diff --git a/get-metrics/src/main/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasons.java b/get-metrics/src/main/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasons.java
index 4ed839d..374f034 100644
--- a/get-metrics/src/main/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasons.java
+++ b/get-metrics/src/main/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasons.java
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 package org.sonatype.cs.getmetrics.util;
 
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.sonatype.cs.getmetrics.reports.Waivers;
 import org.sonatype.cs.getmetrics.service.PolicyIdsService;
 import org.sonatype.cs.getmetrics.service.UtilService;
 
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@
 import javax.json.JsonObject;
 
 public class ParseReasons {
+    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Waivers.class);
 
     private ParseReasons() {}
 
@@ -61,6 +65,10 @@ public static String getLicense(JsonArray reasons) {
             if (licenseFound.isEmpty()) {
                 continue;
             }
+            if (!licenseFound.contains("(") || !licenseFound.contains(")")) {
+                log.debug("licenseFound string does not contain brackets: " + licenseFound);
+                continue;
+            }
             String license =
                     licenseFound.substring(
                             licenseFound.indexOf("(") + 1, licenseFound.indexOf(")"));
diff --git a/get-metrics/src/test/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasonsTest.java b/get-metrics/src/test/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasonsTest.java
index e4a795a..b955a11 100644
--- a/get-metrics/src/test/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasonsTest.java
+++ b/get-metrics/src/test/java/org/sonatype/cs/getmetrics/util/ParseReasonsTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,39 @@
 package org.sonatype.cs.getmetrics.util;
 
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.LoggerContext;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import javax.json.Json;
 import javax.json.JsonArray;
 
 public class ParseReasonsTest {
+    private ListAppender<ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent> listAppender;
+
+    @BeforeEach
+    public void setup() {
+        // Set up Logback configuration
+        LoggerContext loggerContext = (LoggerContext) LoggerFactory.getILoggerFactory();
+        listAppender = new ListAppender<>();
+        listAppender.start();
+        loggerContext.getLogger("root").addAppender(listAppender);
+    }
+
+    @AfterEach
+    public void teardown() {
+        // Clean up the logger context
+        listAppender.stop();
+        LoggerContext loggerContext = (LoggerContext) LoggerFactory.getILoggerFactory();
+        loggerContext.getLogger("root").detachAppender(listAppender);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testEmptyLicenseString() {
         JsonArray reasons =
@@ -16,6 +43,22 @@ void testEmptyLicenseString() {
         Assertions.assertEquals("", actualReason);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testLicenseStringWithoutBrackets() {
+        JsonArray reasons =
+                Json.createArrayBuilder()
+                        .add(Json.createObjectBuilder().add("reason", "some reason"))
+                        .build();
+        String actualReason = ParseReasons.getLicense(reasons);
+
+        Assertions.assertEquals(1, listAppender.list.size());
+        ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent loggingEvent = listAppender.list.get(0);
+        assertEquals(
+                "licenseFound string does not contain brackets: some reason",
+                loggingEvent.getMessage());
+        Assertions.assertEquals("", actualReason);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testSingleLicenseString() {
         JsonArray reasons =