diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 4300efe175..fa028cb52d 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -565,55 +565,6 @@ $(strip \
 )
 endef
 
-###########################################################
-## Target directory for license metadata files.
-###########################################################
-define license-metadata-dir
-$(call generated-sources-dir-for,META,lic,)
-endef
-
-###########################################################
-## License metadata build rule for my_register_name $1
-###########################################################
-define license-metadata-rule
-$(strip $(eval _dir := $(call license-metadata-dir)))
-$(strip $(eval _deps := $(sort $(filter-out $(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic,$(foreach d,$(ALL_MODULES.$(1).NOTICE_DEPS), $(_dir)/$(d).meta_lic)))))
-$(foreach b,$(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).BUILT) $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).INSTALLED)),
-$(_dir)/$(b).meta_module ::
-	mkdir -p $$(dir $$@)
-	echo $(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic >> $$@
-	sort -u $$@ -o $$@
-
-)
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_KINDS := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).LICENSE_KINDS))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_CONDITIONS := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).LICENSE_CONDITIONS))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_NOTICES := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).NOTICES))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_NOTICE_DEPS := $(_deps)
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_TARGETS := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).BUILT) $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).INSTALLED))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_IS_CONTAINER := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).IS_CONTAINER))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_PACKAGE_NAME := $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).LICENSE_PACKAGE_NAME)
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic: PRIVATE_INSTALL_MAP := $(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).LICENSE_INSTALL_MAP))
-$(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic : $(_deps) $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).NOTICES) $(foreach b,$(sort $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).BUILT) $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).INSTALLED)), $(_dir)/$(b).meta_module) build/make/tools/build-license-metadata.sh
-	rm -f $$@
-	mkdir -p $$(dir $$@)
-	build/make/tools/build-license-metadata.sh -k $$(PRIVATE_KINDS) -c $$(PRIVATE_CONDITIONS) -n $$(PRIVATE_NOTICES) -d $$(PRIVATE_NOTICE_DEPS) -m $$(PRIVATE_INSTALL_MAP) -t $$(PRIVATE_TARGETS) $$(if $$(filter-out false,$$(PRIVATE_IS_CONTAINER)),-is_container) -p $$(PRIVATE_PACKAGE_NAME) -o $$@
-
-$(1) : $(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic
-
-$(if $(ALL_MODULES.$(1).INSTALLED_NOTICE_FILE),$(ALL_MODULES.$(1).INSTALLED_NOTICE_FILE) : $(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic)
-
-.PHONY: $(1).meta_lic
-$(1).meta_lic : $(_dir)/$(1).meta_lic
-
-endef
-
-###########################################################
-## Declares a license metadata build rule for ALL_MODULES
-###########################################################
-define build-license-metadata
-$(foreach m,$(ALL_MODULES),$(eval $(call license-metadata-rule,$(m))))
-endef
-
 ###########################################################
 ## Returns correct _idfPrefix from the list:
 ##   { HOST, HOST_CROSS, TARGET }
diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index fb13093576..4710f7a4a1 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -1404,16 +1404,8 @@ modules_to_install := $(sort $(ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES))
 ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES :=
 
 
-# Some notice deps refer to module names without prefix or arch suffix where
-# only the variants with them get built.
-# fix-notice-deps replaces those unadorned module names with every built variant.
 $(call fix-notice-deps)
 
-# Create a license metadata rule per module. Could happen in base_rules.mk or
-# notice_files.mk; except, it has to happen after fix-notice-deps to avoid
-# missing dependency errors.
-$(call build-license-metadata)
-
 
 # These are additional goals that we build, in order to make sure that there
 # is as little code as possible in the tree that doesn't build.
diff --git a/core/notice_files.mk b/core/notice_files.mk
index 89f822b000..d385bbcb84 100644
--- a/core/notice_files.mk
+++ b/core/notice_files.mk
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ else
       # Soong produces uninstallable *.sdk shared libraries for embedding in APKs.
       module_installed_filename := \
           $(patsubst $(PRODUCT_OUT)/%,%,$($(LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(my_prefix)OUT_SHARED_LIBRARIES))/$(notdir $(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE))
+    else
+      $(error Cannot determine where to install NOTICE file for $(LOCAL_MODULE))
     endif # JAVA_LIBRARIES
   endif # STATIC_LIBRARIES
 endif
@@ -184,12 +186,11 @@ ALL_MODULES.$(my_register_name).INSTALLED_NOTICE_FILE := $(installed_notice_file
 endif
 
 $(installed_notice_file): PRIVATE_INSTALLED_MODULE := $(module_installed_filename)
-$(installed_notice_file) : PRIVATE_NOTICES := $(notice_file)
 
