Proprietary software is any software that is not [free (as in freedom)](free_software.md)/[open source](open_source.md) software. Such software denies users and creators their basic freedoms (freedom of unlimited use, studying, modifying and sharing) and is therefore [evil](evil.md); proprietary software is mostly [capitalist software](capitalist_software.md) designed to abuse its user in some way. Proprietary code is often secret, not publicly accessible, but there are many programs whose source code is [available](source_available.md) but which is still proprietary because no one except the "owner" has any legal rights to fixing it, improving it or redistributing it.
Examples of proprietary software are [MS Windows](windows.md), [MacOS](macos.md), [Adobe Photoshop](photoshop.md) and almost every [game](game.md). Proprietary software is not only extremely [harmful](harmful.md) to culture, progress and society in general, it is downright dangerous and in some cases life-threatening; see for example cases of medical implants such as pacemakers running secret proprietary code whose creator and maintainer goes bankrupt and can no longer continue to maintain such devices already planted into bodies of people -- such cases have already appeared, see e.g. *Autonomic Technologies* nervous system implants.
Proprietary software licenses are usually called [EULAs](eula.md).
By extension besides proprietary software there also exist other proprietary works, for example proprietary [art](art.md) or databases -- these are all works that are not [free cultural works](free_culture.md). Even though for example a proprietary movie probably isn't IMMEDIATELY as dangerous as proprietary software, it may be just as dangerous to society in the long run.
