Some software are made available for free on the internet for dowload purpose. Are these software free of rights and can we do what we want with them ?
The answer is negative. The fact that a piece of software is free of charge and free of rights or in the public domain does not mean that you can do what you want with it.
Even if a software is free, it very often has a licence that sets out a limitative list of the rights related to the software.
This licence is often in the form of a text that can be scrolled through in a small window before the user is asked to click the "Accept" box.
It is important to read very carefully the rights granted by this licence and the usage limits it sets.
For example, some licences mention thar the software can only be used for private purpose and cannot be copied or further distributed.
However, others allow such uses and even permit the user to modify the software and redistribute the result. This type of software falls into the category of free software.
When the software is not accompanied by a licence, it implies that nothing can be done with it, unless an explicit authorisation from the copyright holder on this software is given.
