Terms of Service

Last updated: 8 March 2026

1. About the platform

Libre Biotech is an open-source research data management platform for the life sciences. The platform software is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0). The source code is available at github.com/librebiotech/librebiotech.

The platform is operated by Libre Biotech (sole trader, Queensland, Australia).

2. Accounts

2.1 Registration

You must provide accurate information when creating an account. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access.

2.2 Institutional accounts

If your organisation has a service agreement with us, additional terms in that agreement may apply. In the event of conflict, the service agreement takes precedence over these general terms.

2.3 Account termination

You may delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, with notice where practicable. Upon termination, you may export your data for 30 days (see Data Sovereignty).

3. Your data

3.1 Ownership

You own your data. Research data, metadata, files, protocols, and other content you create or upload remain your intellectual property. By using the platform, you grant Libre Biotech a limited, non-exclusive licence to host, display, and transmit your data solely for the purpose of providing the platform service.

3.2 Public content

Content you mark as "public" will be visible to anyone, including non-registered visitors and search engines. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to make content public. Public content may be cached or indexed by third parties beyond our control.

3.3 Shared content

Content shared within groups or via share links is accessible to the recipients you specify. Group leaders and managers can manage visibility within their groups. You are responsible for understanding the access settings of groups you belong to.

3.4 Data export and portability

You may export your data at any time in standard, machine-readable formats including ISA-JSON, ISA-Tab, RO-Crate, and CSV. We will never restrict your ability to export your own data. See our Data Sovereignty Statement for full details.

3.5 Backups and data loss

We perform daily backups and take reasonable measures to protect your data. However, we cannot guarantee against all data loss. You are responsible for maintaining your own copies of critical data.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Upload malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other users' data or accounts
• Use the platform to store or distribute content that violates applicable law
• Interfere with the platform's operation or impose unreasonable load
• Scrape or bulk-download data beyond what the API provides
• Misrepresent your identity or institutional affiliation
• Upload data you do not have the right to store (e.g., data subject to third-party restrictions without appropriate permissions)

Violation of these terms may result in account suspension or termination.

5. Research ethics and compliance

You are responsible for ensuring your use of the platform complies with:

• Applicable research ethics approvals
• Institutional data governance policies
• Data protection regulations (GDPR, Australian Privacy Act, etc.)
• Export control regulations
• Indigenous data governance principles (CARE principles) where applicable
• Any conditions attached to your research data (e.g., consent forms, material transfer agreements, data access agreements)

Libre Biotech provides tools for access control, embargoes, and visibility management, but compliance with your legal and ethical obligations remains your responsibility.

6. Protocols and community content

6.1 Protocol licensing

Protocols you publish on the platform may be forked (copied and modified) by other users, consistent with the collaborative nature of open science. When you publish a protocol as public, you grant other users the right to fork, adapt, and build upon it with attribution.

6.2 Community content

Comments, posts, and reviews you create are associated with your account. You retain copyright but grant a licence for the platform to display them. You are responsible for ensuring community content does not contain confidential information, personal data of third parties without consent, or defamatory material.

7. Compute pipelines

The platform may execute analysis pipelines (CWL workflows) on your behalf. Pipeline execution is provided on a best-effort basis. We do not guarantee compute availability, execution time, or results accuracy. You are responsible for validating pipeline outputs.

8. Open-source licence

The Libre Biotech platform software is licensed under AGPL-3.0. This means:

• The source code is freely available
• You may self-host the platform
• Modifications to the platform must be shared under the same licence
• The software is provided "as is" without warranty

These Terms of Service govern your use of the hosted platform at librebiotech.org. Self-hosted instances are governed by the AGPL-3.0 licence and any terms set by the operator of that instance.

9. Service availability

We aim to maintain high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. We may perform scheduled maintenance with advance notice where possible. We are not liable for downtime caused by factors beyond our control (hosting provider outages, network issues, force majeure).

Institutional customers with service agreements may have specific SLA terms that supersede this section.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• The platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied
• We do not warrant that the platform will be error-free, secure, or uninterrupted
• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of the platform is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or A$100, whichever is greater

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law or other applicable mandatory legislation.

11. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold Libre Biotech harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from: (a) your use of the platform, (b) your violation of these terms, (c) your violation of any third-party rights, or (d) data you upload or make available through the platform.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree with the changes, you may export your data and close your account.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. Disputes will be resolved in the courts of Queensland, Australia, unless an institutional service agreement specifies otherwise.

14. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

15. Contact

For questions about these terms:

• Email: legal@librebiotech.org