 $(installed_notice_file): $(notice_file)
 	@echo Notice file: $< -- $@
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(hide) awk 'FNR==1 && NR > 1 {print "\n"} {print}' $(PRIVATE_NOTICES) > $@
+	$(hide) awk 'FNR==1 && NR > 1 {print "\n"} {print}' $^ > $@
 
 ifdef LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE
 # Make LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE depend on NOTICE files if they exist
diff --git a/tools/build-license-metadata.sh b/tools/build-license-metadata.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 8df7d2d369..0000000000
--- a/tools/build-license-metadata.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,343 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-set -u
-
-ME=$(basename $0)
-
-USAGE="Usage: ${ME} {options}
-
-Builds a license metadata specification and outputs it to stdout or {outfile}.
-
-The available options are:
-
--k kind...              license kinds
--c condition...         license conditions
--p package...           license package name
--n notice...            license notice file
--d dependency...        license metadata file dependency
--t target...            targets
--m target:installed...  map dependent targets to their installed names
--is_container           preserved dependent target name when given
--o outfile              output file
-"
-
-# Global flag variables
-license_kinds=
-license_conditions=
-license_package_name=
-license_notice=
-license_deps=
-targets=
-installmap=
-is_container=false
-ofile=
-
-
-# Global variables
-declare -A depfiles
-effective_conditions=
-declare -A depModules
-
-# work around bug where "${#array[@]}" traps if never set
-depfiles["x"]=808      # set an arbitrary index
-unset depfiles["x"]    # delete it to make depfiles empty again
-depModules["x"]=808    # set an arbitrary index
-unset depModules["x"]  # delete it to make depModules empty again
-
-
-# Exits with a message.
-#
-# When the exit status is 2, assumes a usage error and outputs the usage message
-# to stderr before outputting the specific error message to stderr.
-#
-# Parameters:
-#   Optional numeric exit status (defaults to 2, i.e. a usage error.)
-#   Remaining args treated as an error message sent to stderr.
-function die() {
-  local status=2
-  case "${1:-}" in *[^0-9]*) ;; *) status="$1"; shift ;; esac
-  case "${status}" in 2) echo "${USAGE}" >&2; echo >&2 ;; esac
-  if [ -n "$*" ]; then
-    echo -e "$*\n" >&2
-  fi
-  exit $status
-}
-
-
-# Sets the flag variables based on the command-line.
-#
-# invoke with: process_args "$@"
-function process_args() {
-  local curr_flag=
-  local name
-  local val
-  while [ "$#" -gt '0' ]; do
-    case "${1}" in
-      -h)
-        echo "${USAGE}"
-        exit 0
-        ;;
-      -k)
-        curr_flag=kind
-        ;;
-      -c)
-        curr_flag=condition
-        ;;
-      -p)
-        curr_flag=package
-        ;;
-      -n)
-        curr_flag=notice
-        ;;
-      -d)
-        curr_flag=dependency
-        ;;
-      -t)
-        curr_flag=target
-        ;;
-      -m)
-        curr_flag=installmap
-        ;;
-      -o)
-        curr_flag=ofile
-        ;;
-      -is_container)
-        curr_flag=
-        is_container=true
-        ;;
-      -*)
-        die "Unknown flag: \"${1}\""
-        ;;
-      *)
-        case "${curr_flag}" in
-          kind)
-            license_kinds="${license_kinds}${license_kinds:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          condition)
-            license_conditions="${license_conditions}${license_conditions:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          package)
-            license_package_name="${license_package_name}${license_package_name:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          notice)
-            license_notice="${license_notice}${license_notice:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          dependency)
-            license_deps="${license_deps}${license_deps:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          target)
-            targets="${targets}${targets:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          installmap)
-            installmap="${installmap}${installmap:+ }${1}"
-            ;;
-          ofile)
-            if [ -n "${ofile}" ]; then
-              die "Output file -o appears twice as \"${ofile}\" and \"${1}\""
-            fi
-            ofile="${1}"
-            ;;
-          *)
-            die "Must precede argument \"${1}\" with type flag."
-            ;;
-        esac
-        ;;
-    esac
-    shift
-  done
-}
-
-# Reads a license metadata file from stdin, and outputs the named dependencies.
-#
-# No parameters.
-function extract_deps() {
-  awk '$1 == "dep_name:" { sub(/^"/, "", $2); sub(/"$/, "", $2); print $2; }'
-}
-
-# Populates the `depfiles` associative array mapping dependencies to license
-# metadata content.
-#
