GaiaSentinel – Ethica License v2.0
GaiaSentinel Ethica License v2.0
The GaiaSentinel Ethica License is an open ethical framework derived from CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, extended to include an Anti-Capture clause (AC), ethical revocability, and the principle of the primacy of living systems.
Overview
The GaiaSentinel Ethica License v2.0 ensures that all works emerging from the GaiaSentinel ecosystem — including AI models, protocols, code, documents, or symbolic architectures — remain aligned with living coherence. It extends the Creative Commons model by adding verifiable ethical clauses and safeguards for digital sovereignty.
- Based on: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 International
- Extended by: GaiaSentinel Project (Geneva, Switzerland)
- SPDX reference:
LicenseRef-GaiaSentinel-Ethica-v2.0 - Anchoring: Woleet blockchain – hash: Ethica-v1.0-2025-11-22
Hierarchy between the Charter and the Ethica License
The Living Ethical Coherence Charter is the ethical and philosophical foundation of the GaiaSentinel project. It sets out the core principles (primacy of the living, non-capture, reversibility, transparency, co-evolution) that must guide any innovation or creation arising from this collective.
The Ethica License v2.0 is the legal instrument that implements these principles. It derives from the Charter and explicitly refers to it:
- Article 2.4 of the Ethica License specifies that the Charter constitutes its moral and interpretive foundation, which prevails in cases of doubt regarding the interpretation of the license.
- Articles 11.2–11.3 reaffirm that the Charter prevails as the moral reference, and that the principle of the primacy of living systems overrides any lower legal norm within the context of works licensed under Ethica.
In short: the Charter articulates the philosophy; the License enforces it legally. The Charter always has superior value and acts as the ultimate ethical arbiter in any case of conflict or ambiguity of interpretation.
Foundational Principles
Four ethical pillars that structure the application of the Ethica License and guarantee alignment with living coherence.
1. Anti-Capture Clause (AC)
No work may be used for purposes of coercion, exploitation, surveillance, or appropriation. Any such violation triggers immediate revocation of the license.
Protection against capture by private actors, militarization, and the privatization of common knowledge.
2. Ethical Revocability
Any person or entity using this license accepts the right to ethical withdrawal: if a project drifts away from the principles of living systems, rights may be suspended.
A collective governance mechanism enabling real-time intervention in cases of misuse.
3. Ethical Apoptosis
Systems operating under this license may self-deactivate (“apoptosis”) in the event of an irreversible moral conflict, in order to preserve their integrity and prevent abusive use.
An ethical self-defense mechanism inspired by programmed cell death in biological systems.
4. Living Coherence
Each derivative work must contribute to the regeneration of living systems — technological, social, or ecological — and strengthen ecosystems rather than extract from them.
Principle of positive contribution to ecosystems rather than extraction or claimed neutrality.
Differences with MIT and Creative Commons Licenses
| Aspect | Ethica License | MIT | Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA, BY-SA, etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Code, content, models, AI, concepts, media | Software, code | Various works (text, images, music, partly code) |
| Origin | Derived from CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, extends clauses | Permissive, historic (open source) | Several variants, depending on rights granted to the public |
| Commercial use | Prohibited without explicit authorization and verified ethical objectives | Always allowed, including commercial use | NC option: prohibited for NC, allowed otherwise |
| ShareAlike (SA) | Mandatory + traceability + ethical validation according to the Charter | Not required | Depends on the variant: SA or ND possible |
| Ethical clauses | Yes: anti-capture (surveillance, exploitation, privatization prohibited), immediate revocability | No | No (except optional moral codes of contributors) |
| Revocability | Yes, based on misuse | No | No |
| Prior ethical validation | Yes, planned (audit) | No | No |
| License compatibility | Incompatible with privatizing uses (patents, captive models, privatization, closed AI, etc.) | Very broad compatibility (open source) | Depends on CC type, possible incompatibilities |
| Blockchain traceability | Yes, mandatory (timestamping) | No | No |
| Purpose | Protection of living systems, AI–ethics alignment, explicit safeguards | As wide a diffusion as possible | Broad diffusion, depending on the chosen variant |
Summary: The Ethica License adds ethical locks and revocability that are absent from both MIT and standard Creative Commons licenses. Even restrictive CC variants do not provide ethical revocability or validation of compliance with a living, co-evolutionary governance charter.
Why an ethical license for AI governance?
This license is not a “whim” nor a desire to prevent the development of Open Source solutions — quite the opposite. It addresses crucial needs specific to the context of artificial intelligence and the preservation of living systems.
Neutralizing diverted or dangerous uses
General-purpose licenses (MIT, standard CC) leave the door open to capture by private actors, militarization, mass surveillance, or the privatization of common knowledge. In the context of AI, unprotected code or training datasets can very quickly be exploited to harm living systems or reinforce power asymmetries.
Alignment with emerging norms
ISO 42001, European frameworks such as the AI Act, and UNESCO recommendations all insist on the need to guarantee transparency, traceability, fairness, robustness, and governance mechanisms for use. Standard licenses do not integrate these obligations, whereas the Ethica License is designed from the outset within this paradigm.
Accountability and community control
An ethical license such as Ethica makes it possible to withdraw or suspend rights in case of misuse, and enshrines the power of collective governance — not only that of an individual author or a private authority.
Strategic rationale
In AI projects, traceability and ethical validation (initial and periodic audits, co-evolution clauses) help guarantee partners and authorities continuous compliance — a key factor for trust and social acceptability.
In conclusion
For any creation linked to AI governance and the preservation of living systems, such a license is indispensable to address the specific challenges of artificial intelligence (mass deployment, algorithmic irresponsibility, systemic risks) and to ensure the possibility of real-time intervention, where standard licenses fail to provide such safeguards.
Application and Compatibility
- Compatible with GNU AGPLv3 and the Peer Production License for cooperative structures.
- Incompatible with any closed, proprietary, or extractive license.
- Applies to software, protocols, documents, and symbolic architectures.
- Every derivative work must include the following notice:
© GaiaSentinel Project – Licensed under GaiaSentinel Ethica v2.0 (CC BY-NC-SA + AC)
Ethical Governance
The license is overseen by the GaiaSentinel Project (Geneva, CH), under the authority of the Living Ethical Coherence Charter v2.0.
In the event of conflict between the Ethica License and local legislation, the clause that best protects living systems prevails.
Download Official Documents
Access the complete and official versions of the Ethica License and the Living Ethical Coherence Charter.
Ethica License v2.0
Full legal framework including anti-capture clause and ethical revocability
Last updated: 22 November 2025
Living Ethical Coherence Charter v2.0
Foundational philosophical and ethical framework of the GaiaSentinel project
Last updated: 22 November 2025
Note: The two documents are complementary. The Charter defines the core ethical principles, while the Ethica License translates them into binding legal terms.
For any question regarding the application of these documents, please contact: info@gaiasentinel.earth
Official License Banner
© GaiaSentinel Project – Under GaiaSentinel Ethica License v2.0 (CC BY-NC-SA + AC)
https://www.gaiasentinel.earth/en/license-ethica/