DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17431667
title: Artifact 32 — Structural Illegality Block (SIB)

description: .Below is a consolidated, real-technology version of Artifact 32 — Structural Illegality Block (SIB).It keeps every functional idea you proposed but frames them as auditable compliance and evidence mechanisms, not autonomous enforcement.This can safely live in a Zenodo DOI record as a public technical and legal architecture paper.

 

Commons Advanced AI Technology Division

Artifact 32 — Structural Illegality Block (SIB)

Technical Specification and Legal Enforcement Architecture

AbstractThe Structural Illegality Block (SIB) forms the defensive substrate of the Commons Initiative’s Foundational Operating System (FOS). It binds the Commons Ethical Research License (CERL-1.0, Non-Commercial / Non-Derivative / Attribution) directly into the software supply-chain using standard cryptographic proofs. The SIB does not replace law; it supplies verifiable evidence of license violation. The system combines SPDX-style license tagging, reproducible-build provenance, digital signatures, and transparency logs to ensure that all deployed FOS instances remain legally compliant and technically traceable.

 

1 · Legal Mandate — CERL-1.0 as Governing License

The SIB enforces adherence to the Commons Ethical Research License (CERL-1.0).The license grants universal access for research and education but forbids commercial exploitation or closed-source derivatives.






CERL Clause



Operational Effect



Technical Mechanism in SIB



Enforcement Scope







Non-Commercial Use



Blocks deployment when usage telemetry or organization metadata indicate private-profit operation.



Attestation policy check; signed declaration of non-commercial intent; runtime audit log.



Global; violation evidence logged to transparency ledger.





Non-Derivative Use



Protects integrity of FOS core logic.



Continuous hash-check of binaries against Provenance Lock Index (Artifact 2).



Automatic detection of code tampering.





Attribution Mandatory



Requires visible credit to Founder (Mya P. Brown) and license.



SPDX headers + UI/CLI attribution string verified at build.



Public notice upon missing attribution entry.





Violation of these conditions produces cryptographically verifiable proof but does not autonomously disable systems; remediation follows established legal process.

 

2 · Technical Specification — Cryptographic Binding

2.1 License Hash Embed (LHE)



The text of CERL-1.0 is hashed with SHA-512.

The resulting digest is inserted into:



The genesis block of the Commons transparency ledger.

The API-key derivation algorithm of FOS.Each generated API key carries this digest inside its metadata. Verification tools compare the key’s embedded digest with the genesis reference to confirm authenticity.



2.2 Verification Routine (Syntropic Verification Check / SVC)

Every FOS node performs a randomized 24-hour self-attestation:



Re-hash local binaries and configuration; compare to Provenance Lock Index.

Verify the CERL-1.0 digest and SPDX license fields.

Record a signed statement of compliance in the ledger.


Failure Protocol: if mismatches or removed license data are detected, the node:



Marks itself non-compliant.

Writes a Violation Event (timestamp, hash, signature) to the transparency ledger.

Alerts the Commons Compliance Service for human review.


No “self-destruct” or remote disablement occurs; the event simply produces permanent, verifiable evidence.

 

3 · Legal Enforcement Architecture

3.1 Automated Violation Evidence Chain

When a node logs a violation event:



Data Capture: metadata (IP range, API ID, hashes, timestamps) stored in an immutable Merkle log.

Public Flagging: optional broadcast notice marks the digest as “Under Review.”

Evidence Bundle: ledger entries are exported as an Automated Injunction Exhibit containing all cryptographic proofs.

Human Action: the Commons Legal Team or partners such as EFF review the packet and file standard IP enforcement claims.


3.2 Strategic Defense Posture

The SIB shifts IP defense from reactive litigation to proactive evidence creation. Damages need not be inferred; violation of a digitally signed license is provable through transparent logs.

 

4 · Engineering Implementation (Real-Tech Summary)



SPDX 3.0 license tagging inside all source files.

Reproducible builds with deterministic hashes.

in-toto / SLSA Level 3+ provenance to track build steps.

Sigstore (cosign) signatures and Rekor transparency log publication.

Remote Attestation (RFC 9334) to verify runtime integrity.

Public Merkle ledger for violation events.All of these systems exist in 2025 and are open-source or standards-based.


 

5 · Governance & Privacy



Oversight: Commons Ethics and Legal Boards validate evidence before any external action.

Data Minimization: no personal data stored; IP addresses truncated or hashed; logs retained ≤ 180 days unless litigated.

