# gods-eye-view License: MIT Terms and Data Asset Restrictions Explained

> Understand the gods-eye-view license. Source code uses MIT, while data assets are subject to third-party terms. Clarify usage rights for this project.

- Repository: [Bilawal Sidhu/gods-eye-view](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view)
- Tags: license-explained
- Published: 2026-09-05

---

**The gods-eye-view project is released under the MIT License for its source code, while datasets, maps, and 3D models bundled in the repository retain their original third-party licenses.**

The `bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view` repository is an open-source visualization project that combines custom software with geospatial data assets. While the codebase is freely available under the permissive MIT License, the repository structure separates code licensing from data licensing. Understanding this distinction is critical for compliance, especially in commercial deployments.

## MIT License for Source Code

The core software implementation in `bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view` is governed by the **MIT License**, a permissive open-source license that grants broad usage rights with minimal restrictions. You can view the complete license text in the repository's `LICENSE` file at the root level.

### Key Permissions and Requirements

Under the MIT License terms, you are free to:

- **Use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell** copies of the software
- **Include the software** in proprietary or commercial projects

The primary obligation is to **preserve the copyright notice and permission notice** in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. This means any distribution of the source code or compiled binaries must include the original `LICENSE` file or its contents.

## Third-Party Data and Asset Licenses

**Critical distinction**: The MIT grant applies **only to the software code**. The repository bundles various third-party datasets that retain their original license terms:

- **CC BY-NC-SA 3.0**: TeleGeography submarine cable map (NonCommercial restriction)
- **ODbL 1.0**: OpenStreetMap extracts
- **CC0**: NASA FIRMS data

These assets are documented in [`DATA_SOURCES.md`](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/DATA_SOURCES.md) at the repository root, while 3D model attributions reside in [`public/models/README.md`](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/public/models/README.md). Before redistributing or deploying commercially, you must verify compatibility with these separate license terms or remove assets with conflicting restrictions.

## License Compliance in Practice

When creating new files within the project, include the standard MIT license header to maintain clear provenance:

```typescript
/**
 * gods-eye-view
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2026 Bilawal Sidhu
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
 * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
 * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
 * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
 *
 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
 * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
 * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
 * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
 * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
 * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
 * DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 */

```

For programmatic access to license information (such as exposing it via an API endpoint), read the `LICENSE` file directly:

```typescript
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';
import { join } from 'path';

export async function getLicense(): Promise<string> {
  const licensePath = join(__dirname, '..', 'LICENSE');
  return await readFile(licensePath, 'utf-8');
}

```

## Summary

- The **MIT License** governs all source code in `bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view`, allowing commercial use with proper attribution
- **Third-party data assets** maintain their original licenses (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, ODbL 1.0, CC0) documented in [`DATA_SOURCES.md`](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/DATA_SOURCES.md)
- The **TeleGeography submarine cable map** specifically carries a NonCommercial restriction that prohibits commercial deployment
- Always verify license compatibility for bundled assets before production deployment, or replace restricted assets with alternatives

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is gods-eye-view free for commercial use?

The source code is free for commercial use under the MIT License. However, commercial use of the complete repository including bundled datasets requires careful review of third-party licenses. The TeleGeography submarine cable map (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) specifically prohibits commercial applications, so you must remove or replace this asset for commercial deployments.

### Do I need to attribute the MIT license when using the code?

Yes. The MIT License requires that you include the copyright notice and permission notice in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. This is typically accomplished by including the `LICENSE` file in your distribution or adding a license header to source files.

### Can I redistribute the submarine cable map data commercially?

No. The submarine cable map data provided by TeleGeography is licensed under **CC BY-NC-SA 3.0**, which explicitly prohibits commercial use. For commercial projects, you must either obtain a separate commercial license from TeleGeography or remove this dataset and substitute it with alternative data sources.

### Where can I find the full license text for the source code?

The complete MIT License text is located in the `LICENSE` file at the root of the repository (`https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/LICENSE`). For data-specific licensing, consult [`DATA_SOURCES.md`](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/DATA_SOURCES.md) in the repository root and [`public/models/README.md`](https://github.com/bilawalsidhu/gods-eye-view/blob/main/public/models/README.md) for 3D model attributions.