What Are the Licensing Details for datawhalechina/hello-agents?

The datawhalechina/hello-agents repository is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, which requires attribution, restricts use to non-commercial purposes, and mandates that derivative works carry the same license terms.

The licensing structure for this open-source educational repository governs how contributors and users can legally interact with the codebase. According to the source files in the repository, the full license text resides in LICENSE.txt at the repository root, with additional references in the project documentation. Understanding these terms ensures compliance whether you are studying the agent implementations, forking the project for research, or building educational extensions.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License Components

The LICENSE.txt file contains the complete Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International legal text. This license divides permissions and restrictions into three core obligations:

Attribution (BY)

You must give appropriate credit to the original authors (DataWhale China), provide a link to the license, and indicate if you made changes. This applies to all shared copies or public displays of the material, including modified versions.

Non-Commercial (NC)

You may use, share, and adapt the material only for non-commercial purposes. Any commercial exploitation—including selling the software, incorporating it into paid products, or using it within commercial workflows—requires separate written permission from the copyright holder.

Share-Alike (SA)

If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This ensures that educational derivatives remain freely available under consistent terms.

Key License Files in the Repository

Several files work together to communicate the licensing requirements across different languages and documentation contexts:

• LICENSE.txt – Contains the unabridged CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 legal text that governs all repository content. Located at the repository root.
• README.md – The primary Chinese documentation includes a brief statement directing users to the license file.
• README_EN.md – The English translation of the README also references the licensing terms.
• docs/README.md – The documentation root contains a dedicated "License" section linking directly to LICENSE.txt.

Practical Usage Guidelines

Understanding the non-commercial restriction is critical for legal compliance. You can freely read, copy, and modify the source files for learning, academic research, or personal experimentation. However, you cannot deploy this code in revenue-generating services or proprietary commercial products without obtaining explicit permission.

When distributing forks or derivatives, you must retain the original LICENSE.txt file and ensure your additions are clearly marked. Contributions submitted back to the repository are automatically covered under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 terms, maintaining consistent reuse conditions across the project ecosystem.

How to Properly Attribute the License

When incorporating code or concepts from datawhalechina/hello-agents into your own educational projects, use these patterns to maintain compliance:

Add a license badge to your README:

[![License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-CC%20BY--NC--SA%204.0-lightgrey.svg)](https://github.com/datawhalechina/hello-agents/blob/main/LICENSE.txt)

Include a short attribution header in new Python modules:

# =============================================================================

# hello-agents – Example module

# © 2024 DataWhale China. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

# Author: Your Name (based on work by DataWhale China)

# =============================================================================

Copy the license file when forking:

curl -O https://github.com/datawhalechina/hello-agents/raw/main/LICENSE.txt

Summary

• The datawhalechina/hello-agents repository uses the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license stored in LICENSE.txt.
• Non-commercial use only: Any commercial application requires explicit permission from DataWhale China.
• Attribution required: You must credit the original authors and link to the license when sharing.
• Share-Alike obligation: Derivative works must use the identical CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• License references appear in README.md, README_EN.md, and docs/README.md for multi-language clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use hello-agents code in a commercial product?

No. The Non-Commercial (NC) clause explicitly prohibits commercial use. You must obtain separate written permission from the copyright holders to use this code in revenue-generating products, services, or internal business operations.

Do I need to open-source my modifications if I fork the repository?

Yes. The Share-Alike (SA) requirement mandates that any derivative works you distribute must be licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This ensures educational derivatives remain accessible to the community under the same terms.

Where can I find the complete legal text of the license?

The full CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International legal text is located in the LICENSE.txt file at the root of the repository. You can also view it directly on GitHub via the link in the repository's main page or documentation files.

What happens if I violate the license terms?

Violation of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 terms constitutes copyright infringement. The license terminates automatically upon breach, and the copyright holder (DataWhale China) retains the right to pursue legal remedies for unauthorized commercial use or failure to provide proper attribution.

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