Licenseware
Commercial PD
The distribution model where PD libraries sold games at low prices with royalties paid to authors - a middle ground between free public domain and commercial publishing.
Licenseware was a distribution model primarily on the Amiga where PD (public domain) libraries sold games and software at low prices (£2-5) with royalties paid to the original authors. It created a middle ground between truly free PD software and commercial publishing, enabling amateur developers to earn money without securing a traditional publishing deal.
How the period defined it
Amiga Shopper, September 1991, positions licenseware by what it is not:
Yet another way of obtaining cheap software is to buy ‘licenseware’. This is not freely copyable, but instead of having fancy packaging and oversized boxes, disks are distributed with the documentation as ‘read.me’ [files]
Not free like PD, not boxed like commercial. And it was a formal enough category that a development system’s licence named it: AMOS required an acknowledgement if you released “into the public domain or as shareware or licenseware”, with separate terms again if “you are selling the program commercially”. Three tiers, distinguished in a contract.
One caveat on curation. The same column’s reviewer found a licenseware program with “a few bugs in it” — of two review copies, “one Gurued virtually at once” — and another that “refused to run”. A royalty to the author did not imply testing.
Fast facts
- Era: Late 1980s-mid 1990s
- Platform: Primarily Amiga
- Price: £2-5 typically
- Royalty: Paid to author
- Distribution: PD libraries
- Quality: Curated selection
How it worked
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Author creates | Game or application |
| Library accepts | Curates quality |
| Library sells | At set price |
| Author receives | Percentage royalty |
Compared to Other Models
| Model | Price | Author Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Public Domain | Free (copy fee) | None |
| Licenseware | £2-5 | Royalty |
| Budget | £1.99-2.99 | Advance/royalty |
| Full price | £20-30 | Advance/royalty |
Major Licenseware Labels
| Label | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| F1 Licenseware | Amiga | Various titles |
| AMOS PD Licenseware | Amiga | AMOS-made games |
| Softville | Amiga | Various |
| Robtek | Amiga | Various |
Why Authors Chose Licenseware
| Benefit | Value |
|---|---|
| Low barrier | No publisher needed |
| Income | Some money vs none |
| Exposure | Library catalogues |
| Credibility | “Published” status |
Quality Control
Licenseware differed from pure PD:
- Libraries curated submissions
- Minimum quality standards
- Reputation mattered
- Better = more sales
Typical Licenseware Titles
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| AMOS games | Many small games |
| Utilities | Useful tools |
| Educational | Learning software |
| Niche | Specialised applications |
Economic Reality
| Factor | Typical |
|---|---|
| Price | £3-4 |
| Author royalty | 50% |
| Per sale to author | £1.50-2 |
| Units sold | Hundreds typically |
Not riches, but pocket money for hobby work.
Legacy
Licenseware anticipated modern indie distribution—platforms where anyone could sell their work without traditional gatekeepers, at prices they controlled, with transparent royalty splits. It was itch.io thirty years early.