Proprietary - GCSE Computer Science Definition

The term "proprietary" in computer science refers to something that is owned and controlled by an individual or a company, and not available for public use or modification. When we talk about software, proprietary software is created and owned by a company, which means you have to follow their rules to use it. For example, you often need to buy a license or agree to terms before you can use it. You also usually cannot see, change, or share the source code, which is the set of instructions that makes the software work. This is different from open-source software, which is available for anyone to use, look at, and change.