def get_declared_licenses(license_object):
    """
    Return a list of declared licenses, either strings or dicts.
    """
    if not license_object:
        return []

    if isinstance(license_object, str):
        # current, up to date form
        return [license_object]

    declared_licenses = []
    if isinstance(license_object, dict):
        # old, deprecated forms
        """
         "license": {
            "type": "MIT",
            "url": "http://github.com/kriskowal/q/raw/master/LICENSE"
          }
        """
        declared_licenses.append(license_object)

    elif isinstance(license_object, list):
        # old, deprecated forms
        """
        "licenses": [{"type": "Apache License, Version 2.0",
                      "url": "http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0" } ]
        or
        "licenses": ["MIT"],
        """
        declared_licenses.extend(license_object)
    return declared_licenses