is freely distributed to interested users for an unlimited time. Shareware is temporarily given to the user free of charge, but he/she must pay for the product in order to continuing using it after the designated trial period. Commercial software is generally purchased from a computer store, software publisher, or some other type of retailer. A program becomes public domain software if the copyright holder has expressly relinquished his/her rights to the product. Freeware is available for download on a variety of websites. Some of the most popular programs are computer games, fonts, and screensavers, but you can also find freeware that is intended to help you or
