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HapMap Data Access Policy

The International HapMap Project is releasing the SNP assays, allele and genotype frequencies, and individual genotype data on a monthly basis as they become available from the participating centers. The assays and allele and genotype frequencies are available for download without restriction. However, the individual genotype data are available under a "clickwrap" license designed to ensure that all the HapMap Project data are made available as soon as possible for use by all and that they remain so in perpetuity.

Early on in the Project the genotype data produced will not be sufficiently dense to allow the construction of haplotypes in regions of high association. It could, however, be possible for others to combine the public genotype data with their own data, construct haplotypes, file for patents on these, and restrict others from using the public data. Therefore a "clickwrap" license will be used for access to the genotype data until the Project has generated enough genotype data to construct haplotypes in regions of high association and thus establish prior art on these. To access the individual genotype data, users will have to agree not to restrict use of the data by others and not to share the data with others who have not agreed to the same conditions. There is no intention to block the ability of users to file for appropriate intellectual property on specific haplotypes where they have demonstrated a specific utility, as long as access to the public genotype data is not restricted. Other outputs of the Project, for example, SNPs, SNP assays, and allele and genotype frequencies, will be released quickly to the public database dbSNP (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SNP). Once the haplotypes are constructed, then they and the underlying individual genotype data will also be publicly released to dbSNP without restriction. At the end of the Project, all remaining data will be released to dbSNP.

Last updated : datarelease.html,v 1.7 2003/12/12 16:13:34 fiona Exp