Definition[]
Vaporware is a software program that is either released well past its scheduled launch date, or that is announced well in advance of its projected release date. The term carries a negative connotation that the software may never be released, or even that it is never intended to be released.
Possible antitrust issues[]
Companies that maliciously announce vaporware may face possible antitrust violations. The Justice Department has been known to bring claims against software development companies who are thought to announce the release date of a non-existent product in order to gain a competitive advantage in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Such announcements can be aimed at artificially inflating stock prices, generating unwarranted "buzz" for a company or franchise, or at dissuading consumers from buying an existing product from a competitor if they know a “newer, better” product is on the horizon.