Closed source

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(Redirected from Closed source software)

Closed source is a term invented as an antonym for open source and refers to any program whose licensing terms do not qualify as open source. Generally, it means only the binaries of a computer program are distributed and the license provides no access to the program's source code, rendering modifications to the software technically impossible for practical purposes. The source code of such programs is usually regarded as a trade secret of the company. Access to source code by third parties commonly requires the party to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The term may also refer to programs whose source code is available, but under conditions that conflict with the Open Source Definition. Microsoft's "shared source" initiative is a prominent example of this.

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See also

es:Código cerrado nl:Closed source sk:Closed source simple:Closed source

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