Why do I have to 'buy' a free item in the Ubuntu Software Center? [closed]

When using the Ubuntu Software Center, why do I have to go through the extra steps to 'buy' a free item? Why can't it just get installed?


Solution 1:

Some applications in the software center are commercial, but free, rather than open source. For commercial apps the process has you click through "buy" even though it's free. Some developers do this to avoid the long wait for open source applications (mine has been languishing since the end of September for example)