Network Working Group L. J. Reilly Internet-Draft November 16, 2025 Intended status: Informational Expires: May 16, 2026 REM License Token (RLT) - Genesis Artifact draft-reilly-rlt-genesis-00 November 16, 2025 Abstract This document defines the REM License Token, referred to as the RLT, as the genesis artifact of the Reilly EternaMark Protocol for digital permanence and verifiable provenance. This specification formally defines the token structure, issuance procedures, cryptographic hash requirements, blockchain anchoring requirements, DOI archival requirements, verification methodology, and security model. The RLT represents an implementation of a dual-layer permanence artifact combining a blockchain timestamp with DOI-based archival to achieve durable, tamper-evident provenance guarantees. This document is published as an Informational Internet-Draft to serve as open, implementable guidance. Status of This Memo This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79. Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/. Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as "work in progress." This Internet-Draft will expire on 16 May 2026. Copyright Notice Copyright (c) 2025 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the document authors. All rights reserved. This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/ license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Revised BSD License. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Terminology 3. Background and Rationale 4. RLT Genesis Artifact Definition 5. Token Format and JSON Schema 6. Issuance and Anchoring Requirements 7. Verification Requirements 8. Security Considerations 9. IANA Considerations 10. References 10.1 Normative References 10.2 Informative References Appendix A. Example RLT Token Appendix B. Change Log 1. Introduction The Reilly EternaMark Protocol defines a dual-layer digital permanence model. This model binds cryptographic timestamping on a public blockchain with academic-grade DOI archival. The REM License Token is the first artifact created using this model. This document specifies that artifact in a manner consistent with IETF documentation practices, so that it can be implemented, evaluated, and extended by independent parties. 2. Terminology The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 (RFC 2119 and RFC 8174). RLT: REM License Token REM: Reilly EternaMark Protocol DOI: Digital Object Identifier OTS: OpenTimestamps proof file DAR: Digital Archival Record 3. Background and Rationale Intellectual property, authorship, and digital provenance frequently require durable, independently verifiable records. Traditional systems rely on centralized registries, contractual agreements, or proprietary evidence that may not be globally accessible or cryptographically strong. The REM Protocol introduces a method for creating tamper-evident digital records by combining: 1. A SHA-256 hash of the artifact to be protected. 2. A public blockchain timestamp anchoring the hash. 3. A DOI archival record storing the artifact, metadata, and proofs. 4. RLT Genesis Artifact Definition The REM License Token binds together: * Author identity information * SHA-256 hash of the reference document * Blockchain timestamp proof * DOI archival reference * Token issuance metadata The canonical REM License Token genesis artifact is archived under: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17438760 Metadata Date: November 16, 2025 SHA-256: 9964A78C6FC33794EF840ED69045C5C2477BC611CBC73EF6EC537FACA4C7BB74 Blockchain Anchor: Bitcoin Block Height 914168 5. Token Format and JSON Schema { "rltVersion": "1.0", "tokenId": "", "author": { "name": "Lawrence J. Reilly", "ORCID": "", "affiliation": "" }, "license": "CC_BY_4_0", "hash": "9964A78C6FC33794EF840ED69045C5C2477BC611CBC73EF6EC537FACA4C7BB74", "metadataDate": "2025-11-16", "blockchain": { "chain": "Bitcoin", "blockHeight": 914168, "timestamp": "2025-09-10T00:00:00Z", "proofFile": "RLT_FIRST_TOKEN_FULL_GUIDE_v2.pdf.ots" }, "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.17438760", "issuedDate": "2025-11-16", "tokenUrl": "https://zenodo.org/records/17438760" } 6. Issuance and Anchoring Requirements The issuance process MUST include: 1. Compute SHA-256 hash. 2. Obtain OpenTimestamps proof. 3. Confirm blockchain anchor. 4. Upload artifact + proof to DOI archive. 5. Receive DOI. 6. Create JSON token. 7. Publish token. 7. Verification Requirements A verifier MUST: * Retrieve JSON token. * Retrieve DOI metadata. * Hash reference document and compare. * Validate OTS proof. * Confirm DOI availability. 8. Security Considerations Security relies on: * SHA-256 integrity * Blockchain immutability * DOI archival persistence * Author identity correctness 9. IANA Considerations This document has no IANA actions. 10. References 10.1 Normative References RFC2119 RFC8174 10.2 Informative References draft-reilly-rem-protocol-00 DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17438760 Appendix A. Example RLT Token { "rltVersion": "1.0", "tokenId": "example-uuid-0000", "author": { "name": "Lawrence J. Reilly" }, "license": "CC_BY_4.0", "hash": "9964A78C6FC33794EF840ED69045C5C2477BC611CBC73EF6EC537FACA4C7BB74", "blockchain": { "chain": "Bitcoin", "blockHeight": 914168 }, "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.17438760" } Appendix B. Change Log draft-reilly-rlt-genesis-00 * Initial version with corrected IETF-compliant document date. Author's Address Lawrence J. Reilly Email: lawrencejohnreilly@gmail.com