Closed source code is a program whose license does not fit the definition of open source software . As a rule, this means that only binary (compiled) versions of the program are distributed and the license implies a lack of access to the source code of the program, which makes it difficult to create modifications to the program. Third party access to the source code is usually granted upon signing a non-disclosure agreement .
Closed source software is proprietary (proprietary) software.
Ambiguity
The phrase “closed source” is ambiguous, as it may imply licenses in which the source code of the programs is not available. However, if we consider it the antonym of open source, then it refers to software that does not fit the definition of an open source license , which has a slightly different meaning.
The Microsoft Shared source license is an example of a license where source code is available but not under an open source license. If closed source is understood as software that does not fit the definition of open source software, then Shared source is an example of a closed source license.
Literature
- Chris Stone Selling Choice: Combining Open And Closed Source Software To Maximize Customer Value, Novell, 2005, ISBN 978-0-672-32736-0
- Reliability and safety: open source versus closed . No. 12, 2005, Open Systems, Open Systems Publishing House. Date of treatment September 1, 2013. Archived January 4, 2014.