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License

Updated2026-09-26

Licensing

Overview

Coherence Research publishes the Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS) as a stable, citable standard for coherent design across frontier domains (systems design, AI, governance, finance, materials).

The licensing model is intentionally two-layered:

  1. SC-AS globally usable, verbatim-only, versioned, and citable.
  2. Everything else Coherence Research publishes — licensed as stated on each item.

This structure preserves canonical integrity while enabling worldwide adoption.

1) SC-AS License (Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS))

SC-AS Integrity Principle

The Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS) is a semantic masterkey. To preserve reference integrity across domains and time, SC-AS must remain verbatim.

License

Unless otherwise stated in the document header, SC-AS documents are licensed under:

Creative Commons Attribution–NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0).

You May

  • Copy and redistribute SC-AS in any medium or format
  • Do so for any purpose, including commercial use
  • Provided you keep the text verbatim and provide attribution

You Must

  • Attribute the work to Coherence Research and retain document identity (Document ID + version)
  • Preserve license notice and provenance information where included
  • When quoting portions, quote verbatim and cite the source document and version

You May Not

  • Distribute modified versions of SC-AS text (edits, rewrites, “simplified” versions, excerpt-remixes that alter meaning)
  • Distribute translations as SC-AS without permission (see Translations)
  • Present altered text as “SC-AS,” “official,” or equivalent

Practical note: changing file format (e.g., Markdown → PDF/HTML) is fine if the text is unchanged.

2) Translations (SC-AS)

Translations are treated as adaptations. Because SC-AS is verbatim-only, public distribution of translations requires one of the following:

  • Official SC-AS translation published and versioned by Coherence Research, or
  • Written permission from Coherence Research for a specific translation and distribution plan

If you want to translate a SC-AS document, contact us with:

  • language + region
  • document ID + version
  • intended distribution channel
  • review method (e.g., bilingual review, technical review)

3) Profiles, Implementations, and Commentary

Profiles (Domain Applications)

Domain profiles are encouraged when they remain separate works that reference SC-AS rather than modifying it.

A profile may:

  • cite SC-AS clauses by Document ID + version + clause identifiers
  • state additional domain constraints, test procedures, or operational definitions
  • include commentary and examples

A profile must:

  • clearly distinguish SC-AS text (verbatim quotation) from profile additions
  • avoid presenting profile content as SC-AS
  • use accurate claim language (see Claims Policy)

Official vs Unofficial Profiles

  • Unofficial Profile: created by third parties; may reference SC-AS; must not imply endorsement
  • Official Profile: published by Coherence Research (or explicitly approved and listed in an official registry)

4) Claims Policy (Compatibility, Conformance, Certification)

Because SC-AS is a standard, the ecosystem will naturally produce claims. To prevent confusion and preserve trust:

Allowed Claim Language (Without Permission)

  • “References the Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS) (Document ID + version)”
  • “Designed with reference to the Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS)”
  • “Implements an internal profile based on the Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS)”
  • “Compatible with [named profile]” (only if you define the profile and its criteria)

Restricted Claim Language (Requires Permission / Program)

The following are restricted because they imply official status, endorsement, or certification:

  • “Certified”
  • “Certified Conformance”
  • “Official”
  • “Approved by Coherence Research”
  • “SC-AS-compliant” as a public marketing claim (unless part of a defined conformance/certification program)

If you want to make public compliance or certification claims, contact us about the conformance and certification pathway.

5) Trademarks and Naming

SC-AS license does not grant trademark rights.

Protected designations include:

  • “Structural Coherence”
  • “Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification”
  • “SC-AS”
  • “Coherence Research”
  • additional marks or logos Coherence Research designates in writing, as defined in the Trademark Policy

Certification marks may be used only by parties granted certification status in writing by Coherence Research.

Use of these marks must not imply endorsement, affiliation, or certification unless expressly authorized.

(See: Trademark Policy)

6) Which License Applies

  • SC-AS documents: licensed as stated in their headers (default: CC BY-ND 4.0 unless otherwise noted)
  • Other materials: licensed as stated on each item
  • Website content: governed by site Terms of Use unless a page/document states otherwise

If you are unsure which license applies to a specific artifact, contact us with the document URL or file name.

When redistributing SC-AS documents, include:

  • title
  • Document ID + version
  • © Coherence Research
  • license notice (CC BY-ND 4.0)
  • source link (where hosted)

Example:
“Structural Coherence — Anchor Specification (SC-AS) — SC-CORE-000001 v1.2.5 (SC-AS v1.0) © Coherence Research, licensed CC BY-ND 4.0.”

8) Permissions and Requests

For permissions not granted under CC BY-ND (translations, special republication arrangements, official profile pathway, certification claims), contact Coherence Research.

For implementation support, assessments, and advisory work applying SC-AS in organizations, services are provided separately through Coherence Foundry.