Concert Foundation stewards the SIGNET standard as a neutral, open asset. The Foundation gives the vocabulary away — data models, process maps, conformance tests, reference code — to make SIGNET the default language of governed, agentic commerce. Commercial value accrues separately, in a delivery layer where all implementers compete on equal terms. No operator, including Score Networks, receives preferential access to the standard or a privileged certification path.
1 · Ownership
Consolidated in the Foundation
Concert Foundation holds the copyright in all normative and reference SIGNET artifacts and owns the SIGNET name, logo, and the “SIGNET Certified” marks. Ownership is consolidated in the Foundation so the standard cannot be repackaged, fragmented, or captured by any single commercial interest. Contributors assign or license their contributions to the Foundation under the Contribution Terms.
2 · Collateral tiers
Three tiers of collateral
Normative
Canonical data models, the SIGNET specification, the conformance test suite — the vocabulary itself.
Reference
Exemplar process maps, generic capability blueprints, reference implementation, synthetic test datasets, foundational training.
Commercial
Certification delivery, hosted conformance-testing services, productionised implementation blueprints, managed deployment and integration.
3 · Licensing
The licensing matrix
| Artifact | Licence | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Canonical data models | CC0 1.0 (public domain) | Concert |
| SIGNET specification & process maps | CC BY 4.0 | Concert |
| Capability blueprints (generic) | CC BY 4.0 | Concert |
| Conformance test suite (definitions) | Apache 2.0 | Concert |
| Reference implementation | Apache 2.0 | Concert |
| Synthetic test datasets | CDLA-Permissive 2.0 | Concert |
| Foundational / awareness training | CC BY 4.0 | Concert |
| Certification curriculum, exams & delivery | Proprietary | Score / implementer |
| Hosted conformance-testing service | Commercial (SaaS) | Score / 3rd party |
| Implementation blueprints & managed services | Proprietary / client | Implementer |
Open licences are irrevocable. Reference artifacts carry the SIGNET attribution requirement so derivatives propagate the standard's identity. Concert's copyright prevents resale or repackaging of the artifacts as a competing standard.
4 · Certification & marks
Equal terms for all
Concert owns the “SIGNET Certified” marks and licenses them only to implementations that pass the open conformance suite. Certification is available to any implementer on identical terms. Certification fees fund the Foundation's neutral stewardship and are its primary sustaining revenue.
5 · Contributions
W3C-model grants
Contributions to normative artifacts are made under a Contributor Licence Agreement granting Concert a royalty-free copyright licence and a royalty-free, non-exclusive patent licence to all essential claims (W3C model). No contributor gains preferential rights, exclusivity, or a privileged certification path in return.
6 · Third-party standards
Cleanly separable
SIGNET builds on PEPPOL, UBL, EN 16931, OCDS, W3C VC/DID, MCP and others, each retaining its own licence. SIGNET-original IP (licensed openly by Concert) is kept cleanly separable from referenced third-party standards. Implementers are responsible for complying with the licence terms of each referenced standard.
7 · Neutrality firewall
No privileged operator
Concert and Score Networks are separate entities. Concert grants no operator — including Score — preferential access to the standard, early sight of specifications, or a privileged certification route. Any breach of this separation is grounds for governance review by the Network Authority.
This policy is published under CC BY 4.0. © 2026 Concert Foundation.