# Contract **Meta-Universe Specification** **Document ID:** MU-V2-CORE-008 **Title:** Semantic Contract — A Semantic License on Knowledge **Document Class:** Normative **Version:** 2.0 (Draft) **Status:** Working Draft **Normative References:** MUC, MUFP **Informative References:** [Object](../04-core-concepts/Object.md), [Projection](../04-core-concepts/Projection.md), [Universe](../04-core-concepts/Universe.md) **Copyright:** © Orkestron.AI **License:** Apache-2.0 --- # 1. Purpose This document defines the concept of a **Semantic Contract** within the Meta-Universe. A Semantic Contract is a first-class semantic artifact that governs how knowledge, semantic models, projections or capabilities may be shared, consumed, interpreted or modified between participants. Semantic Contracts establish trust, purpose and disclosure boundaries without transferring semantic sovereignty. --- # 2. Definition A Semantic Contract is a **semantic license on knowledge** — not an API contract and not a data-sharing agreement. An API contract specifies how systems call each other; a data-sharing agreement specifies which records move where. A Semantic Contract operates one level deeper: it governs **on what basis knowledge may exist beyond its home Universe at all.** It is the instrument by which a sovereign Universe licenses meaning — deciding whether, why, to whom and under which obligations its knowledge is permitted to be present elsewhere. A Semantic Contract is an explicit agreement between two or more parties regarding the use of semantic knowledge. A Contract SHALL define: - what may be exchanged; - under which purpose; - under which conditions; - under which authority; - for how long; - under which obligations. No semantic disclosure SHALL be assumed without an applicable Contract. --- # 2a. The Federation Chain Knowledge crosses a jurisdictional boundary only along a governed chain. The Semantic Contract is the control point in that chain: ```text Universe A ──owns──▶ Meta-Object │ ▼ Projection (exposed view of the Meta-Object) │ ▼ Semantic Contract (the license under which it may exist abroad) │ ▼ Universe B (consumes the Projection, governed by the Contract) ``` Universe A owns a [Meta-Object](../04-core-concepts/Object.md). It is exposed through a [Projection](../04-core-concepts/Projection.md). The Projection is governed by a Semantic Contract. Only then is it consumed by Universe B. At no point does the Meta-Object itself leave Universe A; what crosses is a licensed Projection. The Contract is what makes the crossing lawful. --- # 3. Contract Principles Every Semantic Contract SHALL be: - explicit; - traceable; - versioned; - attributable; - purpose-driven; - revocable (where applicable); - technology independent. Contracts SHALL govern access to knowledge, not ownership of knowledge. --- # 4. Scope Semantic Contracts MAY govern: - data disclosure; - projection sharing; - federation; - semantic mappings; - delegated authority; - AI agent capabilities; - runtime operations; - external integrations. Domain Meta-Models MAY define additional contract types. --- # 5. Core Components Every Contract SHOULD define: - canonical identifier; - contract type; - parties; - governing authority; - purpose; - scope; - effective period; - obligations; - permissions; - restrictions; - lifecycle state; - provenance; - version. --- # 6. Contract Types Typical Contract categories include: - Federation Agreement - Knowledge Disclosure Contract - Data Sharing Agreement - Delegation Agreement - Capability Agreement - Projection Agreement - Trust Agreement - Service Agreement Additional types MAY be introduced by domain standards. --- # 7. Purpose Every Contract SHALL declare an explicit purpose. Purpose SHALL participate in authorization decisions. The same semantic knowledge MAY be disclosed under one purpose and denied under another. Purpose SHALL remain traceable. --- # 8. Parties Every Contract SHALL identify its participating parties. Participants MAY include: - Universes; - Organizations; - Individuals; - AI Agents; - Services; - Automated Systems. Party identities SHALL be canonical. --- # 9. Permissions and Restrictions Contracts SHALL explicitly define: - permitted actions; - prohibited actions; - disclosure limits; - retention requirements; - redistribution rules; - delegation permissions. Implicit permissions SHALL NOT be assumed. --- # 9a. Executable Semantic Contract A Semantic Contract SHOULD be capable of expression as an **Executable Semantic Contract** — an active control mechanism rather than a static document. Whereas a written contract is consulted by people, an Executable Semantic Contract is evaluated by the system at the moment knowledge is exposed or consumed. An Executable Semantic Contract SHOULD make machine-evaluable at least: - **which projections are allowed** — the permitted [Projections](../04-core-concepts/Projection.md) of the governed Meta-Object; - **which fields are hidden** — attributes that SHALL NOT appear in any exposed Projection; - **which events are sent to the owner** — the [Events](../04-core-concepts/Event.md) that SHALL be reported back to the owning Universe (for example access, derivation or redistribution); - **which actions are forbidden** — operations the consuming party SHALL NOT perform on the licensed knowledge; - **under which conditions the contract terminates** — the triggers (expiry, breach, revocation, purpose change) upon which the license ends and consumption SHALL cease. An Executable Semantic Contract turns the contract from a description of intent into an enforced boundary: a conforming implementation SHOULD deny any exposure, action or persistence that the contract does not explicitly permit, and SHOULD emit the owner-directed events the contract requires. --- # 10. Lifecycle A Contract SHOULD progress through explicit lifecycle states such as: - Draft - Proposed - Active - Suspended - Expired - Revoked - Archived Lifecycle transitions SHOULD be represented through Events. --- # 11. Federation Semantic federation SHALL rely upon Semantic Contracts. Federation SHALL occur only within the scope defined by applicable Contracts. Contracts SHALL preserve: - sovereignty; - ownership; - provenance; - constitutional compliance. Federation SHALL NOT imply unrestricted knowledge sharing. --- # 12. Traceability Every Contract SHALL preserve: - provenance; - approval history; - lifecycle history; - related Events; - governing authority; - participating parties. Traceability SHALL remain auditable. --- # 13. Versioning Contracts MAY evolve through versioned revisions. Historical versions SHALL remain reconstructable. A new version SHALL NOT invalidate historical obligations retroactively unless explicitly governed by the Contract. --- # 14. Validation A conforming implementation SHOULD validate: - participating identities; - lifecycle state; - purpose declaration; - authority; - temporal validity; - consistency of permissions and restrictions. Validation SHALL NOT modify published Contracts. --- # 15. Architectural Invariants Every Semantic Contract SHALL preserve: - explicit purpose; - semantic sovereignty; - ownership; - traceability; - constitutional compliance. Contracts SHALL NEVER redefine the semantic meaning of exchanged knowledge. They govern usage, not truth. --- # Future Directions The Executable Semantic Contract anticipates a future **Executable Semantic Contract standard** defining a portable, verifiable expression of permitted projections, hidden fields, owner-directed events, forbidden actions and termination conditions — together with the runtime obligations a conforming engine must honor when evaluating it. Such a standard would let a Semantic License travel with the knowledge it governs and be enforced uniformly across independent Universes, so that licensing of meaning becomes as operational as the federation it authorizes. This direction is anticipated but not yet normative. --- # Final Statement Semantic Contracts are the constitutional mechanism through which trust becomes operational within the Meta-Universe. They enable sovereign Universes to exchange knowledge safely by defining explicit rights, obligations and purposes while preserving ownership, semantic authority and long-term interoperability across federated semantic ecosystems.