Every catalog entry carries MIT or CC BY 4.0, and the difference is the difference between code and the collection it sits in.
Beginner1 min read (computed · recorded 6)updated 2026-09-12licensingmitcc-by
by Motif Editors
revised 2026-09-12 — First publication in bank-3 batch 4.
Key takeaways
— MIT carries the code; CC BY carries the collection.
— The compilation is content even when every snippet is free.
— This essay is reasoning, not legal advice.
MIT for the code
Copy the snippet, ship the product, don't sue the author, keep the notice. MIT is the native license of small code — its only real demand is the attribution line that travels with the file.
CC BY 4.0 for the collection
The catalog as a database — names, descriptions, the curation itself — is content, and CC BY 4.0 covers copying it with attribution. The distinction matters when someone forks the whole catalog: the components go, the compilation stays named.
Not legal advice
This essay is how this site reasons about its own licenses, written by the people who chose them. For your product, ask a lawyer who has read your jurisdiction.
Notes
[1]MIT text: “Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software…” — the full license ships with every snippet.
[2]CC BY 4.0 requires attribution to the compilation even when every snippet inside it is MIT.
Practise the lesson
Theory sticks when you ship it. These original Motif assets put this guide's lesson to work — open one and copy it into your own page.