# 🌀 Palimpsest License Explained

## What Is the Palimpsest License?

The Palimpsest License is a **symbolic, layered licensing framework** designed for creative works that resist simplification, flattening, or reduction. It's particularly suited for:

- **Multilayered narratives** (literature, film, games)
- **Emotionally complex works** (art about trauma, displacement)
- **Synthetic environments** (AI-generated content, virtual worlds)
- **Cultural remixes** (works that build on myth, folklore, or collective memory)

Unlike traditional licenses that focus solely on legal protection, Palimpsest acknowledges that some works carry **emotional, cultural, and symbolic weight** that shouldn't be stripped away through remixing or adaptation.

## 🌀 Core Principles

### 1. Symbolic Attribution (🎭)
**Not just "credit where credit's due" - but credit that preserves meaning.**

- **Direct attribution**: Traditional name/title credit
- **Indirect attribution**: Thematic references, homages, or echoes
- **Environmental attribution**: Contextual placement that honors the original
- **Emotional attribution**: Acknowledging the emotional lineage of the work

*Example*: A filmmaker adapting a novel might credit the author but also acknowledge the cultural myths that inspired the original work.

### 2. Synthetic/AGI Protection (🧠)
**Protecting narrative integrity in synthetic realities.**

- **AI Training**: If your work is used to train AI, the license requires:
  - Disclosure of training use
  - Protection of narrative "DNA" (themes, emotional arcs)
  - Prevention of "flattening" (reducing complex works to data points)

- **AI Generation**: For works created with AI:
  - Clear labeling of synthetic elements
  - Protection of human creative input
  - Preservation of cultural context

### 3. Accessibility Ethics (♿)
**Beyond compliance - toward meaningful inclusion.**

- **Multimodal access**: Text alternatives for visual works, audio descriptions
- **Emotional accessibility**: Content warnings, trigger guidance
- **Cognitive accessibility**: Clear structure, plain language options
- **Technical accessibility**: Machine-readable metadata, semantic HTML

### 4. Jurisdiction (⚖️)
**Dutch law with Scottish enforcement**

- **Why Dutch law?**
  - Strong IP protection
  - Clear digital rights framework
  - EU compatibility
  - Progressive cultural property laws

- **Why Scottish enforcement?**
  - Common law tradition (familiar to English speakers)
  - Strong reputation for fair dispute resolution
  - Lower costs than English courts
  - Hague Convention compliance for international enforcement

## 📜 How It Works

### For Creators:
1. **Choose your protection level**:
   - Basic (symbolic attribution only)
   - Enhanced (with synthetic/AGI protections)
   - Full (all protections including accessibility ethics)

2. **Embed the license** in your work:
   - Add the badge to your project
   - Include the license text
   - Add machine-readable metadata

3. **Document your intentions**:
   - Explain your symbolic attribution requirements
   - Define your emotional boundaries
   - Specify accessibility needs

### For Remixers/Adapters:
1. **Understand the layers**:
   - What's legally protected?
   - What's symbolically protected?
   - What's emotionally protected?

2. **Preserve the integrity**:
   - Maintain thematic connections
   - Honor emotional lineage
   - Respect cultural context

3. **Give proper attribution**:
   - Direct, indirect, or environmental as appropriate
   - In the medium that makes sense (text, audio, visual)

## 🧩 Common Questions

### Q: How is this different from Creative Commons?
A: While CC licenses focus on legal permissions, Palimpsest adds:
- Symbolic protection layers
- Emotional integrity requirements
- Synthetic/AI-specific protections
- Cultural context preservation

### Q: What if I want to use AI to remix a Palimpsest-licensed work?
A: You must:
1. Disclose the AI's role in the remix
2. Preserve the original's thematic core
3. Maintain emotional fidelity
4. Provide proper attribution

### Q: How do I know if my work needs this license?
A: Consider Palimpsest if your work:
- Carries cultural weight
- Has emotional depth
- Builds on collective memory
- Resists simple categorization
- Might be used in synthetic environments

## 🌐 Practical Implementation

### For Developers:
```html
<!-- Example HTML implementation -->
<div class="palimpsest-license" aria-label="Palimpsest License v0.2">
  <a href="LICENSES/Palimpsest-v0.2.en.txt" target="_blank">
    <img src="assets/badge.svg" alt="Palimpsest License v0.2" width="120">
  </a>
  <div class="license-summary">
    <p>This work is licensed under the Palimpsest License v0.2 - a symbolic license for work that resists flattening.</p>
  </div>
</div>
