Royalty Event Layer v0.1

Royalty Event Layer defines a minimal event layer for converting trace, access, reuse, citation, and influence signals into Royalty OS allocation-ready events.

This repository sits before Allocation Intent and Payment Rail Bridge.

It does not execute payments.

It does not determine legal ownership.

It defines how value-related events may be represented before they become allocation candidates.

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Purpose

The purpose of this repository is to define a minimal Royalty Event Layer within the broader Royalty OS architecture.

A trace record alone does not automatically create a royalty claim.

An access log alone does not automatically create a payment obligation.

An influence signal alone does not automatically become allocation.

The Royalty Event Layer exists to convert raw signals into structured, review-aware, allocation-ready events.

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Core Position

The Royalty Event Layer sits between trace systems and allocation intent.

Trace / Access / Impact
        ↓
Royalty Event Layer
        ↓
Allocation Intent
        ↓
Royalty OS
        ↓
Payment Rail Bridge
        ↓
External Payment Rail

Its role is to define event objects that can later be reviewed, scored, aggregated, disputed, or transformed into allocation intent.

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Why This Layer Is Needed

Royalty OS requires more than raw traces.

For example:

• a text may be accessed
• an idea may be cited
• a structure may be reused
• a model may refer to a source
• an AI agent may use a prior output
• a platform may record influence or engagement

However, these signals are not all equal.

They must be classified before they can support allocation.

The Royalty Event Layer provides that classification.

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Event Types

This repository defines five initial event types.

access_event
citation_event
reuse_event
influence_event
allocation_trigger_event

Each event type represents a different relationship between trace and value.

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Event Type Overview

Event Type	Meaning
access_event	A source, work, structure, or artifact was accessed or read
citation_event	A source was explicitly cited or referenced
reuse_event	A structure, expression, or component was reused
influence_event	A source influenced, or appears to have influenced, another output or structure
allocation_trigger_event	An event or event bundle became strong enough to move toward allocation intent

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Core Principle

A Royalty Event is not a payment.

A Royalty Event is not a legal claim.

A Royalty Event is not proof of ownership.

A Royalty Event is a structured signal that may support later allocation logic.

Trace becomes event.
Event becomes allocation candidate.
Allocation candidate may become allocation intent.
Allocation intent may later reach a payment rail.

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Relationship to Royalty OS

Royalty OS requires structured events before value can be allocated.

The Royalty Event Layer provides those events.

Trace Architecture
        ↓
Royalty Event Layer
        ↓
Allocation Intent
        ↓
Royalty OS

Royalty OS may use royalty events to determine whether an allocation should be prepared, reviewed, disputed, or rejected.

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Relationship to Payment Rail Bridge

This repository does not connect directly to payment rails.

Payment Rail Bridge operates later in the stack.

Royalty Event Layer
        ↓
Allocation Intent
        ↓
Payment Rail Bridge
        ↓
External Payment Rail

The Payment Rail Bridge should only receive allocation intent after royalty events have been reviewed, aggregated, and translated into allocation logic.

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Minimal Event Object

A minimal royalty event may contain:

royalty_event:
  event_id: string
  event_type: access | citation | reuse | influence | allocation_trigger
  source_reference: string
  trace_reference: string
  actor_type: human | ai_agent | platform | system
  target_reference: string
  weight: number
  confidence: number
  review_status: pending | approved | disputed | rejected

This is only a conceptual object.

A formal JSON Schema is included in this repository for the current sample files.

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Repository Structure

.
├── README.md
├── spec/
│   └── royalty-event-layer-v0.1.yaml
├── schemas/
│   └── royalty-event.schema.json
├── docs/
│   ├── architecture-overview.md
│   ├── event-types.md
│   ├── relationship-to-trace-architecture.md
│   ├── relationship-to-allocation-intent.md
│   └── relationship-to-payment-rail-bridge.md
├── examples/
│   ├── access-event.sample.yaml
│   ├── citation-event.sample.yaml
│   ├── reuse-event.sample.yaml
│   ├── influence-event.sample.yaml
│   └── allocation-trigger-event.sample.yaml
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── CITATION.cff
└── LICENSE

---

Start Here

If you are new to this repository, read the documents in the following order.

1. Architecture Overview

Start with:

docs/architecture-overview.md

This document explains the overall position of Royalty Event Layer.

It defines the core flow:

Trace / Access / Impact
        ↓
Royalty Event Layer
        ↓
Allocation Intent
        ↓
Royalty OS
        ↓
Payment Rail Bridge
        ↓
External Payment Rail

Royalty Event Layer sits between raw trace signals and allocation intent.

