Not open.
Not rented.
Owned Source.
The freedom to run your software without surrendering your business to a subscription. Proprietary code. Perpetual rights. Real independence.
There is a third way.
Owned Source is a proposed category of proprietary software distribution in which customers receive the source code under a perpetual license, with rights to operate and maintain the software independently, subject to clearly stated license terms. The original developer may retain copyright and ownership of the underlying code.
Traditional SaaS
Rent access. The provider controls hosting, roadmap, and continued availability. Stop paying and access may end.
Open Source
Source is made available under a license meeting open-source criteria, including redistribution rights. Powerful, but not every vendor wants public distribution.
Perpetual control
Receive proprietary source code and lasting rights to use and maintain it. Public redistribution is not required. You can plan beyond the vendor.
Access is not enough.
Control is the point.
License rights to continue running the purchased software do not expire solely with the passage of time.
Customers receive the relevant, usable source code—not just an API, binary, or escrow promise.
Customers have a documented path to deploy and maintain the software without mandatory ongoing vendor hosting.
Customers should be permitted to adapt the licensed code for their own internal needs, within the agreement.
Copyright, redistribution, sublicensing, transfer, third-party dependencies, and support obligations are spelled out explicitly.
Optional support and upgrades can be sold separately, without extinguishing perpetual rights to the licensed version.
Software should be an asset your business can rely on. Not a landlord it can never leave.
Owned Source is a proposed shared vocabulary for software companies willing to deliver lasting source-code rights—and organizations ready to demand them.
Build it. License it. Run it on your terms.
This page describes a proposed category, not an established legal standard or a published license.