Nextflow Registry Terms of Use

Operator: Seqera Labs S.L. (“Seqera”)
Contact: legal@seqera.io

Relationship Between Seqera Labs and Nextflow

Nextflow is an open-source workflow orchestration project released under the Apache 2.0 Licence (a copy of which can be accessed here: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0). The project was originally created by, and continues to be maintained with long-term stewardship from, Seqera. Seqera provides infrastructure, governance, and community support, but Nextflow remains freely available and community-driven.

The Nextflow Registry (registry.nextflow.io) is a catalogue of Artifacts that enhance Nextflow’s capabilities. Artifacts may be contributed by individual developers, community members, or Seqera. The Registry is a distribution service, and Seqera does not claim ownership of (nor accept any liability whatsoever for) third-party Plugins submitted to it; each Plugin remains subject to its own licence (open-source or proprietary).

These Terms explain how the Registry may be used and the respective rights and responsibilities of Seqera, Plugin contributors, and users.

1. Purpose and Scope.

1.1 These Terms govern your use of the Nextflow Registry only.
1.2 These Terms do not apply to Seqera’s commercial products or services (including Seqera Platform or commercial xPacks).
1.3 Use of the Registry must comply with:

(i) these Terms; and
(ii) the Seqera Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) (link).

Where there is any conflict, these Terms prevail for Registry-specific use.

1.4 Eligibility and Compliance. You may use the Registry only if you are legally able to enter into a binding agreement under applicable law, or you have obtained valid consent from a parent or legal guardian. You must comply with all laws and regulations that apply to your use of the Registry and any Plugins, including export and sanctions rules where relevant. If your use of the Registry would be unlawful under applicable law, you are not authorised to use the Registry.

2. Definitions.

“Registry” means the Nextflow Registry at registry.nextflow.io.

“Artifact” means a plugin, package, module, pipeline, or other code or software bundle designed to extend Nextflow runtime or augment Nextflow functionality.

“Contributor” means any person or organisation submitting a Plugin or Plugin metadata to the Registry.

“User” means anyone accessing, downloading, or installing Plugins from the Registry.

“OSS Plugin” means a Plugin released under an open-source licence.

“Proprietary Plugin” means a Plugin released under a restrictive or commercial licence, including commercial xPacks.

“Metadata” means any descriptive information about a Plugin (name, version, description, licence, repository URL, etc.).

3. Contributor Ownership and Licence Grant.

3.1 Contributors retain all intellectual property rights in their submitted Plugins.

3.2 By submitting a Plugin or Metadata to the Registry, a Contributor grants Seqera a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

(i) host, display, index, distribute and technically adapt the Plugin and its Metadata; and
(ii) cache, mirror or reformat descriptions related to the Plugin and its Metadata for operational reliability.

3.3 Seqera does not claim ownership of third-party Plugin code.

3.4 Contributors represent and warrant that:

(i) they have the right to submit the Plugin;
(ii) submission (and the Artifact itself) does not infringe third-party rights; and
(iii) the Plugin is accurately licensed, described, and attributed.

4. Use of Plugins.

4.1 Users must comply with the specific licence of each Plugin they install.

4.2 Seqera does not guarantee the security, quality, or correctness of Plugins.

4.3 Users are responsible for:

(i) verifying Plugin compatibility;
(ii) reviewing Plugin licensing terms; and
(iii) ensuring safe and lawful use.

5. Open-Source and Proprietary Plugins.

5.1 OSS Plugins must specify a recognised open-source licence (e.g., Apache 2.0, MIT, GPL), and Contributors must comply with all terms and conditions listed in that licence.

5.2 Proprietary Plugins (including commercial xPacks):

(i) must clearly describe their licensing terms;
(ii) may require authentication or a commercial subscription;
(iii) may link to Seqera’s commercial terms of use and EULA (link).

