You might have come across some of your friends saying Windows is copyrighted and Linux is not (with Linux they mean GNU/Linux). Or another version is Windows is licensed and Linux is not.
Both Windows and and GNU/Linux is copyrighted and licensed software? Then what is the difference?
Before copyright came everything was in public domain. Anyone could copy and distribute any expression – be it writing, drawing, music … So why copyright was introduced?
When printing press was invented information in the printed form cost money to produce and move. So to get this money back copyright was introduced.
With Berne convention most world countries including India agreed to give copyright to expression of any ideas including software. These rights restricts anyone to use, copy or share the work. If anyone wants to do any of the things restricted by copyright law (s)he needs permission from the copyright owner.
Windows and GNU/Linux are copyrighted software. So how are we able to use them if everyone is restricted by copyright law?
The copyright holder gives a permission for others in the form of copyright licenses. If both Windows and GNU/Linux are licensed softwares, what is the difference?
The difference is in what exactly the license permits anyone to do. While Windows tries to restrict even more than what copyright law already permits with its End User License Agreement (EULA), GNU/Linux (the softwares components that comes in a typical distribution like Debian or Fedora has different licenses) components have a Free Software license that ensures the user has the right to use, study, modify and distribute the software.
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