Raman Base legal
Terms of Use
Binding terms paired section by section with a non-binding plain-language guide. If the two layers differ, the Binding layer controls.
- Version
- Version 2.0
- Effective date
- 2026-08-05
- Supersedes
- Version 1.0 · 2023-11-28
Record-level license prevails
The license displayed in each individual Raman Base record governs reuse of that record. If a general website statement conflicts with a record-level license, the record-level license prevails.
1. Introduction and Acceptance
Binding layer
These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern access to and use of Raman Base, operated by Ústav přístrojové techniky AV ČR, v. v. i. (Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, public research institution), ID No. 68081731, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic ("ISI CAS", "operator"). Raman Base is a non-commercial scientific research project of ISI CAS. Use of the service is governed by these Terms and by the Legal Notice and Project Statement available at /legal/notice. By accessing or using Raman Base, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service. These Terms incorporate by reference the Privacy Notice, the Legal Notice, and explicitly linked policies (accepted input formats, uploader instructions, and tutorial pages). 'Consumer' means a natural person who, in relation to Raman Base, is acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft, or profession, within the meaning of § 419 of the Civil Code. Where these Terms grant a user rights as a consumer, those rights apply only to such persons.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
By using Raman Base, you accept the Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service. Raman Base is a scientific research project run by ISI CAS, not a commercial company. The legal rules live in the Terms and the Legal Notice; practical how-to details are in the linked help pages.
2. Service Description and Scope
Binding layer
Raman Base is provided as part of the scientific research mission of ISI CAS. It is an online platform for Raman spectroscopic data, including: (a) public spectrum database access, (b) personal repository functions, and (c) search, analysis, and management tools. Most use is offered free of charge as part of this research mission. Specific paid or contracted use cases may apply under separate written agreements.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Raman Base is both a public data platform and a personal spectral repository, offered as part of ISI CAS's research mission. Most use is free; a few commercial/contracted cases may be paid.
3. Non-Registered Users
Binding layer
Non-registered users may browse, view, and perform full-text search over publicly available records only. Access to non-public records or restricted features is not permitted. Non-registered users (including authors of source publications) may also use the notice & takedown mechanism described in the Legal Notice to request correction, supplementation, or removal of a record.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Without an account you can view public spectra and use basic public search. You can also flag or request correction of a record through the takedown process, even without registering.
4. Registration and Account Security
Binding layer
Registration is free and requires a valid email address and a user-selected password. Users are responsible for account confidentiality and all activity performed through their account, and must provide accurate information and keep it up to date. Personal data processed in connection with registration is handled in accordance with the Privacy Notice (/legal/privacy). Upon account deletion, personal data is deleted or anonymized in line with the Privacy Notice; however, content already published under an irrevocable public license (e.g., CC BY 4.0 or CC0) remains available and is re-attributed to a "former user" designation.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Creating an account is free. Keep your credentials secure and your info accurate. We handle your personal data per the Privacy Notice. If you delete your account, your personal data is removed or anonymized — but spectra you already shared under an open license stay online (they can't be un-shared) and are relabeled to a "former user".
5. Registered User Features
Binding layer
Registered users may, subject to technical limits and applicable licenses: create and manage personal records, upload spectra, download datasets in compliance with the license shown on each record, use similarity search, and access additional available functions.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Account holders get upload, management, download (in line with each record's license), and advanced search. Checking each record's license before reuse is the user's responsibility.
6. Uploading Data and Metadata
Binding layer
Registered users may upload Raman data through the web upload flow (e.g., '+ Add spectra') and supported bulk tools (e.g., Raman Base Uploader), using accepted formats and size limits published on the Raman Base help pages (which may be updated without amendment to these Terms). By uploading, the user makes the representations and warranties set out in Section 11. Each accepted entry receives a unique identifier. Users may include structured metadata, parent publication DOI, notes, and images, and are responsible for metadata accuracy and legality. Newly uploaded records are set to Limited visibility pending quality curation and become Public only after review, unless the operator specifies otherwise.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Upload via the web form or the uploader tool, using supported formats (limits are listed on a separate help page). Each entry gets an ID. You can add metadata and DOI links, and you're responsible for their correctness. When you upload, you confirm you have the right to (see Section 11). New uploads start as Limited and go Public after a quality check.
7. Visibility Modes (Privacy Settings)
Binding layer
Each record may be set by its owner to one of the following modes: (a) Private — visible only to authorized account scope. (b) Limited — not publicly listed; may be discoverable by selected technical features (including similarity search), with copying/export restrictions as configured by Raman Base. (c) Public — publicly listed and reusable under the record-level license. Changes in visibility apply prospectively only. Permissions already granted under a prior public Creative Commons license remain valid, as Creative Commons licenses are irrevocable.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Choose Private, Limited, or Public per record. Limited can appear in similarity search but is not openly downloadable. Making a record more restrictive later does not cancel rights already granted — open licenses are irrevocable, so earlier lawful reuse stays valid.
