GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later

Strong copyleft

CytoCV is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0-or-later). Covered modifications that are distributed must be licensed consistently with the AGPL, and the corresponding source required by the license must be made available.

Network deployments

AGPL section 13 applies when a modified version is made available for users to interact with remotely through a computer network. The modified version must prominently offer those users an opportunity to receive its corresponding source.

Project Position on Commercial Use

CytoCV was developed primarily to support academic research, reproducible science, and open collaboration. The maintainers strongly discourage commercial exploitation that extracts value from CytoCV without providing meaningful support to the project or research community.

The license permits commercial use. This statement expresses a non-binding project preference and does not add, modify, or override any permission or requirement in AGPL-3.0-or-later. The full LICENSE file controls.

Commercial users are strongly encouraged to:

• Contribute useful modifications upstream.
• Report defects, compatibility problems, and security issues.
• Support ongoing maintenance, infrastructure, and documentation.
• Preserve clear attribution to CytoCV and its contributors.
• Make the corresponding source required by the AGPL readily available.

Compliance checklist

Organizations modifying or deploying CytoCV should:

1. Read the complete AGPL license.
2. Preserve applicable copyright and license notices.
3. Clearly identify covered modifications where required.
4. Make the required corresponding source available.
5. Provide a prominent source offer to remote users of a modified network version.
6. Include the AGPL license with covered distributions.
7. Avoid imposing additional restrictions inconsistent with the AGPL.
8. Review separately licensed dependencies, weights, data, and assets.

Prohibited noncompliant conduct

• Operating a covered modified network version while denying remote users the source access required by the AGPL.
• Distributing a covered modified version without satisfying applicable corresponding-source obligations.
• Removing or obscuring applicable license notices.
• Imposing additional restrictions inconsistent with rights granted by the AGPL.
• Presenting covered AGPL code as a closed proprietary fork while withholding required rights or source.

Failure to comply can terminate the permissions granted by the license, subject to the AGPL's cure and reinstatement provisions.

No warranty

CytoCV is provided without warranty, subject to the complete terms of the AGPL.

Third-party materials

Third-party dependencies, model weights, data, and assets may be governed by separate licenses. The CytoCV project license does not automatically replace those terms.