ROCKRCOIN Intellectual Property and Licensing Framework

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Protected Brand Names

3. Component-Specific Licensing

4. Trademark Usage Guidelines and Protection

5. Patent Strategy

6. Commercial Licensing Options

7. Governance and Management

8. Enforcement Policy

9. Transition to Decentralized Management

10. Compliance and Monitoring

11. Future Considerations

12. Appendices

    • Appendix A: ROCKRCOIN Core Blockchain License Agreement

    • Appendix B: ROCKR Apps License Agreement

    • Appendix C: Trademark License Agreement

    • Appendix D: Contributing Guidelines

1. Introduction

This document outlines the comprehensive intellectual property and licensing framework for the ROCKRCOIN ecosystem, including its software components, trademarks, and governance structure. The framework is designed to balance open-source principles with brand protection while facilitating the transition to decentralized management.

2. Protected Brand Names

The following names are protected trademarks of the ROCKRCOIN Foundation:

• ROCKRCOIN™

• ROCKR™

• ROCKRS™

• ROCKRcents™

These marks represent the core brands of the ecosystem and are subject to the trademark usage guidelines outlined in Section 4.

3. Component-Specific Licensing

3.1 Blockchain Core

• License: GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) v3

• Rationale: Ensures modifications to the core protocol, even when used to provide network services, are shared with the community

• Key Provisions:

  • Source code must be made available when running modified versions

  • Network use triggers distribution obligations

  • Modifications must be shared under the same terms

3.2 ROCKR Apps

• License: MIT License

• Rationale: Encourages widespread adoption and integration while maintaining attribution

• Scope: Applies to:

  • App SDKs and APIs

  • Integration frameworks

  • User interface components

• Key Provisions:

  • Permissive use, modification, and distribution

  • Required attribution and copyright notice

  • No warranty provisions

3.3 Smart Contracts

• License: MIT License

• Rationale: Maximizes adoption and integration potential while ensuring transparency

• Scope: Includes:

  • Core smart contract code

  • Contract templates

  • Integration libraries

• Key Provisions:

  • Open use and modification rights

  • Clear attribution requirements

  • Simplified licensing terms

3.4 AI Components

• License: Proprietary with Open-Source Options

• Rationale: Protects core AI innovations while allowing community contributions

• Structure: Dual licensing approach

  • Proprietary license for core AI algorithms and models

  • AGPL for community-focused AI tools and interfaces

• Key Provisions:

  • Protected intellectual property for core AI innovations

  • Clear guidelines for community contributions

  • Defined boundaries between proprietary and open-source elements

4. Trademark Usage Guidelines and Protection

4.1 Permitted Uses

• Reference to the ROCKRCOIN ecosystem and its components

• Development of compatible software and services

• Educational and informational content

• Community-driven initiatives aligned with project values

4.2 Restricted Uses

• Misleading or deceptive uses

• Suggestion of official status without authorization

• Commercial exploitation without proper licensing

• Uses that could harm the reputation of the ecosystem

4.3 Trademark Management

• Initial registration and management by ROCKRCOIN Foundation

• Planned transition to DAO-based community governance

• Open usage policy with quality control provisions

5. Patent Strategy

5.1 Defensive Patent Portfolio

• Focused on core technological innovations

• Patent grants for defensive purposes

• Commitment to non-aggressive patent stance

5.2 Patent Commons

• Contribution of certain patents to patent commons

• Cross-licensing agreements with strategic partners

• Protection for community implementations

6. Commercial Licensing Options

6.1 Dual Licensing Program

• Open-source licenses for community use

• Commercial licensing options for proprietary implementations

• Custom licensing for strategic partners

6.2 Commercial Use Guidelines

• Clear definition of commercial use

• Licensing requirements and fees

• Support and maintenance provisions

7. Governance and Management

7.1 Current Structure

The ROCKRCOIN Foundation serves as the initial steward of all intellectual property rights, operating as a non-profit entity registered in the United Kingdom.

7.2 Decision Making

Trademark and licensing decisions are currently made by the Foundation’s board with input from the community through established channels.

7.3 License Modifications

• Process for license updates and changes

• Role of Electoral College in licensing decisions

• Community consultation requirements

8. Enforcement Policy

8.1 Monitoring

The Foundation actively monitors use of protected marks through:

• Community reporting

• Regular trademark searches

• Digital monitoring tools

8.2 Enforcement Actions

• Initial outreach for education and correction

• Formal cease and desist notices when necessary

• Legal action as a last resort

8.3 License Compliance

• Automated compliance checking tools

• Regular audits and reviews

• Community reporting mechanisms

8.4 Usage Monitoring

• Tracking of licensed components

• Analysis of adoption patterns

• Impact assessment

9. Transition to Decentralized Management

9.1 Timeline

• Phase 1: Foundation management (Current)

• Phase 2: Hybrid management with DAO involvement

• Phase 3: Full DAO control with legal framework

9.2 DAO Implementation

The transition to DAO management will occur when:

• Network achieves sufficient decentralization

• Community governance systems are proven stable

• Legal framework for DAO trademark management is established

10. Compliance and Monitoring

10.1 License Compliance

• Automated compliance checking tools

• Regular audits and reviews

• Community reporting mechanisms

10.2 Usage Monitoring

• Tracking of licensed components

• Analysis of adoption patterns

• Impact assessment

11. Future Considerations

11.1 Decentralization

• Roadmap for transitioning IP management to DAO

• Community governance mechanisms

• Protection of foundational principles

11.2 Adaptation

• Regular review and updates of framework

• Response to technological changes

• Community feedback integration

Appendix A: ROCKRCOIN Core Blockchain License Agreement

[See below]

Appendix B: ROCKR Apps License Agreement

[See below]

Appendix C: Trademark License Agreement

[See below]

Appendix D: Contributing Guidelines

[See below]

Appendix A: ROCKRCOIN Core Blockchain License Agreement

Copyright (C) 2024 ROCKRCOIN Foundation

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.

