How can SBOM aid in license compliance?

• A. By listing licenses of components, enabling detection of license violations or conflicts.
• B. By hiding license information to simplify compliance.
• C. By enforcing licenses automatically through policy.
• D. By listing only the license names, not their terms.

Answer: (A)

A Software Bill of Materials provides visibility into the licensing terms of every component in a software supply chain. By listing the licenses of each component, you can quickly spot potential license violations or conflicts, such as a copyleft license paired with a non-compatible license or obligations like attribution, notice, or distribution of source. This transparency enables proactive risk assessment, informed decision making, and smoother audits before packaging or releasing software. While SBOM data can feed policy and automated checks, it does not itself enforce licenses; its value lies in giving you the concrete licensing information needed to detect issues and plan remediation. Listing only license names or hiding license details would leave you without the necessary context to assess obligations and compatibility.