---

2. Event Types

Next, read:

docs/event-types.md

This document defines the initial royalty event types:

access_event
citation_event
reuse_event
influence_event
allocation_trigger_event

It explains how each event type differs in meaning, strength, and allocation relevance.

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3. Relationship to Trace Architecture

Then read:

docs/relationship-to-trace-architecture.md

This document explains how trace records become value-relevant event objects.

The basic relationship is:

Trace Architecture
        ↓
Royalty Event Layer
        ↓
Allocation Intent

Trace records what happened.

Royalty Event Layer classifies whether what happened is value-relevant.

---

4. Relationship to Allocation Intent

Then read:

docs/relationship-to-allocation-intent.md

This document explains how Royalty Events may support Allocation Intent.

The key distinction is:

Royalty Event = what happened in a value-relevant way
Allocation Intent = what may be considered for allocation

A Royalty Event does not automatically become Allocation Intent.

---

5. Relationship to Payment Rail Bridge

Then read:

docs/relationship-to-payment-rail-bridge.md

This document explains how Royalty Event Layer connects to the downstream Payment Rail Bridge architecture.

The safe flow is:

Royalty Event
        ↓
Allocation Intent
        ↓
Payment Rail Bridge
        ↓
External Payment Rail

Royalty Events should not directly trigger payment rails.

---

6. Specification File

After reading the documents, review:

spec/royalty-event-layer-v0.1.yaml

This YAML file defines the conceptual specification, including:

• core position
• architecture flow
• principles
• event types
• minimal royalty event fields
• event lifecycle
• event weighting
• relationship to trace architecture
• relationship to allocation intent
• relationship to payment rail bridge
• safety principles
• non-goals

---

7. Schema

Then review:

schemas/royalty-event.schema.json

This JSON Schema provides a flexible validation structure for the sample Royalty Event objects.

It is intended for v0.1 sample validation and may be refined in later versions.

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8. Examples

Finally, review the sample event files.

examples/access-event.sample.yaml
examples/citation-event.sample.yaml
examples/reuse-event.sample.yaml
examples/influence-event.sample.yaml
examples/allocation-trigger-event.sample.yaml

These examples demonstrate the five initial event types.

Access Event

examples/access-event.sample.yaml

Shows a low-relevance access or retrieval event.

Citation Event

examples/citation-event.sample.yaml

Shows an explicit reference or attribution event.

Reuse Event

examples/reuse-event.sample.yaml

Shows reuse or adaptation of a structure, schema, terminology, or conceptual module.

Influence Event

examples/influence-event.sample.yaml

Shows an inferred influence event with uncertainty and alternative explanations.

Allocation Trigger Event

examples/allocation-trigger-event.sample.yaml

Shows an event bundle strong enough to move toward Allocation Intent preparation.

This event still does not execute payment.

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Design Principles

Events are not payments

A royalty event does not execute payment.

It only creates a structured signal that may later support allocation.

Events are not legal ownership claims

This repository does not determine legal ownership.

It defines review-aware event records.

Events must preserve trace context

Every royalty event should preserve its trace reference.

Without trace, the event becomes detached from its origin.

Events should remain review-aware

Event confidence, review status, and dispute status should be preserved.

Events should support allocation, not force it

An event may support allocation intent.

It should not automatically create allocation intent without review.

Event types should remain distinguishable

Access, citation, reuse, influence, and allocation trigger events should not be collapsed into one generic signal.

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Safety Structure

The safe flow is:

Trace
   ↓
Royalty Event
   ↓
Event Bundle
   ↓
Allocation Candidate
   ↓
Allocation Intent
   ↓
Allocation Readiness
   ↓
Royalty OS
   ↓
Payment Rail Bridge

This repository focuses only on the Royalty Event layer.

It helps prevent raw signals from becoming premature allocation or payment claims.

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Non-Goals

This repository does not:

• execute payments
• define legal ownership
• replace copyright law
• bypass review
• bypass dispute resolution
• determine final royalty shares
• connect directly to payment rails
• claim that access alone creates payment obligation
• automatically convert influence into entitlement
• replace Allocation Readiness
• replace Royalty OS
• replace Payment Rail Bridge

It defines a minimal event layer for Royalty OS.

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Future Direction

Future versions may add:

• stricter JSON Schema
• valid and invalid examples
• event aggregation rules
• event weighting model
• dispute-aware event lifecycle
• allocation trigger thresholds
• validation workflow
• relationship to Seismic Score
• relationship to Structure Fingerprint
• relationship to Allocation Readiness
• relationship to Dispute Registry

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Status

Version: v0.1.0
Status: Draft
Maturity: Conceptual event layer with schema and examples
Scope: Royalty OS event modeling

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Citation

If you use this specification, please cite this repository using CITATION.cff.

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License

MIT License