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License files: what AI coding agents may do with your code

This check looks for a license file at the repo root: LICENSE or COPYING, with or without a .md or .txt extension.

How many repos pass

Of the 371 repos on the leaderboard, 339 pass in full (91%), 0 pass in part (0%) and 32 fail (9%).

Why agents need it

A license tells an agent, and the person running it, what may be done with the code: copied into another project, modified, redistributed. Every agent's profile gives it a low weight, because it does not change how well an agent edits the code.

How we score it

  • Full pass: a license file at the repo root.
  • Fail: none. We do not read which license it is.

The methodology has the formula that turns checks into a score.

How to pass

Add a LICENSE file at the repo root. A license named only in package.json or the README does not pass.

Which agents count it most

Pass rate by language

Top-scoring repos that pass

Popular repos that fail it