Content Sharing Policy

Last updatedNovember 16, 2025

Effective Date: November 16, 2025

This Content Sharing Policy ("Policy") governs the public sharing of computational results, scientific data, and user-generated content on ProteinIQ. By making content publicly accessible, you agree to the terms of this Policy.

1. Overview

1.1 What Can Be Shared

Users may choose to make the following content publicly accessible:

  • Computational results: Outputs from bioinformatics tools and analyses
  • Job templates: Workflow configurations and parameter settings
  • Scientific data: Uploaded or generated protein sequences, structures, and related data
  • Metadata: Descriptions, annotations, tags, and documentation

1.2 Public vs. Private Content

Private (Default):

  • Visible only to you and your team members
  • Not indexed by search engines
  • Not accessible to other ProteinIQ users
  • Governed by standard Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Public (Opt-in):

  • Visible in ProteinIQ public gallery
  • Searchable by Google and other search engines
  • Accessible to anyone with the URL
  • Subject to this Content Sharing Policy
  • Licensed under CC-BY 4.0 (see Section 3)

Important: Content is private by default. You must explicitly mark content as public.

2. Making Content Public

2.1 How to Share

To make content public:

  1. Navigate to your result, file, or job template
  2. Click "Make Public" or toggle public visibility
  3. Review and accept this Content Sharing Policy
  4. Add optional metadata (title, description, tags)
  5. Confirm public sharing

2.2 What Happens When You Share

When you make content public:

  • It becomes visible in the ProteinIQ public gallery
  • Google and other search engines may index it
  • Other users can view, download, and cite it
  • Attribution metadata is automatically generated
  • Content is licensed under CC-BY 4.0 (see Section 3)

2.3 Un-Sharing and Deletion

You maintain full control over your shared content:

Un-Share (Make Private):

  • You can make public content private again at any time
  • Content will be removed from the public gallery within 24 hours
  • Search engine de-indexing may take longer (up to several weeks)
  • Users who previously downloaded the content may still have copies

Delete:

  • You can delete shared content permanently
  • Deletion removes content from both public gallery and your private account
  • Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
  • Users who previously downloaded the content may still have copies

Important: Once content has been public, you cannot control copies that others may have downloaded. Public sharing should be considered permanent from a practical standpoint.

2.4 Editing Shared Content

You may edit metadata (title, description, tags) of shared content at any time. Changes are reflected immediately in the public gallery.

You generally cannot edit the underlying computational results after sharing, but you may:

  • Upload a new version (as separate content)
  • Add notes or corrections in the description
  • Withdraw the original and share an updated version

3. Licensing of Shared Content

3.1 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0)

All publicly shared content is automatically licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0).

This means anyone may:

  • Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercially
  • Use in publications, presentations, and derivative works

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution: Must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
  • No additional restrictions: May not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits

3.2 Why CC-BY 4.0?

CC-BY 4.0 is the scientific community standard for sharing research data because it:

  • Maximizes reuse and reproducibility
  • Ensures proper attribution to original researchers
  • Allows commercial and non-commercial use
  • Compatible with open science principles
  • Accepted by major journals and funding agencies

3.3 Alternative Licensing

We do not currently support alternative licenses for shared content. All public content must use CC-BY 4.0.

If you require a different license (e.g., CC-BY-NC for non-commercial only, or CC0 for public domain):

  • Keep your content private
  • Share through alternative platforms
  • Contact enterprise@proteiniq.io for custom licensing arrangements (Enterprise tier only)

3.4 License Cannot Be Revoked

Once you share content under CC-BY 4.0, you grant an irrevocable license. Even if you later un-share or delete the content:

  • Copies others already downloaded remain licensed under CC-BY 4.0
  • You cannot retroactively revoke the license
  • Third parties may continue using previously downloaded content

Think carefully before sharing. Public sharing is a one-way door.