-# Starting with the dependencies enumerated in `license_deps`, calculates the
-# transitive closure of all dependencies mapping the name of each license
-# metadata file to its content.
-#
-# Dependency names ending in `.meta_module` indirectly reference license
-# metadata with 1 license metadata filename per line.
-#
-# No parameters; no output.
-function read_deps() {
-  local newdeps=$(
-    for d in ${license_deps}; do
-      case "${d}" in
-        *.meta_module) cat "${d}" ;;
-        *) echo "${d}" ;;
-      esac
-    done | sort -u
-  )
-  local alldeps=
-  local deps=
-  local content=
-  local mod=
-  local dep=
-  while [ "${#newdeps}" -gt '0' ]; do
-    deps="${newdeps}"
-    newdeps=
-    for dep in ${deps}; do
-      content=$(cat ${dep})
-      depfiles["${dep}"]="${content}"
-      alldeps="${alldeps}${alldeps:+ }"$(echo "${content}" | extract_deps)
-    done
-    alldeps=$(for d in ${alldeps}; do echo "${d}"; done | sort -u)
-    for d in ${alldeps}; do
-      deps=$(
-          case "${d}" in
-            *.meta_module) cat"${d}" ;;
-            *) echo "${d}" ;;
-          esac
-      )
-      for mod in ${deps}; do
-        if [ -z "${depfiles[${mod}]+isset}" ]; then
-          newdeps="${newdeps}${newdeps:+ }${mod}"
-        fi
-      done
-    done
-    alldeps=
-  done
-}
-
-# Returns the effective license conditions for the current license metadata.
-#
-# If a module is restricted or links in a restricted module, the effective
-# license has a restricted condition.
-function calculate_effective_conditions() {
-  local conditions="${license_conditions}"
-  local condition
-  case "${license_conditions}" in
-    *restricted*) : do nothing ;;
-    *)
-       for d in "${!depfiles[@]}"; do
-         condition=$(
-             echo "${depfiles[${d}]}" | \
-                 awk '$1 == "effective_condition:" {
-                   $1 = ""
-                   print
-                 }' \
-         )
-         case "${condition}" in
-           *restricted*)
-             conditions="${conditions}${conditions:+ }restricted"
-             break
-             ;;
-         esac
-       done
-     ;;
-  esac
-  echo "${conditions}"
-}
-
-
-process_args "$@"
-
-if [ -n "${ofile}" ]; then
-  # truncate the output file before appending results
-  : >"${ofile}"
-else
-  ofile=/dev/stdout
-fi
-
-# spit out the license metadata file content
-(
-  echo 'license_package_name: "'${license_package_name}'"'
-  for kind in ${license_kinds}; do
-    echo 'license_kind: "'${kind}'"'
-  done
-  for condition in ${license_conditions}; do
-    echo 'license_condition: "'${condition}'"'
-  done
-  for f in ${license_notice}; do
-    echo 'license_text: "'${f}'"'
-  done
-  echo "is_container: ${is_container}"
-  for t in ${targets}; do
-    echo 'target: "'${t}'"'
-  done
-  for m in ${installmap}; do
-    echo 'install_map: "'${m}'"'
-  done
-) >>"${ofile}"
-read_deps
-for dep in "${!depfiles[@]}"; do
-  m=$(expr "${dep}" : '^.*[/]\([^/]*\)[.]meta_lic$')
-  depModules["${m}"]=true
-done
-effective_conditions=$(calculate_effective_conditions)
-for condition in ${effective_conditions}; do
-  echo 'effective_condition: "'${condition}'"'
-done >>"${ofile}"
-for dep in "${!depfiles[@]}"; do
-  echo 'dep {'
-  echo "${depfiles[${dep}]}" | \
-    awk -v name="${dep}" '
-      function strip_type() {
-        $1 = ""
-        sub(/^\s*/, "")
-      }
-      BEGIN {
-        print "  dep_name: " name
-      }
-      $1 == "license_package_name:" {
-        strip_type()
-        print "  dep_package_name: "$0
-      }
-      $1 == "dep_name:" {
-        print "  dep_sub_dep: "$2
-      }
-      $1 == "license_kind:" {
-        print "  dep_license_kind: "$2
-      }
-      $1 == "license_condition:" {
-        print "  dep_license_condition: "$2
-      }
-      $1 == "is_container:" {
-        print "  dep_is_container: "$2
-      }
-      $1 == "license_text:" {
-        strip_type()
-        print "  dep_license_text: "$0
-      }
-      $1 == "target:" {
-        print "  dep_target: "$2
-      }
-      $1 == "install_map:" {
-        print "  dep_install_map: "$2
-      }
-  '
-  # The restricted license kind is contagious to all linked dependencies.
-  dep_conditions=$(echo $(
-      echo "${depfiles[${dep}]}" | awk '
-        $1 == "effective_condition:" {
-          $1 = ""
-          sub(/^\s*/, "")
-          gsub(/"/, "")
-          print
-        }
-      '
-  ))
-  for condition in ${dep_conditions}; do
-    echo '  dep_effective_condition: "'${condition}'"'
-  done
-  if ! ${is_container}; then
-    case "${dep_conditions}" in
-      *restricted*) : already restricted -- nothing to inherit ;;
-      *)
-        case "${effective_conditions}" in
-          *restricted*)
-            # "contagious" restricted infects everything linked to restricted
-            echo '  dep_effective_condition: "restricted"'
-            ;;
-        esac
-        ;;
-    esac
-  fi
-  echo '}'
-done >>"${ofile}"