# Attribution and licensing

> Why rows carry credit, attribution and license, and what whoever displays them must do.

Page: https://docs.aggre.org/concepts/attribution · Section: Concepts · All pages: https://docs.aggre.org/llms.txt

Aggre redistributes data that publishers own. Their terms often require a credit line, a notice, or a restriction. Aggre stores that text with the data and returns it, so the obligation travels with the rows.

## The rule {#the-rule}

> **Whoever shows a row shows its credit.** The API does not compose attribution and a client must not paraphrase it.

Where the field is called:

| Field | Where | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| `credit` | Per row or per series (macro series and observations, calendar events, filings, on-chain, health, Congress trades, ...) | Display it next to the data, as returned. |
| `attribution` | Statutes (per instrument and in `meta`), name lists, Taiwan equities (`meta.attribution`: `[{source_id, credit}]`) | Display it. |
| `license` | Statutes, name lists, standard-form contracts, `meta.licenses` | Observe it. |
| `restricted` | Statutes (`restricted: true`, and in `meta`) | The text carries use restrictions. Show the attribution and the reminder to check the latest version at the source. |

`license` and `attribution` are `null` until a person has read the publisher's terms; the response then says "Terms not read" ([Freshness](https://docs.aggre.org/concepts/freshness.md#terms)). Treat that as "no permission recorded yet", not as "no restriction".

## Derived figures {#derived}

Figures Aggre computes on read (macro derived series) carry the publisher's credit followed by a sentence saying Aggre computed the figure. Show both.

## What Aggre does not grant {#no-grant}

Serving a row does not grant rights beyond the publisher's terms. In particular:

- Market data is subject to the exchange's terms; Aggre grants nothing beyond them.
- Name lists (OFAC, UN, HHS-OIG) are exact or prefix name search only. **They are not a screening verdict**; every response says so in `meta.message`.
- Congress trades are disclosed weeks after the trade, give amounts as ranges, and are not a recommendation.
- Statute text must be checked against the official source before you rely on it.