Scancode License Analysis Tool for MCP

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• index.ts:189-191 (handler)

  The registered handler function that executes the tool logic by calling the legalSummaryForLicense helper with the provided licenseName.

  async ({ licenseName }) => {
    return { content: [{ type: "text", text: await legalSummaryForLicense(licenseName) }] };
  }

• index.ts:185-187 (schema)

  Input schema for the tool, defining the 'licenseName' parameter as a string.

  inputSchema: {
    licenseName: z.string().describe("The license name to summarize (e.g., MIT, GPL-3.0, unknown)")
  },

• index.ts:180-192 (registration)

  Registration of the MCP tool 'mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary' with title, description, schema, and handler.

  server.registerTool(
    "mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary",
    {
      title: "Get License Clause Summary",
      description: "Clause-by-clause legal summary of a license (obligations, risks, compatibility, etc).",
      inputSchema: {
        licenseName: z.string().describe("The license name to summarize (e.g., MIT, GPL-3.0, unknown)")
      },
    },
    async ({ licenseName }) => {
      return { content: [{ type: "text", text: await legalSummaryForLicense(licenseName) }] };
    }
  );

• index.ts:196-253 (helper)

  The main helper function that implements the license clause summary logic using a dictionary of predefined short and long summaries for various license types, matching by substring and providing detailed legal information.

  async function legalSummaryForLicense(licenseName: string, short = false): Promise<string> {
    // This is a simplified legal expert system for demo purposes
    const name = licenseName.toLowerCase();
  
    const licenseSummaries: { [key: string]: { short: string; long: string } } = {
      "mit": {
        short: "MIT: Permissive, allows reuse/modification, requires attribution, disclaims warranties. Low risk.",
        long: `Type: Permissive\nGrant: Broad rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies.\nObligations: Must include original copyright and license.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: Compatible with most open and closed licenses.\nRisks: Minimal.\nCommercial Use: Safe.\n`
      },
      "gpl": {
        short: "GPL: Copyleft, requires derivatives to be GPL, viral effect, not business-friendly for closed source.",
        long: `Type: Copyleft\nGrant: Use, copy, modify, distribute.\nObligations: Derivatives must be GPL, source code disclosure required.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: Incompatible with most closed/proprietary licenses.\nRisks: Viral obligations, business model conflict.\nCommercial Use: Risky for proprietary.\n`
      },
      "lgpl": {
        short: "LGPL: Weak copyleft, allows dynamic linking, but modifications to LGPL code must be open.",
        long: `Type: Weak Copyleft\nGrant: Use, copy, modify, distribute.\nObligations: Modifications to LGPL code must be LGPL, dynamic linking allowed.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: More compatible than GPL, but still viral for modifications.\nRisks: Linking confusion.\nCommercial Use: Moderate risk.\n`
      },
      "bsd": {
        short: "BSD: Permissive, minimal restrictions, requires attribution.",
        long: `Type: Permissive\nGrant: Use, copy, modify, distribute.\nObligations: Attribution, sometimes no endorsement.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: High.\nRisks: Minimal.\nCommercial Use: Safe.\n`
      },
      "apache": {
        short: "Apache: Permissive, explicit patent grant, requires NOTICE file.",
        long: `Type: Permissive\nGrant: Use, copy, modify, distribute.\nObligations: Attribution, NOTICE file, patent grant.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: High, but not with GPLv2.\nRisks: Patent termination.\nCommercial Use: Safe.\n`
      },
      "proprietary": {
        short: "Proprietary: Custom terms, usually restricts use, modification, redistribution. High legal risk.",
        long: `Type: Proprietary\nGrant: Limited, as specified.\nObligations: As specified, often strict.\nWarranty: Varies.\nIndemnity: Varies.\nCompatibility: Usually incompatible with open source.\nRisks: High, custom terms.\nCommercial Use: Review required.\n`
      },
      "unknown": {
        short: "Unknown: No license detected, all rights reserved by default. Cannot use, modify, or distribute.",
        long: `Type: Unknown\nGrant: None.\nObligations: Cannot use, modify, or distribute.\nWarranty: None.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: None.\nRisks: Maximum.\nCommercial Use: Forbidden.\n`
      },
      "cc-by": {
        short: "CC-BY: Attribution required, otherwise permissive.",
        long: `Type: Permissive (Creative Commons)\nGrant: Use, share, adapt.\nObligations: Attribution.\nWarranty: Disclaimed.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: Not for software.\nRisks: License scope confusion.\nCommercial Use: Allowed.\n`
      },
      "public-domain": {
        short: "Public Domain: No rights reserved, free to use.",
        long: `Type: Public Domain\nGrant: Unrestricted.\nObligations: None.\nWarranty: None.\nIndemnity: None.\nCompatibility: Universal.\nRisks: None.\nCommercial Use: Safe.\n`
      },
      "default": {
        short: `Custom/Unknown: Legal review required. High risk of non-compliance or business conflict.`,
        long: `Type: Custom/Unknown\nGrant: Unclear.\nObligations: Unclear.\nWarranty: Unclear.\nIndemnity: Unclear.\nCompatibility: Unclear.\nRisks: High.\nCommercial Use: Not recommended without legal review.\n`
      }
    };
  
    for (const key in licenseSummaries) {
      if (name.includes(key)) {
        const summary = licenseSummaries[key];
        return short ? summary.short : summary.long;
      }
    }
  
    // Fallback for custom/complex/unknown if no match found
    const defaultSummary = licenseSummaries["default"];
    return short ? defaultSummary.short : defaultSummary.long;
  }