diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 746b59d5d..22a4a68aa 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 # Explicitly declare text files we want to always be normalized and converted 
 # to native line endings on checkout.
 
-*.properties
 *.conf text
 *.config text 
 
diff --git a/utilities/licenser/licenser.rb b/utilities/licenser/licenser.rb
index 4bcc4ca77..1d507b2d6 100644
--- a/utilities/licenser/licenser.rb
+++ b/utilities/licenser/licenser.rb
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ class Licenser
   #
   def sanity_checks_on_parameters()
     # Check that all necessary properties are here.
-    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'scan_only'") if @scan_only_string == nil
     raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'source_dir'") if @source_dir == nil
     raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'known_exceptions'") if @known_exceptions_file == nil
     raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'skip_directories'") if @skip_directories_list == nil
@@ -63,43 +62,6 @@ class Licenser
     if !File.exist?(@known_exceptions_file)
       raise "Known exceptions file does not exist: #{@known_exceptions_file}"
     end
-
-    if !@scan_only
-      raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'target_dir'") if @target_dir == nil
-      raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'license_file'") if @license_file == nil
-
-      if File.exist?(@target_dir)
-        raise "Target directory already exists: #{@target_dir}"
-      end
-
-      target_parent = File.dirname(@target_dir)
-      if !File.exist?(target_parent)
-        raise "Path to target directory doesn't exist: #{target_parent}"
-      end
-
-      if !File.exist?(@license_file)
-        raise "License file does not exist: #{@license_file}"
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  # Prepare the license as an array of lines of text,
-  # with the current year substituted in for ${year}
-  #
-  def prepare_license_text(license_file)
-    if (license_file == nil)
-      return []
-    end
-
-    year_string = DateTime.now.year.to_s
-
-    text = []
-    File.open(license_file) do |file|
-      file.each do |line|
-        text << line.gsub('${year}', year_string)
-      end
-    end
-    return text
   end
 
   # The globs in the exceptions file are assumed to be
@@ -126,8 +88,6 @@ class Licenser
   def scan_dir(source_dir, target_dir)
     @stats.enter_directory(source_dir)
 
-    Dir.mkdir(File.expand_path(target_dir, @target_dir)) if !@scan_only
-
     Dir.foreach(File.join(@source_dir, source_dir)) do |filename|
       source_path_relative = File.join(source_dir, filename)
       source_path = File.join(@source_dir, source_path_relative)
@@ -162,27 +122,12 @@ class Licenser
       elsif is_directory
         scan_dir(source_path_relative, target_path_relative)
       elsif is_match
-        if @scan_only
-          @stats.record_scan_matching(filename)
-          scan_file(source_path, filename)
-        else
-          @stats.record_copy_matching(filename)
-          copy_file_with_license(source_path, target_path, filename)
-        end
+        @stats.record_scan_matching(filename)
+        scan_file(source_path, filename)
       elsif is_exception
         @stats.record_known_exception(filename)
-        if @scan_only
-          # do nothing
-        else
-          copy_file_without_license(source_path, target_path)
-        end
       else # not a match
-        if @scan_only
-          @stats.record_scan_non_matching(filename)
-        else
-          @stats.record_copy_non_matching(filename)
-          copy_file_without_license(source_path, target_path)
-        end
+        @stats.record_scan_non_matching(filename)
       end
     end
   end
@@ -215,7 +160,7 @@ class Licenser
     return false
   end
 
-  # This file would be eligible for licensing if we weren't in scan-only mode.
+  # This file should contain a license tag.
   #
   def scan_file(source_path, filename)
     found = 0
@@ -236,57 +181,6 @@ class Licenser
     end
   end
 