8. Sharing, Licensing, and Republishing
Binding layer
For each public record, the governing reuse conditions are the license displayed in that record. If any general website statement conflicts with a record-level license, the record-level license prevails for that specific record. The default license for newly published records is CC BY 4.0. Users may instead select CC0 / public-domain dedication (recommended where the uploader owns the spectrum and wishes to dedicate it to the public domain) or CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 where the rightsholder in the uploaded spectrum explicitly requires non-commercial share-alike terms. Separately, the Raman Base database as a whole (its structure, selection, and arrangement) is made available under CC BY 4.0 and is additionally protected by the sui generis database right of ISI CAS (see Section 9); this database-level licensing is independent of the license applied to any individual record. If users are uncertain about reuse conditions and a parent DOI is provided, they should review the corresponding publication and contact the corresponding author when needed.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
The license shown on a record controls reuse of that record. By default that's CC BY 4.0 (free reuse with attribution), but you can pick CC0 (public domain) or CC BY-NC-SA (non-commercial). Separately, the whole database is shared under CC BY 4.0 and protected as a database — that's independent of individual record licenses. If unsure, check the linked publication and the authors.
9. Ownership and Rights Granted to Raman Base
Binding layer
Users retain ownership/rightsholding in uploaded content, except as rights are granted by the selected public license and these Terms. By uploading, users grant ISI CAS a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, back up, index, display, and technically transform (including format conversion) the content solely as required for operation, preservation, search, and interoperability, for the duration of the user's account or until the relevant content is removed, whichever applies (subject to the irrevocability of any public license already granted to third parties). The Raman Base platform software, interface, and branding remain with ISI CAS and relevant rightsholders. The Raman Base database as a compilation is a database of ISI CAS protected by the sui generis database maker's right under § 88 et seq. of the Czech Copyright Act; this right subsists in the structure, selection, and arrangement of the database and is independent of the licenses applied to individual records — accordingly, even where an individual record is dedicated under CC0, the database as a whole remains protected in favor of ISI CAS.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
You keep the rights to your data. We only get the technical rights needed to run the platform — hosting, indexing, display, backups, format conversion — and only while your account/content exists. The platform and branding stay ISI CAS's. Also, the database as a whole is ISI CAS's protected database, separate from any single record's license — so even CC0 records don't affect our rights in the overall database structure.
10. Citation of Raman Base and Source Works
Binding layer
When reusing or republishing Raman Base-sourced spectra, users should provide scholarly citation including: creator(s), record identifier, Raman Base as source repository, access date/version, and applicable license. Where a parent publication DOI is available, users should cite both the dataset record and the parent publication as contextually appropriate. For records under public-domain dedication (e.g., CC0), legal attribution may not be mandatory, but scholarly citation of source remains strongly encouraged. Example citation: Author(s). "Raman spectrum of [substance]." Raman Base, record ID RB-XXXXXX, version/accessed YYYY-MM-DD, licensed under CC BY 4.0. https://ramanbase.org/record/RB-XXXXXX. Where applicable, cite also the parent publication DOI.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
When reusing spectra, cite the creators, the record, Raman Base as source, and the license. If a DOI exists, cite both the dataset and the article. Even for CC0 records, citing the source is strongly encouraged (an example format is shown above).
11. Third-Party Rights and User Warranties
Binding layer
Users represent and warrant they have legal authority to upload and license content under the selected license, including any required permissions from co-authors, employers, funders, publishers, or other rightsholders. This warranty is made at the point of upload (Section 6). ISI CAS does not assume responsibility for user breaches of third-party rights or contractual commitments. Upon a substantiated notice that a record infringes third-party rights, ISI CAS may suspend or remove the record in accordance with the notice & takedown procedure in the Legal Notice; the uploader will be informed and may submit a counter-notice contesting the measure.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Only upload content you're allowed to share and license. Raman Base isn't responsible for your rights breaches. If someone reports an infringement, we may suspend or remove the record — and you'll be told and can contest it (notice & counter-notice).
12. Moderation, Quality Control, and Takedown
Binding layer
ISI CAS may remove, restrict, disable, correct, or de-index entries/metadata where reasonably necessary for legal compliance, security, integrity, or service operation, including cases of corrupted data, empty entries, malicious payloads, abusive or objectionable metadata, or technical disruption. Any such measure is applied only to the extent necessary (proportionality). The affected user will be informed of the measure and may appeal it, and in ambiguous cases ISI CAS may contact the user for clarification. The "takedown" process is defined by reference to the notice & takedown workflow set out in the Legal Notice.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
We can act on bad or harmful entries, but only as far as needed. We'll tell you when we do and you can appeal. In unclear cases we'll ask you first. The full takedown process is described in the Legal Notice.
