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Licensing Analytics

GitPulse analyzes software licenses and SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) components to help you understand license compliance and commercial compatibility.

What is SBOM?

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is a formal, machine-readable inventory of software components and dependencies. It provides a detailed list of all the open source and third-party components used in your software, including their versions, licenses, and security vulnerabilities.

Why SBOM matters: - Transparency: Complete visibility into your software supply chain - Compliance: Track license obligations and restrictions - Security: Identify vulnerable dependencies - Risk Management: Assess legal and security risks

License Overview

License analytics provide insights into the legal implications of your software dependencies and help ensure compliance with open source licenses.

Key License Metrics

Commercial Compatibility

A simple indicator showing whether your software's dependencies are compatible with commercial use.

Commercial Compatibility
Commercial Compatibility

What it tells you: - Whether your software can be used commercially - Legal risk assessment - License compliance status

License Analysis Details

Click on the Commercial Compatibility metric to access a comprehensive AI-powered analysis showing: - Detailed legal analysis of all licenses - Component-by-component license breakdown - Legal obligations and restrictions - Compliance recommendations

License Analysis Details
License Analysis Details

What it tells you: - Complete legal assessment - Specific license obligations - Risk mitigation strategies - Compliance requirements

License Categories

Commercial-Friendly Licenses

Licenses that allow commercial use with minimal restrictions: - MIT: Very permissive, allows commercial use - Apache 2.0: Permissive with patent protection - BSD: Simple permissive license - ISC: Simplified BSD license - Unlicense: Public domain dedication

What it tells you: - Safe for commercial use - Minimal legal obligations - Maximum flexibility

Copyleft Licenses

Licenses that require source code sharing under certain conditions: - GPL: Requires source code sharing when distributing - AGPL: Requires source code sharing even for network use - LGPL: Less restrictive copyleft for libraries - MPL: Moderate copyleft with file-level requirements

What it tells you: - May require source code disclosure - Can affect commercial licensing - Need careful legal review

License Health Indicators

Healthy License Patterns

✅ Good signs: - All components have commercial-friendly licenses - Clear license documentation - No conflicting license obligations - Proper attribution requirements met

Warning Signs

⚠️ Concerning patterns: - Copyleft licenses present - Mixed license types - Unclear license obligations - Missing license information

Using License Data

For Development Teams

  1. Dependency Selection: Choose components with compatible licenses
  2. License Tracking: Monitor license changes in dependencies
  3. Compliance Management: Ensure proper attribution and obligations
  4. Risk Assessment: Identify potential legal issues early

For Management

  1. Legal Risk Assessment: Understand potential legal implications
  2. Compliance Planning: Plan for license obligations
  3. Commercial Strategy: Assess impact on business model
  4. Due Diligence: Support legal review processes

Best Practices

Improving License Compliance

  1. License Review: Review licenses before adding dependencies
  2. Documentation: Maintain clear license documentation
  3. Attribution: Provide proper license attribution
  4. Monitoring: Regularly review license compliance

Team Collaboration

  1. Legal Consultation: Work with legal experts for complex licenses
  2. Training: Educate team on license implications
  3. Process: Establish license review processes
  4. Automation: Use tools to track license changes

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Copyleft Licenses Detected

  • Cause: Dependencies with GPL, AGPL, or other copyleft licenses
  • Solution: Review license implications and consider alternatives

Missing License Information

  • Cause: Components without clear license information
  • Solution: Contact maintainers or find alternative components

License Conflicts

  • Cause: Incompatible licenses in the same project
  • Solution: Review legal implications and consider alternatives

Getting Help

  • Legal Review: Consult with legal experts for complex licenses
  • Documentation: Review license documentation thoroughly
  • Community: Seek guidance from open source communities
  • Tools: Use automated license compliance tools