---
title: "License"
description: "World Monitor licensing terms: AGPL-3.0 for open use, commercial license for business use. Rebranding and commercial forks are prohibited without a license."
---

World Monitor is licensed under the [GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0-only)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html).

<Warning>
**Copying, renaming, or rebranding World Monitor for commercial use is illegal without a commercial license.** Changing the name does not change the license. If you fork this project and use it to make money, you are in violation of the AGPL-3.0 and subject to legal action. See [enforcement](#enforcement) below.
</Warning>

## What AGPL-3.0 means

AGPL is a strong copyleft license designed for network software. It extends the GPL with one additional requirement: if you run a modified version of World Monitor as a publicly accessible service, you must make your source code available to users of that service.

| You can | You must | You cannot |
|---------|----------|------------|
| View, study, and learn from the source code | Distribute source code with any binary distribution | Use World Monitor commercially without a commercial license |
| Modify and create derivative works for personal/research use | License derivative works under AGPL-3.0 | Sublicense under a different license |
| Run a personal instance for non-commercial use | State changes you made to the code | Remove or obscure the original copyright and license notices |
| Contribute improvements back to the project | Provide source access to users of any public-facing modified deployment | Rebrand and sell as your own product |

## Rebranding and commercial forks are prohibited

<Warning>
Forking World Monitor, changing the name, logo, or branding, and deploying it as your own product is **not permitted** under any circumstances without a commercial license. The AGPL-3.0 requires that:

1. **You must retain all original copyright notices** in the source code and UI.
2. **You must prominently state that your version is a modified fork of World Monitor** and link back to the original project.
3. **You must publish your complete modified source code** under AGPL-3.0, available to all users of your deployment.
4. **You cannot use this for commercial purposes** without a separate commercial license from the maintainer.

Renaming the project does not remove these obligations. Removing copyright headers is a separate legal violation.
</Warning>

## Commercial use requires a separate license

**Any commercial use of World Monitor requires a commercial license from the maintainer.** This includes but is not limited to:

- **Rebranding or white-labeling**: Forking the code, changing the name/logo, and deploying it as your own product or service
- **Running as a paid product**: Offering World Monitor (or a modified version) behind a paywall, subscription, or any fee
- **Embedding in commercial products**: Using World Monitor code, components, UI, or data pipelines inside a product you sell
- **SaaS or consulting**: Offering World Monitor's capabilities as part of a consulting engagement, managed service, or SaaS platform
- **Internal corporate use**: Using World Monitor inside a for-profit company to generate revenue or competitive advantage
- **Selling data derived from World Monitor**: Using the platform to collect, process, or resell intelligence data commercially

The AGPL-3.0 license governs non-commercial, personal, educational, and research use only. If your use case involves any form of commercial activity, you must contact the maintainer to obtain a commercial license.

**Contact**: [GitHub repository](https://github.com/koala73/worldmonitor) or email the maintainer directly.

## Enforcement

The maintainer actively monitors for unauthorized commercial use, rebranding, and license violations. If you are found to be in violation:

1. You will receive a formal takedown notice requiring immediate cessation of the infringing activity.
2. If the violation is not resolved promptly, the maintainer reserves the right to pursue legal remedies, including injunctive relief and damages, under applicable copyright law.
3. AGPL violations are enforceable under international copyright law (Berne Convention), the DMCA, and equivalent statutes in the EU and other jurisdictions.

If you are aware of an unauthorized commercial fork or rebranded deployment, please report it via [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/koala73/worldmonitor/issues) or contact the maintainer directly.

## Common scenarios

**Personal use or research**: Free to use, modify, and self-host. No restrictions beyond AGPL compliance.

**Self-hosting for a non-profit or educational institution**: Permitted under AGPL. If you modify the code and make it publicly accessible, you must share your modifications.

**Running a modified public instance (non-commercial)**: You must retain all copyright notices, state that it is a fork of World Monitor, and make your modified source code available to users who interact with your deployment.

**Using World Monitor's public API in your own tool**: If your tool calls World Monitor's public API and displays the results, your tool is not a derivative work. No AGPL obligations apply. However, if your tool is commercial, you must comply with the API terms of service.

**Contributing a pull request**: By submitting a PR, you agree that your contribution is licensed under AGPL-3.0, consistent with the rest of the project.

**Commercial use (any of the above in a for-profit context)**: Requires a separate commercial license. Contact the maintainer at the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/koala73/worldmonitor).

## Why AGPL + Commercial License

World Monitor aggregates publicly available intelligence data and makes it accessible to everyone. The dual-license model (AGPL for open use, commercial license for business use) ensures that:

1. **The community benefits**: Individual researchers, journalists, students, and open-source contributors can freely use and improve the platform.
2. **Commercial use is sustainable**: Companies that derive commercial value from World Monitor contribute back through licensing fees, which fund continued development.
3. **The project stays open**: AGPL prevents a scenario where a commercial entity takes the open-source code, adds proprietary features, and competes with the project without contributing back.
