Public domain software is any software that has no legal, copyright or editing restrictions associated with it. It is free and open-source software that can be publicly modified, distributed or sold without any restrictions. SQLite, I2P and CERN httpd are popular examples of public domain software.
Public domain software has no ownership and is available for use, modification and commercialization by anyone. Typically, public domain software is intentionally or voluntarily uncopyrighted, unpatented and is unrestricted by its developer/author. It is different from free software and freeware that does has copyrights and patents associated with it.
Although there are no licensing requirements with public domain software, The Unlicense, Creative Commons License and WTFPL are based on a similar approach.
Share this Term
Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.
Latest Articles
By: Mike Haas | Chief Revenue Officer
By: Brad Rudisail | Contributor
By: Claudio Buttice | Data Researcher, Contributor
By: Amy Parker | Technology Consultant
