Up until a few years ago consumers had limited choices in the software they used. They could either learn to be a computer programmer, or they could buy proprietary software. Proprietary software is basically a program made by a company for sale to customers. The product cannot be altered in any way, be distributed or sold according to copyright laws, and carries the developing company’s name. In short, consumers were held on a very short leash by software companies – giving rise to mega-corporations like Microsoft, Apple, and many others.