4. Attribution Requirements

4.1 Auto-Generated Citations

ProteinIQ automatically generates citation information for all shared content, including:

User Attribution:

  • Name of the user who shared the content
  • User profile link on ProteinIQ

Platform Attribution:

  • ProteinIQ as the computational platform
  • Link to ProteinIQ website

Algorithm Attribution:

  • Names of all bioinformatics tools/algorithms used
  • Version numbers and parameters
  • Links to original algorithm publications (where available)

Example Citation:

[User Name]. (2025). [Result Title]. ProteinIQ.
https://proteiniq.io/results/[result-id]

Computational Methods: Protein-MPNN (v1.0), ESMFold (v2.0)
Generated on: November 16, 2025

4.2 How Others Should Cite Your Work

Users who download or use your shared content must:

  • Provide the auto-generated citation (or equivalent attribution)
  • Indicate if they modified the data
  • Link to the original ProteinIQ URL
  • Not misrepresent you or ProteinIQ as endorsing their work

4.3 Your Responsibility

When sharing content, ensure:

  • You have the right to share the data
  • Proper attribution is given to any upstream data sources
  • You are not violating others' intellectual property rights
  • Content does not contain confidential information

5. Content Standards and Prohibited Content

5.1 Acceptable Content

Publicly shared content should be:

  • Scientific: Legitimate bioinformatics research data
  • Accurate: Results generated by ProteinIQ tools
  • Legal: Not violating any laws or regulations
  • Appropriate: Suitable for a professional scientific audience

5.2 Prohibited Content

You may NOT share content that:

Violates Rights:

  • Infringes copyright, patent, trademark, or other intellectual property
  • Contains confidential or proprietary information without authorization
  • Violates privacy rights or contains personal data without consent

Illegal or Harmful:

  • Violates any applicable laws or regulations
  • Contains malware, viruses, or malicious code
  • Enables illegal activity or dangerous uses

Inappropriate:

  • Contains offensive, hateful, or discriminatory material
  • Sexually explicit or pornographic content
  • Spam, advertising, or promotional content unrelated to science

Misleading:

  • Fabricated or falsified data
  • Misattributed results (claiming others' work as your own)
  • Deliberately misleading metadata or descriptions

Regulated:

  • Controlled export data subject to ITAR or EAR restrictions
  • Human subject data without IRB approval
  • Biological select agents or toxin information

5.3 Scientific Data Exception

Note: Most scientific data on ProteinIQ (protein sequences, structures, computational predictions) is inherently acceptable. This policy primarily addresses metadata, descriptions, and annotations rather than raw computational outputs.

6. Moderation and Enforcement

6.1 User Reporting

ProteinIQ relies on the community to maintain content quality:

How to Report:

  • Click "Report" button on any public content
  • Select reason: Copyright infringement, inappropriate content, spam, etc.
  • Provide brief explanation
  • Submit report

Response Time:

  • High-priority reports (illegal content): 24-48 hours
  • Standard reports: 3-5 business days

6.2 Review Process

When content is reported, we will:

  1. Review the report and content
  2. Assess whether it violates this Policy
  3. Take appropriate action (see Section 6.3)
  4. Notify the uploader and reporter of the outcome

6.3 Enforcement Actions

Depending on severity, we may:

Content Removal:

  • Immediate removal from public gallery
  • Content made private or deleted
  • User notified with reason

Warning:

  • Email warning to user
  • Opportunity to correct behavior
  • No account restrictions

Temporary Suspension:

  • Public sharing privileges suspended for 30-90 days
  • Existing shared content may be removed
  • Account access continues for private use

Permanent Ban:

  • All public content removed
  • Permanent ban from public sharing
  • Account termination for severe violations
  • See Repeat Violations (Section 6.4)

6.4 Repeat Violations

Three Strikes Policy:

Strike 1: Content removed + warning Strike 2: 30-day suspension of public sharing Strike 3: Permanent ban from public sharing (account may be terminated)

Appeals: Contact legal@proteiniq.io within 7 days of action

6.5 False Reports

Submitting false or malicious reports may result in:

  • Warning for first offense
  • Temporary ban from reporting
  • Account suspension for repeated abuse

7. No Content Moderation Obligation

7.1 Limited Responsibility

ProteinIQ is NOT responsible for:

  • Pre-screening content before it becomes public
  • Monitoring all public content for violations
  • Verifying scientific accuracy of shared data
  • Mediating disputes between users

We act only on user reports and obvious violations.