-  # This file matches at least one of the file-matching strings, and does not
-  # match any exceptions. Replace the magic string with the license text.
-  #
-  def copy_file_with_license(source_path, target_path, filename)
-    found = 0
-    File.open(source_path) do |source_file|
-      File.open(target_path, "w") do |target_file|
-        source_file.each do |line|
-          if line.include?(MAGIC_STRING)
-            found += 1
-            insert_license_text(target_file, line)
-          else
-            target_file.print line
-          end
-        end
-      end
-    end
-
-    if found == 0
-      @stats.record_no_tag(filename, source_path)
-    elsif found == 1
-      @stats.record_tag(filename)
-    else
-      raise("File contains #{found} license lines: #{source_path}")
-    end
-  end
-
-  # Figure out the comment characters and write the license text to the file.
-  #
-  def insert_license_text(target_file, line)
-    ends = line.split(MAGIC_STRING)
-    if ends.size != 2
-      raise ("Can't parse this license line: #{line}")
-    end
-
-    target_file.print "#{ends[0].strip}\n"
-
-    @license_text.each do |text|
-      target_file.print "#{text.rstrip}\n"
-    end
-
-    target_file.print "#{ends[1].strip}\n"
-  end
-
-  # This file either doesn't match any of the file-matching strings, or
-  # matches an exception
-  #
-  def copy_file_without_license(source_path, target_path)
-    FileUtils.cp(source_path, target_path)
-  end
-
   # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   public
   # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -296,9 +190,6 @@ class Licenser
   # * properties is a map of keys to values, probably parsed from a properties file.
   #
   def initialize(properties)
-    @scan_only_string = properties['scan_only']
-    @scan_only = 'false' != @scan_only_string
-
     @file_match_list = properties['file_matchers']
     @skip_directories_list = properties['skip_directories']
     @report_level_string = properties['report_level']
@@ -319,7 +210,6 @@ class Licenser
     @short_report = @report_level_string === 'short'
     @file_matchers = @file_match_list.strip.split(/,\s*/)
     @skip_directories = @skip_directories_list.strip.split(/,\s*/)
-    @license_text = prepare_license_text(@license_file)
     @known_exceptions = prepare_exception_globs(@known_exceptions_file, @source_dir)
 
     @stats = LicenserStats.new(@source_dir, @file_matchers, @full_report)
@@ -332,25 +222,24 @@ class Licenser
 
   # Report the summary statistics
   def report(properties)
-    verb = @scan_only ? "scanned" : "copied"
     if (@short_report)
-      subs = 0
-      @stats.substitutions.each {|line| subs += line[1] }
+      tags = 0
+      @stats.tagged_files.each {|line| tags += line[1] }
       known = 0
       @stats.known_exceptions.each {|line| known += line[1] }
       missing = 0
       @stats.missing_tags.each {|line| missing += line[1] }
 
-      puts "Licenser: #{verb} #{@stats.file_count} files in #{@stats.dir_count} directories."
-      printf("   Substitutions:    %5d\n", subs)
+      puts "Licenser: scanned #{@stats.file_count} files in #{@stats.dir_count} directories."
+      printf("   Licensed files:    %5d\n", tags)
       printf("   Known exceptions: %5d\n", known)
       printf("   Missing tags:     %5d\n", missing)
     else
       puts "Licenser: run completed at #{DateTime.now.strftime("%H:%M:%S on %b %d, %Y")}"
-      puts "          #{verb} #{@stats.file_count} files in #{@stats.dir_count} directories."
+      puts "          scanned #{@stats.file_count} files in #{@stats.dir_count} directories."
       puts
-      puts 'Substitutions'
-      @stats.substitutions.sort.each do |line|
+      puts 'Licensed files'
+      @stats.tagged_files.sort.each do |line|
         printf("%5d %s\n", line[1], line[0])
       end
       puts
diff --git a/utilities/licenser/licenser_stats.rb b/utilities/licenser/licenser_stats.rb
index c2b1a259f..d379b919e 100644
--- a/utilities/licenser/licenser_stats.rb
+++ b/utilities/licenser/licenser_stats.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Collect the statistics of a licenser run.
 =end
 
 class LicenserStats
-  attr_reader :substitutions
+  attr_reader :tagged_files
   attr_reader :missing_tags
   attr_reader :known_exceptions
   attr_reader :file_count
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ class LicenserStats
     @file_matchers = file_matchers
     @full = full
 
