diff --git a/capella_ros_tools/.license_header.txt b/capella_ros_tools/.license_header.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c17559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/capella_ros_tools/.license_header.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB Netz AG
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
diff --git a/capella_ros_tools/data_model.py b/capella_ros_tools/data_model.py
index 8420e50..03d96c6 100644
--- a/capella_ros_tools/data_model.py
+++ b/capella_ros_tools/data_model.py
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 
 from capellambse.filehandler import abc
 
+LICENSE_HEADER = (
+    pathlib.Path(__file__)
+    .parent.joinpath(".license_header.txt")
+    .read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+)
 PACKAGE_NAME_MESSAGE_TYPE_SEPARATOR = "/"
 COMMENT_DELIMITER = "#"
 CONSTANT_SEPARATOR = "="
@@ -214,6 +219,7 @@ def from_file(
         """Create message definition from a .msg file."""
         msg_name = file.stem
         msg_string = file.read_text()
+        msg_string = msg_string.removeprefix(LICENSE_HEADER)
         return cls.from_string(msg_name, msg_string)
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg
index c5420a7..74d72af 100644
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg
+++ b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB Netz AG
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
 # SampleClass.msg
 # The first comment block at the top of the file
 # is added to the class description of SampleClass.
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg.license b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg.license
deleted file mode 100644
index 62a1749..0000000
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/SampleClass.msg.license
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB InfraGO AG
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg
index 14f42a8..5ea8f22 100644
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg
+++ b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB Netz AG
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
 # SampleEnum.msg
 # This block comment is added to the
 # enum description of SampleEnumValue.
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg.license b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg.license
deleted file mode 100644
index 62a1749..0000000
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package1/msg/types/SampleEnum.msg.license
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB InfraGO AG
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg
index 59a2911..60b0c13 100644
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg
+++ b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB Netz AG
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
 # SampleClassEnum.msg
 # Properties in SampleClassEnum can reference
 # enums in the same file.
diff --git a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg.license b/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg.license
deleted file mode 100644
index 62a1749..0000000
--- a/tests/data/data_model/example_msgs/package2/msg/SampleClassEnum.msg.license
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright DB InfraGO AG
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
diff --git a/tests/test_data_model.py b/tests/test_data_model.py
index 50b0c10..957d7f3 100644
--- a/tests/test_data_model.py
+++ b/tests/test_data_model.py
@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ def test_extract_file_level_comments_no_comments():
     @staticmethod
     def test_extract_file_level_comments_no_newline():
         msg_string = """# This is a comment
-    # This is another comment
-    uint8 OK = 0
-    uint8 WARN = 1
-    uint8 ERROR = 2"""
+# This is another comment
+uint8 OK = 0
+uint8 WARN = 1
+uint8 ERROR = 2"""
         comments, _ = data_model._extract_file_level_comments(msg_string)
 
         assert comments == ""
@@ -169,11 +169,11 @@ def test_extract_file_level_comments_no_newline():
     @staticmethod
     def test_extract_file_level_comments():
         msg_string = """# This is a comment
-    # This is another comment
+# This is another comment
 
-    uint8 OK = 0
-    uint8 WARN = 1
-    uint8 ERROR = 2"""
+uint8 OK = 0
+uint8 WARN = 1
+uint8 ERROR = 2"""
         comments, _ = data_model._extract_file_level_comments(msg_string)
         expected = "This is a comment This is another comment "
 
@@ -189,6 +189,20 @@ def test_extract_file_level_comments_with_newline():
 
         assert comments == expected
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def test_extract_file_level_comments_strip_empty_lines_at_top():
+        msg_string = """
+
+# This is a comment
+
+uint8 OK = 0
+uint8 WARN = 1
+uint8 ERROR = 2"""
+        comments, _ = data_model._extract_file_level_comments(msg_string)
+        expected = "This is a comment "
+
+        assert comments == expected
+
     @staticmethod
     def test_parse_comments_no_comments():
         msg_string = """uint8 field"""