7.2 No Endorsement

Publicly available content does not imply:

  • ProteinIQ's endorsement or validation
  • Scientific peer review or verification
  • Accuracy or reliability guarantees
  • Approval by algorithm authors

Users rely on shared content at their own risk.

7.3 Disclaimer

See Terms of Service Section 9 for complete disclaimers regarding:

  • Content accuracy
  • Scientific validity
  • Fitness for any purpose
  • Liability limitations

8. Data Retention for Shared Content

8.1 Active Public Content

Shared content remains available as long as:

  • Your account is active
  • Content has not been un-shared or deleted by you
  • Content complies with this Policy

8.2 Account Termination

If your account is terminated:

  • Public content may be removed within 30 days
  • OR content may remain available with attribution to "[Deleted User]"
  • ProteinIQ decides at our sole discretion

8.3 Platform Changes

ProteinIQ may:

  • Modify the public gallery feature
  • Change how shared content is displayed
  • Discontinue public sharing entirely

If we discontinue public sharing, we will provide 90 days' notice for users to download their public content.

9. Privacy Considerations

9.1 What Becomes Public

When you share content, the following information becomes publicly visible:

  • Your ProteinIQ username
  • Content creation date
  • Tool and algorithm names used
  • Metadata you provide (title, description, tags)
  • Access count (views/downloads)

9.2 What Remains Private

The following information is NOT made public:

  • Your email address
  • Your team/organization affiliation (unless you include it in metadata)
  • Other private content in your account
  • Credit usage or subscription tier

9.3 Search Engine Indexing

Shared content will be indexed by search engines (Google, Bing, etc.). This means:

  • Content may appear in search results indefinitely
  • De-indexing after un-sharing may take weeks or months
  • Cached copies may persist even after deletion

If you need content to remain unsearchable, do not make it public.

10. Commercial Use

10.1 Allowed Under CC-BY 4.0

The CC-BY 4.0 license permits commercial use of shared content. This means:

  • Companies may download and use your data
  • Commercial products may incorporate your results
  • Pharmaceutical/biotech companies may use data for drug development

Attribution is still required, but commercial use does not require your permission.

10.2 If You Object to Commercial Use

If you do not want commercial entities using your data:

  • Do not make it public
  • Keep results private to your team
  • Use alternative sharing methods with restrictive licenses

ProteinIQ's public sharing uses CC-BY 4.0, which permits commercial use.

11. Relationship to Other Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

In case of conflict, the Terms of Service prevail.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy at any time. Changes may include:

  • Different licensing options
  • New content standards
  • Updated moderation procedures
  • Changes to attribution requirements

Notice: Material changes will be announced via email and in-platform notifications.

Effective Date: Changes apply to content shared after the update. Previously shared content remains under the license terms in effect at the time of sharing.

13. Questions and Support

General questions: support@proteiniq.io Content removal requests: dmca@proteiniq.io (if copyright-related) or support@proteiniq.io (other issues) Policy questions: legal@proteiniq.io

Quick Sharing Checklist

Before making content public, ask yourself:

✅ Do I have the right to share this data? ✅ Does it contain any confidential or proprietary information? ✅ Am I comfortable with commercial entities using this data? ✅ Do I understand the CC-BY 4.0 license is irrevocable? ✅ Have I reviewed the auto-generated citation for accuracy? ✅ Is the metadata (title, description) accurate and appropriate?

If you answer "yes" to all, you're ready to share!

By making content publicly accessible on ProteinIQ, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Content Sharing Policy.

Last updated: November 16, 2025