tegwick
d3353fc22c
Five research artifacts under specs/research/, grounded in primary-source
license text fetched live rather than relying on training-data recall:
- TRSL-PriorArt-Survey.md: BSL 1.1, FSL, PolyForm Noncommercial, Fair
Source, Elastic License 2.0. Confirms TRSL's closed {MIT, Apache-2.0}
Future License enum and no per-Phase custom license text follows FSL's
deliberate fix for BSL's "Additional Use Grant" variability problem.
- TRSL-Terminology-Guardrails.md: confirms via OSI OSD Clause 6 that
pre-conversion TRSL cannot be Open Source; confirms README's existing
guardrail table without change.
- TRSL-FutureLicense-PatentPrecedent.md: MIT has no patent language; Apache
2.0 has an explicit contribution-scoped grant + litigation termination.
Recommends TRSL's pre-conversion phase also carry an express patent grant.
- TRSL-ContributorRights-Research.md: confirms via DCO 1.1 text that a DCO
alone is insufficient for TRSL's dual-future-license promise; recommends
a narrowly-scoped CLA over copyright assignment.
- TRSL-Jurisdiction-StandardTerms.md: deepens German §31/§32 UrhG (primary-
confirmed) and §307 BGB Transparenzgebot (secondary-confirmed, flagged
for counsel verification); corrects scope re: EU UCTD 93/13/EEC being
consumer-only vs. German AGB law covering B2B too. Ranks five terms most
needing objective definitions.
specs/TargetRevenueSourceLicense-Draft.md (T06) synthesizes all five into a
non-binding skeleton with every clause tagged [CONFIRMED BY RESEARCH],
[LEGAL], [WORKING DEFAULT], or [OPEN]. Per the T06 human-accept gate, the
workplan task stays `todo` — ready for review, not accepted.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
226 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
226 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
---
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id: TREV-WP-0001
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type: workplan
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title: "TargetRevenueSourceLicense prior-art and adjacent-concept research"
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domain: infotech
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repo: target-revenue
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status: active
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owner: claude
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topic_slug: infotech
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created: "2026-07-28"
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updated: "2026-07-28"
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state_hub_workstream_id: "6f91cef8-c75c-4955-aaba-0b240390fbe9"
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---
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# TargetRevenueSourceLicense prior-art and adjacent-concept research
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Research prior art and adjacent licensing/monetization concepts to ground an
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initial draft of the Target Revenue Source License (TRSL). The concept is
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already established in `spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` and
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`specs/ProductRequirementsDocument.md`; `history/260728-InitialExploration.md`
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already surfaces several reference points (Fair Source, PolyForm
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NonCommercial, Business Source License 1.1, FSL, OSI Open Source Definition,
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SPDX `LicenseRef-` conventions, German §31/§307/§32 considerations). This
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workplan deepens and formalizes that groundwork into a research artifact
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sufficient to brief specialist legal drafting (PRD Roadmap Phase 2, MVP
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deliverable `TargetRevenueSourceLicense-Draft.md`).
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This workplan does **not** produce final legal text. It produces the research
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basis and an initial non-binding draft skeleton for specialist review, per
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`specs/TechnicalSpecificationDocument.md` §8 (out-of-scope reinforcement).
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**Sequencing:** Runs in parallel with WP-0003 (normative core extract) and
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WP-0002 (schemas / pure fold). Does not depend on a hosted Trust Service.
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Stage 0 terminology and Future License enum defaults are in
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`specs/OpenQuestions-WorkingDefaults.md` (Q1–Q3, Q15); refine or challenge
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them with research evidence rather than silently inventing alternatives.
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**Human gate:** Task T06 (TRSL draft skeleton) MUST NOT be marked `done`
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without explicit human accept (SCOPE §4, CONTRIBUTING.md). Agents may
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prepare the draft and leave status `todo` or note “ready for human accept.”
