diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 56e4673..38b0ab5 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -44,15 +44,15 @@ ORCA_DIR=/path/to/orca node scripts/release-entry.mjs --write
 
 For every directory in `plugins/`, this runs Orca's validator and writes the release it prints
 (version, commit, `contentHash`, execution profile, minimum Orca, contributions, capabilities,
-file types) into `orca-catalog.json`. A new version goes **first** in `releases`; an unchanged
-version is updated in place. Don't edit these fields by hand: CI recomputes them and fails when
+file types) and the manifest's `license` into `orca-catalog.json`. A new version goes **first** in
+`releases`; an unchanged version is updated in place. Don't edit these fields by hand: CI recomputes them and fails when
 they are stale. Commit `orca-catalog.json`.
 
 When a release raises `engines.orca`, keep the previous release listed beneath it. Older Orca
 installs the first release it supports, so removing the old one leaves those users with nothing
 to install.
 
-You may add display-only fields to a release: `changelog`, `updatedAt`, `license`, `homepage`,
+You may add display-only fields to a release: `changelog`, `updatedAt`, `homepage`,
 `themePreview`, `images`. The script keeps them.
 
 ## 3. Add a cover image (recommended)
diff --git a/orca-catalog.json b/orca-catalog.json
index e0708f2..14fb42d 100644
--- a/orca-catalog.json
+++ b/orca-catalog.json
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Midnight"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/midnight-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@
               "name": "Nord"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/nord-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@
               "name": "Orca OLED"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/oled-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -375,6 +378,7 @@
           "editorFileTypes": [
             "excalidraw"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/excalidraw/images/cover.png",
@@ -445,6 +449,7 @@
             "xls",
             "ods"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/spreadsheet/images/cover.png",
@@ -625,6 +630,7 @@
               "name": "Ember"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/dusk-ember/images/cover.png",
@@ -685,6 +691,7 @@
               "name": "GitHub Light"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/github-light-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -712,6 +719,7 @@
               "name": "GitHub Light"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/github-light-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -756,6 +764,7 @@
               "name": "Solarized Light"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/solarized-light-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -800,6 +809,7 @@
               "name": "Dracula"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/dracula-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -852,6 +862,7 @@
               "name": "Gruvbox Light"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "plugins/gruvbox-theme/images/cover.png",
@@ -895,6 +906,7 @@
           "fileTypes": [
             "nix"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-nix/cover.jpg",
@@ -957,6 +969,7 @@
             "gdshader",
             "gdshaderinc"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-godot/cover.jpg",
@@ -1006,6 +1019,7 @@
             "ltx",
             "sty"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-latex/cover.jpg",
@@ -1052,6 +1066,7 @@
           "editorFileTypes": [
             "docx"
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-docx/cover.jpg",
@@ -1091,6 +1106,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Run"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/orca-run-cover.png",
@@ -1114,6 +1130,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Run"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/orca-run-cover.png",
@@ -1137,6 +1154,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Run"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/orca-run-cover.png",
@@ -1160,6 +1178,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Run"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/orca-run-cover.png",
@@ -1183,6 +1202,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Runner"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/cover.png",
@@ -1206,6 +1226,7 @@
               "name": "Orca Runner"
             }
           ],
+          "license": "MIT",
           "images": {
             "cover": {
               "path": "assets/orca-runner/cover.png",
diff --git a/scripts/release-entry.mjs b/scripts/release-entry.mjs
index 90a7b2b..dcdff50 100644
--- a/scripts/release-entry.mjs
+++ b/scripts/release-entry.mjs
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ for (const sourcePath of dirs) {
   // Why not HEAD: the catalog commit cannot name itself, and the plugin's bytes are the same at
   // the last commit that touched its directory.
   printed.commit = git('log', '-1', '--format=%H', 'HEAD', '--', sourcePath)
+  // Why copied: the validator prints no license, and the directory pages show the release's.
+  const { license } = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path.join(CATALOG_ROOT, sourcePath, 'orca-plugin.json'), 'utf8'))
+  if (typeof license === 'string' && license) {
+    printed.license = license
+  }
   const releases = entry.releases ?? []
   const newest = releases[0]
   if (newest?.version === printed.version) {