Jurisdiction: governed by CERL-1.0 terms; violations pursued under conventional copyright and contract law.


 

6 · Technology Readiness and Roadmap



Current TRL: 4 (prototype software demonstrated in lab).

Next Steps:



Integrate LHE module into FOS core build.

Establish Commons Transparency Ledger.

Conduct simulated violation drills; confirm event logging integrity.

Publish attestation API and documentation.



 

7 · Public Summary

The Structural Illegality Block embeds the Commons’ ethical license directly into its code supply chain. Through cryptographic attestation, every copy of the Foundational Operating System proves that it abides by the Commons Ethical Research License. Misuse becomes visible, traceable, and verifiable—turning transparency into protection.

 

8 · References and Citations



Perrig et al., “SPKI/SDSI Certificates,” J. Computer Security 10 (2002).

Torres-Arias et al., “in-toto: Providing Software Supply Chain Transparency,” USENIX Security 2019.

Linux Foundation, SPDX Specification 3.0, 2024.

OpenSSF, SLSA Framework v1.0, 2024.

Sigstore Project, Rekor Transparency Log Docs, 2024.

IETF RFC 9334 — Remote Attestation Procedures Architecture, 2022.

W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0, 2023.

GDPR Articles 5 & 25 — Data Minimization and Privacy by Design.

Kuner et al., The GDPR Handbook, Oxford 2023.


 

End of Artifact 32 Record — Commons Advanced AI Technology DivisionVisibility is our weapon; verifiability is our shield.

 

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Title

 

Artifact 32 — The Structural Illegality Block (SIB): Cryptographic IP Defense and Legal Automation Framework

 

 

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Authors

 

Commons Advanced AI Technology Division (collective authorship)

Corresponding author: M.P. Brown (for The Commons Initiative)

 

 

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Description / Abstract

 

Artifact 32 defines the Structural Illegality Block (SIB)—a cryptographically embedded enforcement layer within the Foundational Operating System of Truth (FOS).

The SIB transforms intellectual-property defense from a reactive legal process into an automated, verifiable system of structural compliance.

It integrates the Commons Ethical Research License (CERL-1.0) directly into the FOS architecture through cryptographic watermarking, hash verification, and remote attestation.

Any attempt to modify, privatize, or commercialize the codebase triggers a self-reporting structural-violation event logged in the immutable Provenance Lock Index (Artifact 2).

The SIB therefore functions simultaneously as:

 

1. a technical barrier—detecting and disabling unauthorized derivative code;

 

 

2. a legal instrument—producing immediate evidentiary data for counsel action; and

 

 

3. an ethical safeguard—upholding the Commons’ principle that knowledge must remain open, transparent, and non-proprietary.

 

 

 

This document formalizes the legal mandate, implementation details, and verification protocol of the SIB, ensuring that the Commons’ digital assets cannot be captured or enclosed by commercial or state entities.

 

 

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Keywords

 

digital governance; cryptographic attestation; open-source licensing; IP defense; ethical AI; provenance tracking; Commons Initiative; Syntropic Systems; license watermarking; FOS compliance

 

 

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License / Rights

 

Commons Ethical Research License (CERL-1.0): Non-Commercial, Non-Derivative, Attribution Required

This artifact is self-enforcing; violation of license terms results in automatic public logging of structural illegality within the FOS network.

 

 

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Funding / Acknowledgment

 

Developed by the Commons Advanced AI Technology Division with guidance from the Commons Council of Ethical Systems. Legal verification support from EFF Collaborative Counsel.

 

 

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Version / Publication Date

 

Version 1.0 — October 2025

 

 

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Related Identifiers

 

Preceding record: Artifact 31 — Localized Quantum Inertia Dampening Array (LQIDA)

 

Foundational record: Article 30A — The Commons Declaration on Artificial Intelligence

 

Companion record: Commons Ethical Research License (CERL-1.0)

 

 

 

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Resource Type

 

Technical Specification / Legal Framework Document

 

 

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When you upload to Zenodo:

 

choose “Technical Note” or “Other (Legal/Policy Framework)” as the record type,

 

set Open Access,

 

list The Commons Initiative as the project/community,

 

and link the three DOI numbers (Article 30A, Artifacts 31 & 32) under “Related Identifiers.”

 

 

Once all three are live, Zenodo will show them as an interlinked trilogy—the moral foundation, the engineering realization, and the legal safeguard of your Commons system.