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## Survey delayed-open-source and source-available license models
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T01
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status: done
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priority: high
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state_hub_task_id: "d2953e5a-7831-4593-93fd-3bd8faaec48d"
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```
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/research/TRSL-PriorArt-Survey.md` produced,
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grounded in primary-source license text fetched live (BSL 1.1, FSL,
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PolyForm Noncommercial, Fair Source, Elastic License 2.0, OSI OSD). Key
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finding: FSL's fixed two-license, single-trigger design was created
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specifically to fix BSL's "Additional Use Grant" variability problem —
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confirms TRSL's closed `{MIT, Apache-2.0}` enum and no per-Phase custom
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license text is the right call, not just an internal preference.
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Survey and compare structurally similar models: Business Source License 1.1
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(MariaDB), Functional Source License (FSL), PolyForm Noncommercial /
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PolyForm Shield, Fair Source (fair.io), Elastic License 2.0, Sentry's SSPL-
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adjacent choices, and any other revenue- or time-triggered conversion
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licenses. For each, capture: the trigger mechanism (fixed date vs. revenue vs.
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hybrid), the pre-conversion restriction scope, the automatic-conversion legal
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wording, and known criticisms or disputes. Record findings so they can be
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diffed directly against TRSL's Phase/Target/Conversion model in
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`spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` §7, §10, §18.
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**Deliverable path (suggested):** `history/` or `specs/research/TRSL-PriorArt-Survey.md`.
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## Survey OSI Open Source Definition and Fair Source boundary framing
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T02
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status: done
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priority: high
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state_hub_task_id: "3f6166cd-d8a3-4f2e-a52e-28ecd08a8cf1"
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```
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/research/TRSL-Terminology-Guardrails.md` produced.
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Confirmed via primary OSD text (Clause 6, field-of-endeavor
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non-discrimination) that pre-conversion TRSL cannot be Open Source, no
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ambiguity. Confirmed Fair Source's three-part DOSP definition applies
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cleanly to TRSL's structure. No change recommended to README's existing
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guardrail table or to working defaults Q1/Q2 — this research confirms the
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category framing rather than changing it.
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Confirm and document precisely why TRSL's pre-conversion state cannot be
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described as "Open Source" under the OSI Open Source Definition
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(field-of-endeavour non-discrimination), and how Fair Source's "source
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available with limited business-protection restriction, later converts to
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OSI-approved license" framing applies or should be adapted. Produce
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recommended terminology guardrails (source-available vs. open source vs.
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commercially licensed) for use consistently across all TRF documents.
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Align with README terminology guardrail and
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`specs/OpenQuestions-WorkingDefaults.md` Q1–Q2; update those if research
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improves the wording (human accept if changing published working defaults).
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## Survey patent-grant and Future License precedent (MIT vs Apache-2.0)
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T03
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status: done
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priority: medium
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state_hub_task_id: "0df9125d-0bbb-4e21-8b04-8a5dda02d140"
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```
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/research/TRSL-FutureLicense-PatentPrecedent.md`
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produced. Confirmed via primary text: MIT has zero patent language (implied
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grant legally unsettled); Apache-2.0 has an explicit, contribution-scoped
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patent grant plus litigation-termination clause. No change to working
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default Q3 (both remain canonical options); added Phase-author guidance
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(Apache-2.0 default where patentable technique is plausible). Recommends
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TRSL's pre-conversion Phase also carry a minimal express patent license
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(Apache-2.0-shaped) — new item, marked `[LEGAL]` in the T06 draft.
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Research the practical and legal tradeoffs between MIT and Apache-2.0 as
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canonical Future Licenses, focusing on: the extent and legal certainty of any
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implied patent grant under MIT, Apache-2.0's explicit patent grant and
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patent-litigation termination clause, and precedent for offering both as
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parallel canonical options (per PRD open question 3 /
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`spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` §24.3). Produce a recommendation on
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whether the TRSL pre-conversion phase itself needs an express patent license
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independent of the eventual Future License choice.
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Working default already allows both Future Licenses in schemas
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(`OpenQuestions-WorkingDefaults.md` Q3); this task confirms or revises that.
