F/LOSS is Commercial Software

Many people mistakenly use the term "commercial software" as if it was the opposite of Free/Libre Open Source Software (F/LOSS). This is in spite of: i) the rise in commercial development and support for F/LOSS; ii) the goal of most F/LOSS projects to incorporate improvements, which is actually a form of financial gain; iii) official definitions of "commercial item" that include F/LOSS; and iv) F/LOSS licenses and projects that clearly approve of commercial support. In reality, there are two types of commercial software: proprietary software and F/LOSS. This paper provides examples for each of the four points mentioned above, briefly notes some alternative terms, and ends with some conclusions, explaining why it is important to understand that F/LOSS software is almost always commercial.