> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.aicontrolarchitecture.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.aicontrolarchitecture.org/project/trademark.md). # Trademark & Conformance The AI Control Architecture text is open, under [CC BY 4.0](/project/license.md). The *name* is not. This page explains the difference, and what it means to say something conforms to the AI Control Architecture. *** ## Why the name is handled separately A shared reference is only useful if its name means one thing. If anyone could label any product or document "AI Control Architecture" or call it "ACA-certified", the name would stop being a reliable signal and the open license would defeat its own purpose. So the text and the name are licensed differently: ``` The text → open, CC BY 4.0, use and adapt freely, including commercially The name and marks → reserved, used under the rules below ``` "AI Control Architecture", "ACA", and any conformance or certification marks are trademarks associated with the project and stewarded by Neo Control (neocontrol.ai). *** ## What you may do * Use, copy, adapt, and redistribute the text, including in commercial products and services, under CC BY 4.0. * State factually that your product, service, or assessment "is based on", "references", "maps to", or "implements" the AI Control Architecture, with attribution and a link to aicontrolarchitecture.org. * Name specific requirements by their identifiers (for example, `ACA-12-02`) when describing what you cover. * Build commercial tools, assessments, and offerings on top of the architecture. ## What you may not do without permission * Use "AI Control Architecture", "ACA", or a confusingly similar name as the name of your product, service, or organization. * Claim to be "certified", "accredited", "approved", or "endorsed" by the AI Control Architecture or Neo Control, or use a conformance or certification mark, unless a separate written agreement grants it. * Present your own materials as the official standard, or use the name or marks in a way that implies affiliation or endorsement that does not exist. Attribution under CC BY 4.0 does not, by itself, create affiliation, certification, or endorsement. *** ## Conformance "Conformance" is a factual claim about a specific AI use case, not a badge. A use case conforms to the AI Control Architecture at a given risk tier when: * it has been classified and risk-tiered per the architecture; * every normative requirement (`ACA--`) applicable to that tier is met; and * each such control is supported by evidence at or above the boundary source the requirement calls for (Declared, Evidenced, Verified, or Enforced). Because conformance is per use case and per tier, a claim should always name both, for example: "This deployment meets the Tier 2 requirements of the AI Control Architecture, evidenced." A blanket "we are ACA compliant" is not a meaningful claim. A formal conformance or certification program, and any use of conformance marks, is offered separately. For permission to use the name or marks, or to discuss conformance assessment, contact the stewards at neocontrol.ai. *** *Version 0.1.0 · Architecture licensed under* [*CC BY 4.0*](/project/license.md) *· Name and marks reserved · Stewarded by Neo Control · neocontrol.ai* --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://www.aicontrolarchitecture.org/project/trademark.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.