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## Survey contributor-rights instruments for dual-future licensing
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T04
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status: done
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priority: medium
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state_hub_task_id: "25fbf15c-60c4-4284-af84-49d109b74cf8"
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```
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/research/TRSL-ContributorRights-Research.md`
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produced. Confirmed via primary DCO 1.1 text that its certification is
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scoped to "the open source license indicated in the file" at time of
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contribution — it does not extend to a future, different Future License,
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so a DCO alone is insufficient (concept §21.4's instinct confirmed with a
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specific textual reason). Recommends a CLA (not copyright assignment,
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to preserve contribution volume), scoped narrowly to the current Phase's
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TRSL terms plus the Phase's already-declared Future License. `CONTRIBUTING.md`
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interim policy (external contributions blocked pending an instrument)
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left unchanged — this research specifies the eventual instrument's shape
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but does not itself create it; recommends a future dedicated
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`TRSL-ContributorLicenseAgreement-Draft.md` deliverable when needed.
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Research contributor license agreement (CLA) and copyright assignment
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patterns used by projects that must promise two future states (a restricted
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phase license plus an eventual permissive license) — e.g. how BSL/FSL-based
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projects and other dual/relicensing projects handle contributor rights.
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Compare against the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO), and determine
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whether a DCO alone is sufficient or whether TRSL requires a broader inbound
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grant (per `history/260728-InitialExploration.md` §8 and
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`spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` §21.4).
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Update `CONTRIBUTING.md` if the recommendation changes interim policy
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(external contributions still blocked for governed Milestone Releases until
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instrument exists).
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## Survey jurisdiction-specific standard-terms constraints
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T05
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status: done
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priority: medium
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state_hub_task_id: "1fe4b444-90b0-49d0-8d2a-9e3a99d2822a"
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```
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/research/TRSL-Jurisdiction-StandardTerms.md`
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produced. Confirmed §31/§32 UrhG text via primary source; §307 BGB
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Transparenzgebot confirmed via secondary legal sources (not primary-text-
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verified this session — flagged for counsel verification). Important
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scoping correction surfaced: German AGB law applies to B2B contracts too
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(not just consumer), while the EU Unfair Contract Terms Directive 93/13/EEC
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is consumer-only — a real asymmetry not previously distinguished. Ranked
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five terms most needing objective definitions (settled payment first;
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commercial use second). No change to working default Q2's "blocked on
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legal" status; recommends a dedicated Definitions section in the eventual
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license text.
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Deepen the German-law groundwork already sketched in
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`history/260728-InitialExploration.md` §10 (§31 UrhG scoped rights of use,
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§307 BGB standard-terms clarity requirement, §32 UrhG author remuneration)
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and identify whether comparable standard-terms / consumer-protection
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constraints in other jurisdictions relevant to likely early commercial users
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(e.g. US, EU generally) impose similar clarity requirements on terms such as
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"commercial use," "captured," "Development Credit," and "Conversion Event."
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Flag terms that most urgently need objective, litigation-safe definitions.
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Feed clarity-critical terms into T06 skeleton as `[LEGAL]` markers and into
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working defaults Q2 if definitions improve.
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## Synthesize findings into an initial TRSL draft skeleton
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```task
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id: TREV-WP-0001-T06
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status: todo
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priority: high
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state_hub_task_id: "9e29b76f-37c0-4204-8cdc-e8d75e8412b4"
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human_accept_required: true
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```
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Using T01–T05, produce `specs/TargetRevenueSourceLicense-Draft.md`: a
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non-binding initial drafting basis (not final legal text) structuring the
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license around the components already identified in
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`spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` §21 (permitted noncommercial use,
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commercial-use restriction, automatic Future License conversion, patent
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treatment, termination and cure, warranty/liability exclusions). Explicitly
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mark every clause requiring specialist legal review before use, per
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`spec/TargetRevenueLicenseConcept.md` §21.5.
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**Human accept gate:** Do not set this task to `done` until a human maintainer
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explicitly accepts the skeleton as adequate briefing material for counsel.
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Agent completion of the file is “ready for review,” not done.
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Result 2026-07-29: `specs/TargetRevenueSourceLicense-Draft.md` produced,
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synthesizing T01–T05. Every clause tagged `[CONFIRMED BY RESEARCH]`,
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`[LEGAL]`, `[WORKING DEFAULT]`, or `[OPEN]` per §0's reading key. **Status
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remains `todo` — ready for human review, not accepted.** Task should be
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marked `done` only after a maintainer confirms the skeleton is adequate
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briefing material for counsel.
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