Dependency License Check

Dependency & License Compliance

Ensure every dependency in the project complies with Blacklane's Open Source Software Policy. Write original code where possible; when a library is needed, verify it carries a permissive license before adding it.

When to Use

MANDATORY — Always invoke this skill before:

• Adding any new dependency
• Upgrading an existing dependency to a new major version
• Any task that results in a new entry in a dependency file

Language-specific install commands this covers:

• bundle add, gem install — adds to Gemfile

Always run this check first — then add the library.

Also invoke this skill when:

• User asks to "check licenses", "audit dependencies", or "verify compliance" of existing libraries
• User asks to evaluate whether a specific library is allowed
• Reviewing a PR that introduces new dependencies

Validation Workflow

1. Identify the dependency — Name, version, and language ecosystem
2. Verify the license — Confirm it is on the approved list (see license-policy.md)
3. Determine usage context — Production runtime vs dev/test/CI only (see usage-detection.md)
4. Confirm compliance — Match license + usage context against the policy matrix
5. Report — Tell the user the license, context, and compliance status

Approved Licenses (use these freely)

Any context: MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD, ISC, MPL-2.0 Dev/test/CI tooling only: LGPL, GPL, AGPL (standalone binary/CLI only)

Libraries with unknown, missing, or custom licenses require a waiver — see license-policy.md for the full matrix and waiver process.

Output

Report to the user:

• Dependency name and version
• Detected license
• Whether it's production or dev/test usage
• Compliant / Not compliant / Needs waiver
• If not compliant: suggest permissive-licensed alternatives or the waiver process

Examples

User: "Add github.com/some/library to handle CSV parsing"

1. Verify license -> MIT (permissive)
2. Determine usage -> Production (imported in non-test Go files)
3. MIT + Production -> Compliant

github.com/some/library (MIT) is approved for production use.

User: "Add a GPL-licensed linter tool"

1. Verify license -> GPL-3.0
2. Determine usage -> Dev/CI only (standalone CLI binary)
3. GPL-3.0 + standalone dev tool -> Compliant

Approved as a standalone dev/CI tool (not compiled into the production binary).

User: "I need a library for X" (and it has a restrictive license)

1. Verify license -> AGPL-3.0
2. Determine usage -> Production (imported in Go service)
3. AGPL-3.0 + Production -> Not compliant

-> Suggest permissive alternatives for X, or write an original implementation.
-> If no alternative exists, direct user to the Legal service desk for a waiver.

Code Originality

For complex logic (SQL queries, regex patterns, algorithms), prefer writing original implementations tailored to our domain. When referencing external patterns, ensure they come from permissive-licensed sources and adapt them to our codebase rather than copying verbatim.

Supporting Files

• license-policy.md — Full license compatibility matrix, Wiz SBOM verification, and rules
• usage-detection.md — How to determine production vs dev/test usage per language

Source: blacklane/kiev — distributed by TomeVault.