-    # keep track of how many substitutions for all file types
-    @substitutions = Hash.new()
+    # keep track of how many tags are found in all file types
+    @tagged_files = Hash.new()
     file_matchers.each do |matcher|
-      @substitutions[matcher] = 0
+      @tagged_files[matcher] = 0
     end
 
     # keep track of missing tags, only in file types that have missing tags
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ class LicenserStats
   end
 
   def record_tag(filename)
-    puts "    Substituted license text into #{filename}" if @full
-    @substitutions[which_match(filename)] += 1
+    puts "    Found license tag into #{filename}" if @full
+    @tagged_files[which_match(filename)] += 1
   end
 
   def record_no_tag(filename, source_path)
diff --git a/webapp/config/licenser/licenser.properties b/webapp/config/licenser/licenser.properties
index 7d98dd3cd..0fab7f165 100644
--- a/webapp/config/licenser/licenser.properties
+++ b/webapp/config/licenser/licenser.properties
@@ -1,37 +1,35 @@
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Properties for running the licenser utility in Vitro core.
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  
-# The path to the top level directory to be scanned or copied
-# (if relative, then relative to this file)
-source_dir = ../../../
-
-# The path to the top level directory to copy into (ignored if only scanning)
-# (if relative, then relative to this file)
-target_dir = 
-
-# A list of filename globs that match the files we want to license, 
-# delimited by commas with optional white-space.
-file_matchers = *.java, *.jsp, *.tld, *.xsl, *.xslt, *.css, *.js, *.ftl, *.xml
-
-# "globs" that describe paths that we won't follow for scanning OR FOR COPYING.
-# (relative to the source_dir)
-skip_directories = ./bin, ./.svn, ./**/.svn, ./webapp/.build
-
-# The path to a file containing filename/path globs that match the files that 
-# we know should have no license tags in them. 
-# The file contains one glob per line; blank lines and comments ("#") are ignored. 
-# (if relative, then relative to the source directory)
-known_exceptions = webapp/config/licenser/known_exceptions.txt
-
-# The path to the text of the license agreement (ignored if only scanning)
-# If the agreement contains a ${year} token, the current year will be substituted.
-# (if relative, then relative to the source directory)
-license_file = doc/license.txt
-
-# Set to 'full' for a full report, 'short' for a brief statment, or to anything
-# else for a medium-length summary.
-report_level = short
-
-# if true, we are just scanning, not copying.
-scan_only = true
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Properties for running the licenser utility in Vitro core.
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  
+# The path to the top level directory to be scanned or copied
+# (if relative, then relative to this file)
+source_dir = ../../../
+
+# The path to the top level directory to copy into (ignored if only scanning)
+# (if relative, then relative to this file)
+target_dir = 
+
+# A list of filename globs that match the files we want to license, 
+# delimited by commas with optional white-space.
+file_matchers = *.java, *.jsp, *.tld, *.xsl, *.xslt, *.css, *.js, *.ftl, *.xml
+
+# "globs" that describe paths that we won't follow for scanning OR FOR COPYING.
+# (relative to the source_dir)
+skip_directories = ./bin, ./.svn, ./**/.svn, ./webapp/.build
+
+# The path to a file containing filename/path globs that match the files that 
+# we know should have no license tags in them. 
+# The file contains one glob per line; blank lines and comments ("#") are ignored. 
+# (if relative, then relative to the source directory)
+known_exceptions = webapp/config/licenser/known_exceptions.txt
+
+# The path to the text of the license agreement (ignored if only scanning)
+# If the agreement contains a ${year} token, the current year will be substituted.
+# (if relative, then relative to the source directory)
+license_file = doc/license.txt
+
+# Set to 'full' for a full report, 'short' for a brief statment, or to anything
+# else for a medium-length summary.
+#report_level = short
+report_level = medium