1. Purpose
This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) governs the use of BioContext7 services. It is designed to protect the integrity of the platform, the quality of service for all users, and the accuracy of bioinformatics documentation we provide.
2. Permitted Use
BioContext7 is intended for:
- Searching and retrieving bioinformatics tool documentation
- Integrating tool metadata into AI coding assistants via MCP
- Building pipelines and workflows using verified tool information
- Academic research, education, and institutional use
- Commercial use
3. Prohibited Uses
You may not use BioContext7 to:
3.1 Abuse and Misuse
- Circumvent rate limits, quotas, or access controls
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems, accounts, or data
- Scrape, mirror, or systematically download the tool registry beyond API limits
- Use automated systems to create multiple accounts
- Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure
3.2 Harmful Content
- Submit or distribute malware, viruses, or malicious code
- Submit fraudulent tool metadata or documentation
- Misrepresent tool capabilities, safety profiles, or regulatory status
- Use the Service to facilitate illegal activities
3.3 Data and Privacy Violations
- Process Protected Health Information (PHI) through the Service
- Collect personal information of other users without consent
- Violate applicable data protection regulations (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA)
4. Rate Limiting and Fair Use
To ensure fair access for all users, API usage is subject to fair-use rate limits. These limits are enforced per API key and include:
- Per-minute request caps to prevent burst abuse
- Fair-use monthly quota limits
- Concurrent connection limits
- Response size limits for bulk queries
Requests exceeding rate limits receive an HTTP 429 response with a Retry-After header. Clients should implement exponential backoff.
5. Monitoring and Enforcement
We monitor usage patterns to detect violations of this policy. Monitoring includes automated analysis of request patterns, anomaly detection, and periodic manual review.
When a violation is detected, we may take one or more of the following actions:
- Issue a warning with details of the violation
- Temporarily reduce rate limits or restrict features
- Suspend the account pending investigation
- Permanently terminate the account for severe or repeated violations
We aim to resolve issues collaboratively and will provide notice before taking action, except in cases of active abuse that threatens Service availability.
6. Reporting Violations
If you become aware of any violation of this policy, please report it to abuse@biocontext7.com. Include relevant details such as timestamps, API keys involved (if known), and a description of the behavior.
7. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a notice on the Service at least 30 days before taking effect. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
8. Contact
Questions about this Acceptable Use Policy? Contact us at legal@biocontext7.com.