版權保護範圍之外的未經許可的軟件可以是公有領域軟件（Public Domain），亦可以是未經分發，未經許可並作為內部商業秘密處理的軟件。[1]相反來說，未經授權的分佈式軟件則完全受到版權保護，因此在版權期限到期後且進入公有領域之前，在法律上是不可用的，因為許可證完全不授予使用權，[2]例如未經授權或被洩漏的軟件，這些項目被放置在例如GitHub之類的未指定許可證的公共軟件存儲庫中。此外，在某些司法管轄區（例如德國法律（英语：Law of Germany））中，由於在達到版權期限之前自願將軟件移交給公共領域，因此也有授予類似PD的權利的許可證，例如CC0或WTFPL。
^Walker, John. Thought: Do We Own Our Steam Games?. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 2012-02-01 [2014-12-27]. （原始内容存档于2021-12-03）. I asked gamer lawyer Jas Purewal about this a short while back, not specifically about Valve, and he explained that the matter is still unresolved. “In fact,” he says, “it’s never been completely resolved for software generally[...]"
^hg/mz (AFP, dpa). Oracle loses court fight over software resale rules. dw.de. 2012-07-03 [2014-12-30]. （原始内容存档于2012-09-03）. A European court has ruled that it's permissible to resell software licenses even if the package has been downloaded directly from the Internet. It sided with a German firm in its legal battle with US giant Oracle.
^Voakes, Greg. European Courts Rule In Favor Of Consumers Reselling Downloaded Games. forbes.com. 2012-07-03 [2014-12-30]. （原始内容存档于2020-01-08）. Could this be the victory we need for a “gamer’s bill of rights” ? DRM is an oft-cited acronym, and resonates negatively in the gaming community. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in favor of reselling downloaded games. Simply put, legally purchased and downloaded games will be treated like physical copies of the game, and consumers can then sell their ‘used’ game.
^JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Grand Chamber). InfoCuria – Case-law of the Court of Justice. 2012-07-03 [2014-12-30]. （原始内容存档于2014-12-31）. (Legal protection of computer programs — Marketing of used licenses for computer programs downloaded from the internet — Directive 2009/24/EC — Articles 4(2) and 5(1) — Exhaustion of the distribution right — Concept of lawful acquirer)
