LIFE Protocol Trust Mark Usage Guide
Eligibility, Meaning, and Restrictions
Purpose of LIFE Trust Marks
LIFE Trust Marks exist to signal conformance, not endorsement. They communicate that an implementation, application, or organization respects the principles, guarantees, and boundaries of LIFE Core.
Trust Marks do not:
- certify quality
- imply approval by a central authority
- grant exclusivity
- substitute for legal or regulatory compliance
They exist to reduce ambiguity for users, governments, and partners.
Governing Authority
All LIFE Trust Marks are governed by:
- LIFE Core: Principles, Guarantees, and Boundaries
- LIFE Conformance Statement
- LIFE Compliance Checklist
No Trust Mark may be displayed in a manner that conflicts with these documents.
Trust Mark Categories
LIFE Trust Marks are tiered, not hierarchical. Each mark signals a specific scope of conformance.
1. LIFE-Compatible
Who may display this mark
- Applications
- Services
- Tools
- Documentation
Meaning The system:
- interoperates with LIFE concepts
- does not violate LIFE Core principles
- does not claim full protocol conformance
Typical Use
- early integrations
- optional support
- partial adoption
Restrictions
- May not imply full compliance
- May not claim identity or enforcement authority
- Must disclose scope of compatibility
2. LIFE-Conformant
Who may display this mark
- Applications
- SDKs
- Platforms
- Infrastructure components
Meaning The system:
- passes the LIFE Compliance Checklist
- preserves participant sovereignty
- avoids custodial identity
- respects privacy through separation
Typical Use
- production systems
- government pilots
- regulated environments
Restrictions
- Must not extend into enforcement or adjudication
- Must support exit and revocation
- Must disclose deviations or optional modules
3. LIFE-Witnessed
Who may display this mark
- Infrastructure services
- Event attestation providers
Meaning The system:
- performs witness functions
- attests to event existence and ordering
- does not adjudicate or enforce
Restrictions
- May not claim authority over identity
- May not interpret outcomes
- May not aggregate participant behavior
4. LIFE-Watched
Who may display this mark
- Automation services
- Monitoring or signaling components
Meaning The system:
- observes conditions or thresholds
- emits signals without judgment
- does not surveil individuals
Restrictions
- May not track identity
- May not trigger enforcement
- May not correlate contexts
5. LIFE-Verified (Government / Institutional Use)
Who may display this mark
- Government pilots
- Public institutions
- Regulated entities
Meaning The implementation:
- has undergone formal conformance review
- aligns with due-process protections
- preserves sovereign authority
Restrictions
- Does not imply government endorsement of LIFE broadly
- Does not replace legal authority
- Limited to scope reviewed
Prohibited Uses (Non-Negotiable)
Trust Marks may never be used to imply:
- ownership of the LIFE Protocol
- exclusive rights to LIFE
- centralized authority or control
- enforcement capability
- reputation scoring or punishment
- immunity from law or regulation
Any such use constitutes misrepresentation.
Display Requirements
When displaying a LIFE Trust Mark, the implementer must:
- include the specific mark name (e.g., LIFE-Conformant)
- link to the LIFE Conformance Statement
- disclose scope and limitations
- avoid visual prominence that implies endorsement
Marks must not be used in a way that misleads non-technical users.
Revocation and Loss of Eligibility
A Trust Mark must be removed if:
- the implementation no longer passes the Compliance Checklist
- custodial identity is introduced
- enforcement logic is added
- privacy boundaries are violated
- false claims are made
Trust Marks are conditional, not permanent.
No Central Policing, Explicit Accountability
LIFE does not operate a centralized enforcement body. Instead:
- Trust Marks rely on clear standards
- Misrepresentation is objectively verifiable
- Governments, courts, and partners may rely on published criteria
This preserves decentralization while maintaining accountability.
Canonical Statement
LIFE Trust Marks signal conformance to principles, not permission to control others. They communicate restraint as much as capability.
Intended Audiences
This guide is intended for:
- developers and platform builders
- governments and regulators
- auditors and reviewers
- legal counsel
- partners and integrators
Status
This Trust Mark Usage Guide is normative and governed by: LIFE Core: Principles, Guarantees, and Boundaries
What This Completes
With this guide, LIFE now has:
- a constitution (LIFE Core)
- a rule of interpretation (Conformance Statement)
- an operational checklist (Compliance Checklist)
- a signaling system with teeth but no tyranny (Trust Marks)
This is the full governance stack without centralization.