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What is the difference between open source software and software that is in the public domain?

April 26, 2017difference open source public domain Software

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What is the difference between open source software and software that is in the public domain?

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When software is in the public domain, users have unrestricted use of the software. While the phrase “open source code” denotes that the creator is making the source code available to all requestors but under a license that sets forth the parameters of its use. Therefore, “open source” software is still licensed to a user under the terms and conditions of the specific open source license arrangement. UCAR supports several open source licenses, from its own on-line point and click license to the GPL and LGPL open source licenses. Ownership of the source code is still asserted under an open source license. Some organizations charge a fee for open source licenses.