node-license-sniffer is a tool for detecting the license of node packages. It will attempt to read the license from package.json. If it cannot find the license in package.json, it will read LICENSE and similarly named files and attempt to guess the license in use.

npm install license-sniffer

node-license-sniffer [package-dir] [--js-comment] [--recurse] [--body] [--no-generate-body]

Arguments:

• package-dir -- the directory of the package. Defaults to the current directory.
• --js-comment -- prepend all output with //. Useful if generating license information for inclusion in JavaScript files.
• --recurse -- find the license for the specified package, and its dependencies.
• --body -- include the body of each license where possible.
• --no-generate-body -- by default, --body generates the body of known licenses if the license body is not included in the package. Use this option to only include license bodies if they're explicitly included in the package.

Running node-license-sniffer in its own directory:

$ node-license-sniffer
BSD

Using --js-comment and --body (truncated for brevity):

$ node-license-sniffer --js-comment --body
// BSD
// 
//     Copyright (c) 2013, Michael Williamson
//     All rights reserved.
//     
//     Redistribution and use in source and binary forms...

Using package-dir and --recurse:

$ node-license-sniffer node_modules/optimist --recurse
Module: [email protected]
License: MIT/X11

Module: [email protected] => [email protected]
License: MIT/X11