13. Acceptable Use and Violations
Binding layer
Users must not attempt unauthorized access, interfere with service operation, upload malware, misrepresent licensing/authorship, or submit unlawful/abusive content. Users must further not: (i) perform automated scraping of the public Raman Base website without explicit authorization; (ii) reverse-engineer the search or similarity algorithms; or (iii) place undue load on similarity search without a legitimate research purpose. Knowingly violating these Terms, harming Raman Base or its users, or repeated abuse may result in sanctions, including suspension or termination of registration.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Use Raman Base responsibly. Don't scrape the public site without permission, don't reverse-engineer our search, and don't hammer similarity search without a research reason. Serious or repeated violations can lead to account sanctions.
14. Commercial Use, Support, and Partnerships
Binding layer
Raman Base welcomes volunteering, sponsorship, donations, and collaboration. The primary content of Raman Base remains freely accessible to everyone as part of ISI CAS's scientific research mission. Business partnerships are subject to a separate written agreement; contact info@ramanbase.org. A separate paid service tier may be required, for example, when integrating Raman Base into a commercial product, when using the API for high-volume automated queries beyond fair-use limits, or when sponsoring custom features. Any such paid tier provides a different level of service (rate limits, SLA, integration, support), not different content, and is governed by the separate Raman Base API Terms.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
The core data stays free for everyone. We welcome sponsors and partners. A paid tier may apply if you build Raman Base into a commercial product, need heavy automated API access, or fund custom features — that's about service level (speed, support, SLA), not extra content, and it's covered by separate API Terms.
15. Service Details, Backups, and Disclaimers
Binding layer
To the maximum extent permitted by mandatory law, Raman Base is provided on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis, without warranty of any kind, including any guarantee of uninterrupted operation or fitness for a particular purpose. Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded under mandatory Czech law, including liability for damage caused intentionally or by gross negligence, or damage to a person's natural rights (§ 2898 of the Czech Civil Code). ISI CAS applies reasonable technical safeguards and backups, but users remain responsible for independent backups of their own data. Abusive communications may be disregarded. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any statutory rights that a user acting as a consumer has under mandatory law and that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
We aim for reliability but can't promise zero downtime or zero data loss, as far as the law allows. We can't and don't try to exclude liability for intentional or grossly negligent harm, or harm to health/life. Keep your own backups. Please keep support messages respectful.
16. Communication
Binding layer
The official communication channel for general Terms and service issues is info@ramanbase.org. For legal matters (including notices and takedown requests), the designated contact is legal@ramanbase.org, unless ISI CAS designates a different legal contact for specific notices.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
For service and general Terms questions, email info@ramanbase.org. For legal or takedown matters, use legal@ramanbase.org.
17. Updates to Terms
Binding layer
These Terms may be updated; the right to make such updates is expressly reserved and agreed under § 1752 of the Czech Civil Code. For non-material changes, ISI CAS will publish the updated effective date and version. For material changes, ISI CAS will provide reasonable advance notice (for example, at least 30 days by on-site notice and/or email where feasible), and the user has the right to reject the changes by terminating their account before the effective date. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
We can update the Terms. Small changes: we publish a new version/date. Big changes: we give you notice (about 30 days) and you can close your account if you disagree. Keep using the service after the effective date and you accept the new Terms.
18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
Binding layer
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Czech Republic, without prejudice to mandatory legal protections that cannot be waived. Unless mandatory law requires otherwise, disputes shall be resolved by the competent courts of the Czech Republic. Nothing in this clause deprives a user who is a consumer of the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions of the law of their country of habitual residence, including any right to bring or defend proceedings before the courts of that country. Disputes with publishers or other rightsholders having an international element may be subject to additional applicable rules.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Czech law applies (mandatory protections still stand), and Czech courts have jurisdiction. Cross-border disputes with publishers may involve extra rules.
19. Version Information
Binding layer
Document title: Raman Base Terms of Use. Version: Version 2.0. Effective date: 2026-08-05. Supersedes: Version 1.0 · 2023-11-28.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Explicit versioning, with the date and a short changelog for every version, lets users and auditors track what changed and when.
20. Research Integrity
Binding layer
As a scientific platform, Raman Base expects users to observe research integrity standards: no fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism of data or metadata; proper citation of sources and source publications; and respect for the scholarly contribution of the authors of parent publications. This clause is primarily ethical in nature and complements the legal obligations set out elsewhere in these Terms.
Plain-language guide · Non-binding
Please follow good research practice: no faked or plagiarized data, cite your sources, and respect the original authors' work.
Terms history
- Version 2.0 · 2026-08-05 · Supersedes Version 1.0 · 2023-11-28
- Version 1.0 · Released 2023-11-28