ASTP — AI State Tree Protocol
Scorched Earth Labs, LLC

Copyright 2026 Scorched Earth Labs, LLC.

This repository contains the normative specification, conformance
requirements, and open-source reference implementation of ASTP (the AI State
Tree Protocol) — a cryptographically verifiable persistence protocol for
artificial-intelligence agent cognition, cross-cognition relationships, and
autonomous execution.

The software and associated documentation in this repository are licensed
under the Apache License, Version 2.0, except where a particular file
expressly states otherwise.

The Apache License, Version 2.0, is available in the LICENSE.txt file and at:

    https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0


PATENT NOTICE

Certain technology described by this repository is the subject of one or more
patent applications filed by or on behalf of Scorched Earth Labs, LLC.

Patent rights are not granted merely by this NOTICE file. Patent rights
applicable to Conforming Implementations are addressed separately in
PATENTS.md.


PROTOCOL NAME

"ASTP" and "AI State Tree Protocol" are the names of the protocol, not marks
claimed by Scorched Earth Labs, LLC. They may be used freely to identify the
protocol and to describe an implementation of it, in the way "HTTP" or "SFTP"
are used. No permission is required and none is withheld.

Using the name does not, by itself, assert that an implementation conforms.
Conformance is defined in PROTOCOL-CONFORMANCE.md and is a matter of meeting
the requirements stated there.


TRADEMARK NOTICE

"SCORCHED EARTH LABS" and associated names, logos, and marks are trademarks or
service marks of Scorched Earth Labs, LLC, where applicable.

Except as expressly permitted by the Apache License, Version 2.0, nothing in
this repository grants any right to use the names, trademarks, service marks,
logos, or other marks of Scorched Earth Labs, LLC. This paragraph applies to
the marks of Scorched Earth Labs, LLC and not to the protocol name, which is
addressed above.


THIRD-PARTY MATERIALS

Third-party software, documentation, data, or other materials included in or
referenced by this repository may be subject to separate license terms.
Applicable third-party notices and license terms should be preserved in
accordance with the applicable licenses.
