## Data Licensing

CIViC data is dedicated the public domain under a CC0 1.0 Universal license.

The content of CIViC, hosted by Washington University School of Medicine, is released under the Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0 1.0 Universal). This means that all CIViC data is completely free for anyone to use for any purpose without restriction.

## What This Means for You

### Complete Freedom to Use

All content created in CIViC is, and will continue to be, freely available, without restriction under CC0. This includes:

- All released datasets available for bulk download
- All data accessible through our API
- All curated evidence statements, variant interpretations, and clinical assertions
- All gene and molecular profile summaries

### No Attribution Required

While we appreciate acknowledgment, you are not legally required to cite or attribute CIViC when using our data. The CC0 dedication means:

- No permission needed to use the data
- No attribution legally required
- No restrictions on commercial use
- No restrictions on modification or transformation
- No restrictions on redistribution

### Build on CIViC Data

CC0 empowers you to:

- Freely build upon, enhance and reuse the data for any purposes
- Integrate CIViC interpretations into your own tools and platforms
- Create derivative works without restriction
- Use the data in commercial applications
- Redistribute the data in any format

## Why CC0?

CC0 enables scientists, educators, clinicians, and other creators to place their contributions as completely as possible in the public domain. Unlike licenses that allow copyright holders to retain certain rights, CC0 represents the "no rights reserved" alternative.

This approach:

- Removes any legal doubt about whether researchers can use the data
- Clarifies the status of the work unambiguously worldwide
- Facilitates maximum reuse and innovation
- Accelerates scientific discovery by removing barriers

## How CIViC Data Is Being Used

The open nature of CIViC data under CC0 has enabled diverse applications across academic and commercial sectors. Please review the list of data clients for an overview of the ways that others are using and integrating CIViC data.

## Accessing CIViC Data

CIViC data may be accessed through multiple channels:

### Bulk Downloads

Data can be downloaded in bulk as:

- Tab-separated files (TSV)
- VCF files

### API Access

Access data programmatically through our fully open and documented API.

Services or databases that depend on CIViC's API are encouraged to notify us so that we may add you to our Data Clients Page.

### Direct Platform Use

Browse and search data directly through the CIViC web interface.

## Important Considerations

### Medical Disclaimer

While CIViC data is free to use, please note that CIViC is an educational resource. With appropriate validation (e.g., in a CLIA certified, CAP accredited environment) it may be used to develop panels or software for variant interpretation in a clinical diagnostic setting. However, direct use of the CIViC application and website is intended for purely research and educational purposes. It should not be used for emergencies or taken as medical or professional advice.

### Ethical Norms

Although CC0 doesn't legally require users to cite the source, it does not affect the ethical norms for attribution in scientific and research communities. We encourage users to cite CIViC when using our data in publications or presentations.

## Citation

While not required under CC0, we appreciate citation of CIViC in scientific publications:

> Griffith M, Spies NC, Krysiak K, McMichael JF, Coffman AC, Danos AM, et al. CIViC is a community knowledgebase for expert crowdsourcing the clinical interpretation of variants in cancer. Nat Genet. 2017;49(2):170–174. doi:10.1038/ng.3774

> Krysiak K, Danos AM, Saliba J, McMichael JF, Coffman AC, Kiwala S, et al. CIViCdb 2022: evolution of an open-access cancer variant interpretation knowledgebase. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023;51(D1):D1230–D1241. doi:10.1093/nar/gkac979

> Danos AM, Krysiak K, Barnell EK, Coffman AC, McMichael JF, Kiwala S, et al. Standard operating procedure for curation and clinical interpretation of variants in cancer. Genome Med. 2019;11(1):76. doi:10.1186/s13073-019-0687-x

> Krysiak K, Danos AM, Kiwala S, McMichael JF, Coffman AC, Barnell EK, et al. A community approach to the cancer‑variant‑interpretation bottleneck. Nat Cancer. 2022;3(5):522–525. doi:10.1038/s43018-022-00379-w

## Questions?

For more information about CIViC data licensing or usage, please visit our FAQ or email the CIViC team at help@civicdb.org.

The CIViC project is committed to maximizing the accessibility and utility of cancer variant interpretations for the global community through open data sharing.