Software Licensing on Environments

When creating or sharing custom environments on DECTRIS CLOUD, it's essential to clearly document the licenses of any software you include. This isn't just a formality — it's a key part of responsible and legal software use.

Whether you're installing open-source tools, academic research software, or commercial packages, each one comes with its own set of rules. These rules (defined in the software license) specify how the software can be used, shared, or modified — and by whom.

Why this matters

• Transparency: Others who use your environment need to know what tools are included and what they're allowed to do with them.
• Compliance: Improper use or redistribution of licensed software — especially commercial or academic-only tools — may violate legal agreements.
• Legal Risk: Unauthorized distribution of software is not just discouraged — in many jurisdictions, it is considered software piracy, which is a criminal offense.

By using DECTRIS CLOUD, you agree to our Terms of Use, which state that you are solely responsible for ensuring the software you add or share complies with its licensing terms.

What you should do

• List the software and its license in the environment description or documentation. 
• Check the license details on the software’s official website or repository.
• When in doubt, contact the software developers directly for clarification.
• Do not share commercial or academic-only software unless you have explicit permission to do so.

If you're unsure whether a tool is free for all, academic only, or commercial, refer to the Software License Categories section in this knowledge base. When in doubt, assume restrictions apply and double-check before publishing.

License types and usage 

1: Free for All Use

Name: Free for All Use
Also Known As: Open Source, Permissive Licenses

These licenses allow anyone — individuals, academic institutions, or commercial organizations — to use, modify, and distribute the software without restriction, often with minimal conditions like attribution.

Typical Permissions:

• Free for personal, academic, and commercial use
• Modify and redistribute
• Often include right to sublicense or integrate
• Usually require giving credit (attribution)

Common Examples:

• MIT License
• BSD (2-Clause or 3-Clause)
• Apache 2.0
• Public Domain (Unlicense, CC0)
• ISC

2: Free for Academic Use Only

Name: Free for Academic Use
These licenses allow free use within academic research, teaching, and non-profit settings — but prohibit or restrict use in commercial, for-profit environments.

Typical Permissions:

• Use in universities and research labs
• Modify for internal academic use
• Cannot be used for commercial R&D or production
• Redistribution or reselling often restricted
• May require license requests even in academia

Common Examples:

• CNS, GROMACS (academic variants)
• Academic Software License (ASL)
• CASA tools

3: Commercial or Paid Software

Name: Commercial 
These licenses require payment, special permission, or institutional agreements to use. They may have demo versions or free academic tiers, but full use (especially in industry) is gated behind legal contracts or subscriptions.

Typical Permissions:

• Not free to use without license
• Commercial entities must buy or request access
• Academic discounts may be available
• Source code is typically closed

Common Examples:

• MOE
• MATLAB
• Gaussian