Update LICENSE and package.json for Linux Foundation transition

[Copilot]

Summary

Replace MIT License with hybrid Apache 2.0 + MIT + CC-BY-4.0 license as MCP transitions to Linux Foundation. License copied verbatim from typescript-sdk reference. Updated all package.json files to reference the new LICENSE file.

Note: Inspector V2 is under development to address architectural and UX improvements. During this time, V1 contributions should focus on bug fixes and MCP spec compliance. See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details.

Type of Change

• Bug fix (non-breaking change that fixes an issue)
• New feature (non-breaking change that adds functionality)
• Documentation update
• Refactoring (no functional changes)
• Test updates
• Build/CI improvements

Changes Made

Updated LICENSE file to reflect MCP project's transition to Linux Foundation governance:

• Apache License 2.0: New code and specification contributions
• MIT License: Original contributions from authors who haven't granted relicensing consent (Copyright 2024-2025 Model Context Protocol a Series of LF Projects, LLC)
• CC-BY-4.0: Documentation contributions (excluding specifications)

Includes transition notice explaining the hybrid licensing model and preservation of original MIT rights.

Updated all package.json files (root, server, client, cli) to reflect the license change:

• Changed "license" field from "MIT" to "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE" to reference the LICENSE file
• Updated "author" field from "Anthropic, PBC (https://anthropic.com)" to "Model Context Protocol a Series of LF Projects, LLC."

Related Issues

Reference: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/blob/main/LICENSE

Testing

• Tested in UI mode
• Tested in CLI mode
• Tested with STDIO transport
• Tested with SSE transport
• Tested with Streamable HTTP transport
• Added/updated automated tests
• Manual testing performed

Test Results and/or Instructions

License file updated successfully. Content verified to match typescript-sdk reference verbatim (196 lines added). All package.json files validated as valid JSON with updated license and author fields.

Checklist

• Code follows the style guidelines (ran npm run prettier-fix)
• Self-review completed
• Code is commented where necessary
• Documentation updated (README, comments, etc.)

Breaking Changes

None. License change does not affect code functionality.

Additional Context

This is a legal/governance update required for all MCP repositories as part of the Linux Foundation transition. The license text was copied exactly as specified in the agent instructions to maintain consistency across the project. Package.json files updated to match the format used in typescript-sdk repository.

Original prompt

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This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Update License</issue_title>
<issue_description>The MCP Inspector License needs to be updated as part of transition to Linux Foundation - see https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/blob/main/LICENSE as a reference.</issue_description>

<agent_instructions>Make sure that you copy the referenced license verbatim.</agent_instructions>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes Update License #1017

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[olaservo]

@copilot I just noticed that the package.json license fields still appear to be MIT?

[Copilot]

@copilot I just noticed that the package.json license fields still appear to be MIT?

Updated all package.json files (root, server, client, cli) to use "license": "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE" and updated the author field to match the typescript-sdk reference. Commit: 1876a77