API Terms of Use

1. API Access & Authentication

Access to the Civic Core Institute API requires a valid API key obtained through a paid subscription. API keys are:

• Personal to the subscribing individual or organisation
• Non-transferable without prior written consent
• Subject to immediate revocation for Terms violations
• Your sole responsibility to keep secure and confidential

You must not share, publish, or embed your API key in client-side code, public repositories, or any location accessible to unauthorised parties.

2. Subscription & Payment

API access is provided on a subscription basis:

• Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance
• All fees are non-refundable except where required by law
• Prices may change with 30 days' notice
• Failure to pay results in immediate API key suspension
• VAT is added to UK and EU customers where applicable

3. Rate Limits & Usage Quotas

API usage is subject to rate limits based on your subscription tier:

Exceeding rate limits results in HTTP 429 responses. Repeated or intentional violations may result in temporary or permanent suspension.

4. Permitted Use

You may use the API to:

• Build applications, websites, and services that incorporate our data
• Conduct research and analysis for journalistic, academic, or commercial purposes
• Create derivative works and visualizations with proper attribution
• Cache data locally for performance optimization (maximum 24-hour cache)

5. Prohibited Use

You must NOT use the API to:

• Resell, redistribute, or sublicense raw API data to third parties
• Build a competing service that replicates our core functionality
• Systematically download or scrape the entire dataset
• Circumvent rate limits through multiple accounts or key rotation
• Misrepresent data origin or remove attribution
• Use data to harass, defame, or target individuals
• Violate any applicable law or regulation
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or access our systems beyond the API

6. Attribution Requirements

All public-facing uses of API data must include attribution:

• Display "Data: Civic Core Institute" visibly near any data presentation
• Include a hyperlink to civiccore.institute where possible
• Pass through original source attribution (Parliament, Electoral Commission, IPSA, etc.)
• Do not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Civic Core Institute

Enterprise and Institutional tier subscribers may negotiate modified attribution terms.

7. Data Accuracy & Disclaimer

While we strive for accuracy, API data is provided "as is" without warranty:

• Data derives from official sources but may contain errors or delays
• Derived metrics (conflict scores, alignments) are algorithmic assessments, not factual claims
• Historical data may be incomplete for periods before our data collection began
• You are responsible for verifying critical data with primary sources

8. Service Level

We target 99.5% API uptime but do not guarantee availability:

• Scheduled maintenance will be announced 48 hours in advance where possible
• Emergency maintenance may occur without notice
• No compensation for downtime unless explicitly agreed in Enterprise contracts
• API versioning: Breaking changes require 90 days' notice for v1 endpoints

9. Intellectual Property

Original source data remains subject to Open Parliament Licence and Open Government Licence terms. Our derived data, analysis, and API infrastructure are proprietary:

• You receive a limited license to access and use data per these Terms
• No ownership rights are transferred
• Conflict scores, sector alignments, and other derived metrics are our intellectual property

10. Termination

Either party may terminate API access:

• By you: Cancel subscription through billing dashboard at any time
• By us: Immediately for Terms violations; with 30 days' notice otherwise
• Upon termination, you must cease all API use and delete cached data within 7 days
• Sections 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12 survive termination

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Our total liability is limited to fees paid in the 12 months preceding the claim
• We are not responsible for your use or misuse of API data
• You indemnify us against claims arising from your API use

12. Governing Law

These API Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of English courts, except where consumer protection laws mandate otherwise.

13. Changes to API Terms

We may update these Terms with 30 days' email notice for material changes. Continued API use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance. You may cancel your subscription if you disagree with changes.

14. Contact

For API-related inquiries, technical support, or to report Terms violations, contact us via our contact page and select "API Access" as the subject.