Additional Terms

1. As a special exception, the copyright holders of this software give you permission to combine this software with independent modules to form a larger work, regardless of the license terms of these independent modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting work under terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each combined module, the terms and conditions of the license of that module. An independent module is a module which is not derived from or based on this software. If you modify this software, you may extend this exception to your version of the software, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version.

2. Any propagation or conveyance of this program must include this copyright notice and these terms.

3. You may not misrepresent the origins of this software; modified versions of the software must be marked as such and not identified as the original software.

Appendix B: ROCKR Apps License Agreement

Copyright (C) 2024 ROCKRCOIN Foundation

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Appendix C: Trademark License Agreement

TRADEMARK LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Trademark License Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of [DATE] (the “Effective Date”) by and between ROCKRCOIN Foundation, a United Kingdom non-profit corporation (“Licensor”), and [LICENSEE NAME], a [JURISDICTION] [ENTITY TYPE] (“Licensee”).

1. GRANT OF LICENSE Licensor hereby grants to Licensee a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the marks ROCKRCOIN™, ROCKR™, ROCKRS™, and ROCKRcents™ (the “Marks”) solely in connection with [SPECIFIC PERMITTED USES] and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

2. OWNERSHIP OF MARKS Licensee acknowledges that Licensor is the owner of the Marks and all associated goodwill. Licensee agrees that it will do nothing inconsistent with such ownership and that all use of the Marks by Licensee shall inure to the benefit of and be on behalf of Licensor.

3. QUALITY CONTROL a) Licensee agrees that the nature and quality of all services rendered by Licensee in connection with the Marks shall conform to standards set by and be under the control of Licensor. b) Licensee agrees to cooperate with Licensor in facilitating Licensor’s control of such nature and quality. c) Licensee shall supply Licensor with specimens of use of the Marks upon request.

4. USE OF MARKS a) Licensee shall use the Marks only in the manner specified by Licensor. b) Licensee shall use the appropriate trademark symbol (™) and mark the Marks as required by Licensor. c) Licensee shall not use the Marks in a way that suggests any official status or endorsement by Licensor beyond that specified in this Agreement.

5. TERM AND TERMINATION a) This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and continue until terminated by either party upon thirty (30) days written notice. b) Licensor may terminate this Agreement immediately if Licensee breaches any provision of this Agreement. c) Upon termination, Licensee shall immediately cease all use of the Marks.

6. NO WARRANTIES The Marks are provided “as is” and “with all faults”. Licensor makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.

7. INDEMNIFICATION Licensee agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Licensor against any and all claims, costs, and expenses, including attorney’s fees, arising out of Licensee’s use of the Marks.

8. GOVERNING LAW This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom.

9. ENTIRE AGREEMENT This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the Marks and supersedes all prior agreements or understandings, whether written or oral.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

ROCKRCOIN Foundation By: _________________ Name: Title:

[LICENSEE NAME] By: _________________ Name: Title:

Appendix D: Contributing Guidelines

Contributing to ROCKRCOIN and ROCKR Projects

We’re excited that you’re interested in contributing to ROCKRCOIN and ROCKR projects! This document outlines the process for contributing and guidelines to follow.

Code of Conduct

All participants in our projects and communities must adhere to the following Code of Conduct:

1. Be respectful and inclusive

2. Exercise consideration and empathy in your speech and actions

3. Collaborate with other community members

4. Refrain from discriminatory or harassing behavior

5. Report any violations to contact@rockrcoin.org

Getting Started

1. Fork the repository

2. Clone your fork locally

3. Set up the development environment as described in README.md

4. Create a new branch for your contribution

How to Contribute

1. Ensure your code adheres to project standards

2. Add or update tests as necessary

3. Update documentation as needed

4. Push changes to your fork

5. Submit a pull request

For significant changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Style Guidelines

• Follow existing code style

• Write clear, readable code

• Comment complex logic

• Use descriptive variable and function names

• Follow language-specific best practices

Commit Messages

• Use the present tense (“Add feature” not “Added feature”)

• Use the imperative mood (“Move cursor to…” not “Moves cursor to…”)

• Limit first line to 72 characters

• Reference issues and pull requests after first line

Licensing

By contributing to ROCKRCOIN and ROCKR projects, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same license as the project (AGPL-3.0 for core blockchain, MIT for ROCKR apps).

Use of Trademarks

When using ROCKRCOIN™, ROCKR™, ROCKRS™, or ROCKRcents™ in your contributions:

• Use the ™ symbol on first use in any document

• Do not suggest official status or endorsement beyond your contribution

• Do not use the marks in any misleading or deceptive way

• Contact us for permission for uses not directly related to development

Thank you for contributing to the ROCKRCOIN ecosystem!

Note: This document will be updated periodically to reflect changes in the project’s governance structure and community needs. All updates will be published on the ROCKRCOIN website and communicated to the community through official channels.