5.3 Contributor agrees to publish each Plugin either (a) under an OSI-approved open-source licence identified at the time of submission; or (b) as a Proprietary Plugin, which shall only be listed following Seqera's prior written approval. Seqera reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without liability or notice, to reject, suspend or remove any Plugin (i) that fails to meet the applicable licensing, quality, security, or documentation standards (including under the terms contained in these Terms and in the AUP) made available by Seqera from time to time; (ii) whose licence terms are inaccurate, revoked or non-compliant; or (iii) that otherwise poses a legal, commercial or reputational risk to Seqera or the Nextflow community.

6. Acceptable Use.

6.1 In addition to the terms listed in the AUP, Users and Contributors must not, and must not permit anyone else to:

(i) upload or distribute malware, malicious code, or content that is unlawful, defamatory, or infringing;

(ii) infringe intellectual property rights;

(iii) misrepresent your identity, affiliation, or authorship of any Plugin;

(iv) evade licensing or security controls for proprietary Plugins;

(v) attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Registry or other users’ accounts, or test, scan, or probe the security or vulnerability of Seqera’s systems without prior written consent;

(vi) use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or harvest the Registry in a way that places an unreasonable load on the service or interferes with normal operation;

(vii) attempt to bypass or tamper with licensing, authentication, or usage controls for proprietary Plugins (including commercial xPacks); or

(viii) use the Registry in violation of the AUP or any applicable law.

6.2 Seqera may suspend or terminate Contributor’s or User’s access to the Registry immediately with notice (email sufficient), where Seqera reasonably believes (i) these Terms or the AUP have been materially breached; and (ii) following reasonable enquiry by Seqera, that breach cannot be cured without undue delay. Before regranting access following a suspension, Seqera shall provide advance notice of its intention to do so,which may include instructions to help the Contributor or User avoid future suspension for similar reasons.

7. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability.

7.1 The Registry and all Plugins are provided “as is” and “as available”. Seqera does not audit or guarantee the security of any Plugin. Users install and execute Plugins entirely at their own risk. Users are solely responsible for validating Plugin outputs before relying on them for any purpose.

7.2 Seqera disclaims all warranties, express or implied.

7.3 Seqera is not liable for damages arising from:

(i) the use, misuse, or performance of Plugins;

(ii) loss of data or business interruption;

(iii) security issues within third-party Plugin code.

7.4 Users accept full responsibility for evaluating Plugin risks.

7.5 Third-Party Content. The Registry may link to third-party websites, repositories, or services (for example, source code hosting platforms). Seqera is not responsible for, and does not endorse, any third-party sites, services, or content, and your use of them is at your own risk.

7.6 Each Contributor represents and warrants that their Plugin does not infringe the intellectual property, or other rights of any third-party. Contributors shall indemnify and hold harmless Seqera against all third-party claims, damages and costs (including reasonable legal expenses) arising from any breach of this warranty.

8. Privacy.

8.1 Personal data processed in connection with the Registry is described in the Seqera Privacy Notice, published on the Seqera website (link).

9. IP Complaints and Takedowns.

9.1 Seqera respects intellectual property rights and will act on valid notices.

9.2 IP complaints, DMCA-style takedowns, and security concerns should be sent to legal@seqera.io with:

(i) identifying information for the Plugin;

(ii) proof of ownership; and

(iii) a description of the alleged infringement.

10. Updates, Modification, and Termination.

10.1 Seqera may update these Terms at any time. Updates will be posted on the Registry website and continued access to or use of the Registry by a User or Contributor after such update shall be deemed acceptance of the updated Terms.

10.2 Users and Contributors should review Terms periodically.

10.3 Seqera may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Registry (in whole or in part) at any time. Where reasonably possible, Seqera will provide notice of material changes via the Registry website or community channels.

11. Governing Law.

11.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of Spain, unless another jurisdiction is required by applicable law.

11.2 Disputes shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation, and failing that, submitted to the competent courts in Barcelona, Spain.

12. Contact.

For legal, technical, or compliance enquiries: legal@seqera.io