These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the PROTEOBASE website and services (the “Service”). PROTEOBASE is operated and managed by EuropaDX, Inc. (“EuropaDX,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. The Service

PROTEOBASE is an online platform for the storage, sharing, discovery, and access of proteomics and related scientific data. The Service supports both public and private datasets, along with associated metadata and documentation.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding agreement to use the Service. You are responsible for all activity under your account and for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.

You agree to provide accurate information and not to impersonate another person or entity.

3. User Data and Ownership

3.1 Your Data

You retain all ownership and intellectual property rights to any data, files, metadata, or materials you upload or submit to PROTEOBASE (“User Data”).

EuropaDX does not claim ownership of User Data and acts solely as a hosting and access provider.

You are solely responsible for ensuring that:

• You have the legal right to upload and share the data
• The data does not violate applicable laws, regulations, consent agreements, or institutional policies
• Any required de-identification or ethical approvals have been obtained

4. Public Data, Sharing, and Licensing

4.1 Public Availability

When you designate User Data as public, it will be made openly accessible to the scientific community and the general public. Public data may be indexed, copied, redistributed, and reused by others according to the selected license.

4.2 Creative Commons Licensing

For public datasets, PROTEOBASE supports the following standard licenses:

• CC0 (Public Domain Dedication): Data may be used without restriction, including for commercial purposes, without attribution.
• CC BY (Attribution): Data may be used and redistributed for any purpose, provided appropriate credit is given to the data creators.

You are responsible for selecting the appropriate license and confirming that you have the authority to apply it. Once data is made public under a Creative Commons license, that license cannot be revoked for existing users.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Upload or distribute unlawful, infringing, deceptive, or harmful content
• Upload malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or data
• Interfere with the integrity, security, or availability of the Service
• Misrepresent the origin, authorship, or licensing of data

EuropaDX may suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms.

6. Intellectual Property of the Service

The Service, including its software, design, and underlying technology, is owned by or licensed to EuropaDX and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. These Terms grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and use the Service for research, educational, and informational purposes.

7. Availability and Modifications

The Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. EuropaDX may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, EuropaDX disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

EuropaDX does not warrant that the Service or any data hosted on it will be error-free, uninterrupted, or suitable for any specific research or regulatory purpose.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, EuropaDX shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages, including loss of data, loss of research value, or downstream reuse of public data.

10. Privacy

Personal information collected through the Service is handled in accordance with the PROTEOBASE Privacy Policy.

11. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. EuropaDX may suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms or for operational reasons.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.

13. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to: EuropaDX, Inc. at support@proteobase.org