Data Use Policy

The PuniCodex dataset — including the lexicon entries, archetype metadata, scholarly summaries, pronunciation guides, and API JSON responses — is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

What this means in plain language:

• You may copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the data, even commercially.
• You must give appropriate credit to PuniCodex, provide a link to the license, and indicate if you made changes.
• You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

How to Attribute

Any public use of PuniCodex data must include attribution similar to the following:

For academic or research publications, we recommend citing the dataset version endpoint:

API consumers will find license headers on every response:

API Usage Rules

The PuniCodex API is designed for researchers, developers, localization teams, and integrators. By using the API you agree to:

1. Respect rate limits. Public endpoints are rate-limited per IP. Authenticated keys receive higher limits. If you need bulk access, contact us for an Enterprise key.
2. Preserve license headers. Do not strip X-License, X-License-URL, or the license field from JSON responses when redistributing.
3. Attribute clearly. Any app, dashboard, publication, or derivative dataset built from the API must credit PuniCodex.
4. No misrepresentation. Do not present PuniCodex data in a way that suggests endorsement or partnership without written permission.
5. No circumvention. Do not attempt to bypass rate limits, use the API to train models that compete directly with PuniCodex's scholarly mission without attribution, or scrape the site in ways that degrade service for others.

What Is Not Licensed

CC BY 4.0 applies to the dataset, not to everything on the site. The following remain the property of PuniCodex or their respective creators and are not covered by the open data license:

• The PuniCodex name, wordmark, logomark, and flagship mascot/logolockup artwork.
• The underlying source code (separately licensed under ISC unless otherwise noted).
• User-generated content such as patron names, sponsor branding, and marketplace reviews.
• Private business data: bookings, invoices, API keys, and analytics.

Anti-Scraping & Canary Policy

We support open research, but we do not tolerate bulk scraping that harms site performance or removes attribution. To protect the integrity of the dataset we may:

• Apply rate limits and request-fingerprinting to public endpoints.
• Deploy honeypot or "canary" records that are invisible to normal users but reveal verbatim copying.
• Block or throttle IPs, user agents, or patterns that exhibit abusive automated behavior.

If you discover a canary record in a third-party dataset, it is strong evidence that the data was scraped from PuniCodex without proper attribution. Please report it to support@punicodex.com.

Enforcement & Contact

We prefer collaboration to enforcement. If you are unsure whether your use case complies with this policy, or if you need a bulk-data agreement, waiver, or commercial license for assets not covered by CC BY 4.0, email support@punicodex.com.

For violations, we reserve the right to revoke API access, remove listings, or pursue legal remedies for trademark infringement, breach of terms, or unfair competition — while remaining committed to the open sharing of the scholarly dataset itself.