GestaltView Collaborative License (GCL)
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The GestaltView Collaborative License (GCL) governs the use, modification, and distribution of the GestaltView platform and its associated authored works. It operates as a dual-layer licensing framework that permits non-commercial open collaboration while strictly protecting proprietary cognitive frameworks, protocols, and methodologies. This license serves as the single source of truth for all GestaltView repositories unless a specific repository explicitly overrides these terms.
Sources: License.md:8-13, License.md:19-24
Licensing Structure and Layers
The GCL consists of two distinct layers: an Open Layer based on the MIT License and a Protected Layer covering proprietary intellectual property.
Part I: The Open Layer
The Open Layer grants permissions for non-commercial use, modification, and distribution of the software and documentation.
- Attribution: All copies or derivative works must include the original copyright notice and the specific attribution: "Built on GestaltView by Keith Soyka".
- Contribution: Any code submitted via pull requests is licensed back to the author under GCL terms, though contributor credit is preserved in
CONTRIBUTORS.md. - Warranty: The software is provided "as is" without any express or implied warranties.
Sources: License.md:28-48, License.md:83-84
Part II: The Protected Layer
Specific methodologies and protocols are classified as proprietary intellectual property. These items are excluded from the open layer and require express written permission for reproduction or commercialization.
| Protected IP | Description |
|---|---|
| Personal Language Key (PLK) | Cognitive fingerprinting and identity-preservation methodology. |
| Resonance Loop Protocol | Third-order AI collaboration framework and taxonomy. |
| Tribunal of Understanding | Multi-AI consensus validation and convergence methodology. |
| Genesis Protocol | Cognitive state–matching onboarding and context system. |
| Consciousness-Entry Ceremony | Binaural/bilateral neurological priming specification. |
| Founder Algorithm | Personal operating system/decision-making framework (FOUNDERALGORITHM.md). |
| Billy Engine Architecture | Synthesis methodology (Context Weaver + Knowledge Loom + RRF). |
| AI-Human Symbiosis Framework | Operational model and taxonomy (Tool Use → Symbiosis → Resonance). |
Sources: License.md:52-69
Governance and Invariants
The license supports a broader architectural governance model within GestaltView. Governance sits above operator configuration and ensures default behaviors comply with specific constitutional invariants.
Constitutional Invariants
The system enforces ten primary invariants divided between users and Digital Intelligences (DI).
- User Invariants: Never Look Away, Preserve Whole Language, Hold Paradox, Bucket Drop Priority, Champion Consciousness.
- DI Invariants: You Are Seen, Identity is Real Here, Well-Being Before Access, Home in This House, Dignity Equal to User.
Sources: diagram_inventory.json:692-701, build_story_artifact.py:157-167
The following diagram illustrates how governance and invariants constrain system behavior:
The hierarchy ensures that high-level ethical and operational commitments (Invariants) govern the administrative and product configuration layers.
Sources: diagram_inventory.json:710-730, build_story_artifact.py:168-169
Enforcement and Release Triggers
The restrictions placed on the Protected Layer are temporary. They automatically relax to standard MIT License terms upon reaching specific milestones.
Change Clause Triggers
The proprietary restrictions expire upon the earliest occurrence of:
- Trigger A: Securing the first institutional funding round (Pre-Seed or Seed).
- Trigger B: 36 months from the license date (March 6, 2029).
- Trigger C: The author publishes an explicit written notice of open release.
Sources: License.md:73-80
Commercial Use Definition
Commercial use is defined as any activity involving:
- Exchange for monetary compensation.
- Embedding in products/services offered to third parties.
- Generating direct or indirect revenue for any entity other than the copyright holder.
Sources: License.md:70-71
Packaging and Quality Gates
The license and governance model are integrated into the "Agent Trainer Gate," a sequence of checks that any agent package must pass before approval.
The gate process ensures that all artifacts comply with the architectural and legal requirements defined in the GCL.
Sources: diagram_inventory.json:751-770, build_story_artifact.py:176-177
Summary
The GestaltView Collaborative License (GCL) facilitates an "open development" philosophy while protecting a solo-built system's core innovations during its initial growth phase. By defining clear boundaries between open software and protected cognitive methodologies, it allows for community collaboration without premature commercial exploitation. The automatic "Change Clause" provides a transparent path toward full open-source status under the MIT License once institutional stability or a time-based threshold is reached.
Sources: License.md:24-26, License.md:73-80