# What Is the Licensing for OBLITERATUS? Dual AGPL‑3.0 and Commercial Explained

> Understand OBLITERATUS licensing. Learn about the dual AGPL-3.0 and commercial license options for your open-source or proprietary projects.

- Repository: [pliny/OBLITERATUS](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS)
- Tags: licensing-explained
- Published: 2026-08-22

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**OBLITERATUS is distributed under a dual‑licensing model that combines the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL‑3.0) for open‑source use with a commercial license option for proprietary deployments.**

The **elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS** repository employs a dual‑licensing strategy designed to balance community contributions with commercial flexibility. This licensing framework ensures that open‑source users retain full rights under copyleft terms while offering organizations a path to private deployment without AGPL obligations. Understanding these terms is essential before integrating the codebase into SaaS products or distributed applications.

## The Dual-Licensing Model Explained

OBLITERATUS offers two distinct licensing paths depending on your use case and compliance requirements.

### Open-Source License: AGPL‑3.0

The primary open‑source license for OBLITERATUS is the **GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL‑3.0)**. This copyleft license grants users the right to use, modify, and redistribute the source code, but with a critical requirement: any derivative work, including network‑deployed SaaS applications, must also be released under AGPL‑3.0. The full legal text resides in the repository’s `LICENSE` file at the root level, which explicitly states the dual‑licensing availability and AGPL terms.

According to the [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml) metadata file, the project declares its license as `AGPL-3.0-or-later`, confirming the specific version and allowing for future compatibility. This declaration appears in the package metadata as:

```toml
[project]
license = "AGPL-3.0-or-later"

```

### Commercial License for Proprietary Use

For organizations unable to comply with AGPL‑3.0 obligations—such as those requiring closed‑source SaaS deployments or embedded proprietary products—OBLITERATUS provides a **commercial license**. This alternative removes the copyleft requirements, permitting private modification and redistribution without source code disclosure.

To inquire about commercial licensing terms, pricing, and custom agreements, organizations must contact the maintainers through the repository’s **GitHub Issues** page. This process is documented in the [`README.md`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/README.md) file under the "License" section, which serves as the main entry point for licensing inquiries.

## Locating Licensing Documentation in the Source

The OBLITERATUS repository stores licensing information across three critical files to ensure transparency and legal clarity:

- **`LICENSE`** – Contains the complete AGPL‑3.0 license text and the dual‑licensing notice. This file establishes the legal foundation for both open‑source and commercial usage rights.
- **[`README.md`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/README.md)** (License section) – Provides a human‑readable summary of the dual‑licensing model, including contact instructions for commercial inquiries and links to the full legal text.
- **[`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml)** – Declares the project metadata including `license = "AGPL-3.0-or-later"`, which package managers and automated tools use to identify compliance requirements during installation.

## Verifying the OBLITERATUS License Programmatically

Developers can programmatically confirm the licensing status of installed OBLITERATUS packages using Python’s `importlib.metadata` module. This approach validates compliance before deployment in automated pipelines or dependency checks.

```python
import importlib.metadata

# Retrieve metadata for the installed obliteratus package

metadata = importlib.metadata.metadata("obliteratus")
license_field = metadata["License"]

print(f"Detected license: {license_field}")  # Output: AGPL-3.0

# Example validation function for deployment checks

def ensure_agpl_allowed():
    """Verify AGPL compliance or raise error for commercial requirement."""
    if not has_agpl_compliance():  # Your internal compliance check

        raise RuntimeError(
            "Commercial use requires a purchased license. "
            "Contact maintainers via GitHub Issues to obtain terms."
        )

```

This verification method reads the metadata declared in [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml), ensuring that automated systems detect the AGPL‑3.0 classification before integration into production environments.

## Summary

- **OBLITERATUS uses dual‑licensing**: AGPL‑3.0 for open‑source use and a commercial license for proprietary applications.
- **The `LICENSE` file** contains the full AGPL‑3.0 text, while **[`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml)** declares `AGPL-3.0-or-later` in its metadata fields.
- **AGPL‑3.0 obligations** require sharing source code for all network‑deployed derivatives, including SaaS implementations.
- **Commercial licensing** requires direct contact with maintainers via GitHub Issues to negotiate terms and remove copyleft requirements.
- **Programmatic verification** is available through `importlib.metadata` to confirm license compliance during automated deployments.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I use OBLITERATUS in a closed‑source SaaS product without releasing my code?

No, not under the default AGPL‑3.0 license. The AGPL‑3.0 requires that any software accessed over a network (including SaaS) must provide its source code to users under the same license terms. To use OBLITERATUS in a closed‑source SaaS product, you must purchase a commercial license by contacting the maintainers through the GitHub Issues page.

### Where is the official license text stored in the repository?

The official AGPL‑3.0 license text is stored in the `LICENSE` file at the repository root (`elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/LICENSE`). Additionally, the [`README.md`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/README.md) file contains a "License" section summarizing the dual‑licensing terms and commercial contact procedures.

### How does the [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml) file declare the OBLITERATUS license?

The [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/elder-plinius/OBLITERATUS/blob/main/pyproject.toml) file declares the license in the `[project]` table using the field `license = "AGPL-3.0-or-later"`. This metadata allows package managers like `pip` and automated compliance tools to identify the AGPL‑3.0 classification when the package is installed.

### What happens if I violate the AGPL‑3.0 license terms?

Violating the AGPL‑3.0 terms terminates your rights to use, modify, and distribute the software. To regain legal usage rights, you must either come into compliance by releasing your derivative work under AGPL‑3.0 or obtain a commercial license from the maintainers to cover your specific use case.