SPDX license obligations API

Returns an SPDX license's canonical name, OSI/FSF status, structured permissions / conditions / limitations (choosealicense.com taxonomy), a copyleft classification (none/weak/strong/network), and quick compatibility hints — from a vendored snapshot. The value-add is the normalized obligation breakdown + copyleft flag an agent would otherwise scrape. Answers 'what are the obligations of GPL-3.0', 'is Apache-2.0 copyleft', 'permissions and limitations of MIT', 'is AGPL network copyleft'.

Price$0.01per request

MethodPOST

Route/v1/dev/spdx-license

StatusLive

MIME typeapplication/json

Rate limit60/minute

CacheNo cache

devspdxlicensecopyleftgplopen-sourceobligationscompliance

API URLhttps://x402.hexl.dev/v1/dev/spdx-license

Integration docs

Example request

{
  "license": "Apache-2.0"
}

Example response

{
  "input": "Apache-2.0",
  "spdxId": "Apache-2.0",
  "recognized": true,
  "name": "Apache License 2.0",
  "osiApproved": true,
  "fsfLibre": true,
  "copyleft": "none",
  "copyleftDescription": "Permissive — no obligation to share your own source.",
  "permissions": [
    "commercial-use",
    "modifications",
    "distribution",
    "private-use",
    "patent-use"
  ],
  "conditions": [
    "include-copyright",
    "document-changes"
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "liability",
    "warranty",
    "trademark-use"
  ],
  "compatibilityHints": [
    "Compatible with virtually all licenses; can be combined into proprietary or copyleft works.",
    "Apache-2.0 is one-way compatible with GPL-3.0 but NOT with GPL-2.0-only (patent clause)."
  ],
  "referenceUrl": "https://spdx.org/licenses/Apache-2.0.html",
  "disclaimer": "Heuristic guidance, not legal advice."
}

Input schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "license"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "license": {
      "type": "string",
      "examples": [
        "Apache-2.0",
        "GPL-3.0-only"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Output schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "additionalProperties": true
}