MediaCrawler License: Understanding the Non-Commercial Learning License 1.1

MediaCrawler is distributed under a custom Non-Commercial Learning License 1.1 that permits use, modification, and redistribution strictly for non-commercial learning and research purposes.

The NanmiCoder/MediaCrawler repository employs a custom license that differs significantly from standard open-source licenses like MIT or Apache 2.0. Before deploying this media crawling tool, you must understand the specific permissions and restrictions outlined in the LICENSE file at the repository root.

What Is the MediaCrawler License?

MediaCrawler operates under a custom Non‑Commercial Learning License 1.1. Unlike permissive open-source licenses, this license imposes strict usage limitations designed to prevent commercial exploitation and platform disruption while encouraging educational use.

The license grants rights to use, copy, modify, and merge the software, but exclusively for non-commercial learning and research purposes. According to the full text in LICENSE, any usage outside these bounds requires explicit written consent from the author, particularly for large-scale crawling operations.

Core Restrictions and Requirements

Permitted Uses

The license explicitly allows:

• Personal study and academic research
• Educational experimentation and code modification
• Redistribution within learning environments

Prohibited Activities

The following uses violate the license terms:

• Large-scale crawling or automated data harvesting without author consent
• Commercial activities or revenue-generating deployments
• Actions that disrupt platform operations or violate target platform terms of service

Attribution Requirements

Every redistributed copy must retain:

• The original copyright notice
• The complete license text as found in the LICENSE file
• The "as-is" disclaimer of warranties and liability limitations

Locating the License in the Repository

The authoritative license text resides in the LICENSE file at the repository root (NanmiCoder/MediaCrawler/blob/main/LICENSE).

Additional references appear in:

• pyproject.toml – Build configuration metadata referencing the license classification
• README.md – Project documentation summarizing usage constraints

Verifying the License Programmatically

When integrating MediaCrawler into educational projects, you can verify compliance programmatically by inspecting the LICENSE file content:

import pathlib

# Path to the LICENSE file relative to the project root

license_path = pathlib.Path(__file__).parents[1] / "LICENSE"

def read_license():
    """Read and return the full license text."""
    with license_path.open(encoding="utf-8") as f:
        return f.read()

def is_non_commercial_use_allowed():
    """
    Simple check that the license contains the phrase
    'Non‑Commercial Learning License' indicating the permitted usage.
    """
    return "Non‑Commercial Learning License" in read_license()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print("License excerpt:")
    print("\n".join(read_license().splitlines()[:5]))
    print("\nIs non‑commercial learning use permitted?", is_non_commercial_use_allowed())

This approach confirms whether the repository maintains its original licensing terms before deployment.

Summary

• MediaCrawler uses a custom Non-Commercial Learning License 1.1, not a standard OSI-approved open-source license.
• Usage is restricted to non-commercial learning and research contexts only.
• The full license text is located in the LICENSE file at the repository root.
• Redistribution requires retaining copyright notices and the complete license text.
• Large-scale crawling and commercial use require explicit written permission from the author.
• The software is provided "as-is" without warranties, as stated in the liability disclaimer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MediaCrawler open source?

While the source code is publicly available on GitHub, MediaCrawler does not use an Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved license. The custom Non-Commercial Learning License 1.1 restricts usage to educational and research contexts, which violates the Open Source Definition (OSD) that requires licenses to permit commercial use and not discriminate against fields of endeavor.

Can I use MediaCrawler for commercial projects?

No. The license explicitly prohibits commercial use without obtaining written consent from the author. Any revenue-generating activities, including commercial data harvesting or resale of scraped content, violate the license terms. Contact the repository maintainer directly for commercial licensing inquiries.

Do I need to include the license when redistributing MediaCrawler?

Yes. The license terms require that all copies—modified or unmodified—retain the original copyright notice and the full license text. This includes the disclaimer of warranties and limitations of liability found in the LICENSE file. Failure to include these notices constitutes a breach of the license agreement.

What happens if I violate the Non-Commercial Learning License?

The license disclaims all liability for damages arising from use, but violating the non-commercial clause constitutes copyright infringement. The author reserves the right to pursue legal remedies for unauthorized commercial use or large-scale crawling that disrupts platform operations without written consent. Additionally, you assume full legal responsibility for any platform terms of service violations committed using the software.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}