LIFECYCLE & DECOMMISSIONING SOP v1.0
Program: Lifecycle & Decommissioning
Derived From: ARC Canon v1.0 (Frozen)
Status: ACTIVE
Change Policy: FROZEN (Amendment Protocol only)
Entry Point: MasterAsset.state ∈ {Activated, Distributed}
Primary Outputs: State Transitions, Utility Expiry, Archival Confirmation, Historical Record
Criticality: LONG-TERM SYSTEM INTEGRITY
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0. SOP PROCESS CHAIN (AUTHORITATIVE)
Active Circulation → Temporal Evaluation → Utility Resolution → Distribution Wind-Down → State Transition → Archival Lock → Historical Designation → Audit Closure
No asset exits the system without a trace.
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1. LIFECYCLE STATES (TIME GOVERNANCE)
Every MasterAsset must exist in exactly one lifecycle phase at any moment.
1.1 Canonical Lifecycle Phases
1. Active Circulation
2. Restricted Circulation
3. Dormant
4. Archived (Terminal)
5. Historical Anchor (Special designation)
RULE: Lifecycle phase is distinct from MasterAsset state, but must be compatible with it.
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2. ENTRY CONDITIONS (LIFECYCLE MONITORING GATE)
2.1 Assets Enter Lifecycle Monitoring When
• MasterAsset.state = Activated
• Any Utility has a temporal component
• Any Edition has been issued
2.2 Monitoring Inputs
• Era status (active / closing / closed)
• Utility expiry timers
• Edition exhaustion metrics
• Distribution velocity
• Rights term limits
Lifecycle decisions are data-driven, not sentimental.
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3. TEMPORAL EVALUATION (AGING LOGIC)
3.1 Scheduled Evaluations
Lifecycle evaluation runs on:
• Era boundary events
• Utility expiration events
• Edition exhaustion
• Annual system review (minimum)
3.2 Evaluation Metrics
• Remaining unissued editions
• Active utilities vs. expired utilities
• Revenue velocity decay
• Rights term proximity
• Cultural significance markers (non-economic)
RULE: No single metric determines outcome. Decisions require threshold convergence.
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4. LIFECYCLE TRANSITION RULES
4.1 Active Circulation → Restricted Circulation
Triggered when:
• Edition supply < predefined threshold OR
• Era is closing OR
• Utility access windows narrowing
Effects
• New listings limited
• Promotional exposure reduced
• Pricing locked (no increases or discounts)
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4.2 Restricted Circulation → Dormant
Triggered when:
• All editions issued OR
• All utilities expired OR
• Distribution velocity falls below minimum threshold
Effects
• All listings retired
• No new licenses issued
• Existing rights honored until term end
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4.3 Dormant → Archived (Terminal)
Triggered when:
• All rights obligations fulfilled OR expired
• No active utilities
• No legal or commercial dependencies
Effects
• MasterAsset.state = Archived
• All distribution disabled
• Asset removed from active marketplaces
RULE: Archived assets do not re-enter circulation.
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5. UTILITY RESOLUTION (RIGHTS CLOSURE)
5.1 Utility Expiration Handling
When a Utility expires:
• Access revoked or downgraded
• Holder notified
• AuditEvent emitted
5.2 Post-Expiration Rules
• Expired utilities cannot be renewed unless explicitly defined at creation
• No silent rollovers
• No discretionary extensions
RULE: Time-based scarcity is irreversible.
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6. DISTRIBUTION WIND-DOWN (CONTROLLED EXIT)
6.1 Wind-Down Checklist
• Disable listings across all channels
• Notify partners of cessation
• Freeze pricing records
• Finalize revenue settlements
6.2 Partner Compliance
• Partners must confirm takedown
• Non-compliance escalates to enforcement
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7. ARCHIVAL LOCK (PERMANENCE LAYER)
7.1 Archival Confirmation
Before terminal archiving:
• ArchivePackage integrity re-verified
• Checksums revalidated
• Restore test repeated
7.2 Archival Actions
• Lock ArchivePackage
• Update retention policy to long-term
• Restrict access to internal roles only
RULE: Archived assets may be restored for preservation, never for reactivation.
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8. HISTORICAL ANCHOR DESIGNATION (EXCEPTIONAL)
8.1 Eligibility Criteria
An asset may be designated Historical Anchor if:
• It defines or closes an Era
• It has exceptional cultural or systemic significance
• It is approved by Architect role
8.2 Effects of Historical Anchor Status
• Remains archived
• May be displayed non-commercially
• May be referenced in Codex and educational contexts
• No new editions or utilities permitted
RULE: Historical Anchor status does not revive economic activity.
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9. DECOMMISSIONING (SYSTEM HYGIENE)
9.1 What Decommissioning Means
• Removal from all active systems
• Retention only in archive and audit layers
• No discoverability via public interfaces
9.2 What Decommissioning Does NOT Mean
• Deletion
• Destruction
• Loss of provenance
ARC never erases history.
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10. AUDIT & COMPLIANCE (FINALITY)
10.1 Mandatory Audit Events
• Lifecycle phase changes
• Utility expirations
• Distribution wind-down
• Archival lock
• Historical Anchor designation (if applicable)
10.2 Compliance Guarantees
• Full lifecycle traceability
• Proof of non-reactivation
• Long-term audit retention
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11. EXCEPTION HANDLING (EXTREMELY LIMITED)
11.1 Allowed Exceptions
• Legal injunction
• Preservation emergency
• Jurisdictional compliance mandate
11.2 Disallowed Exceptions
• Market demand revival
• Artist request post-archival
• Platform-driven opportunities
RULE: Finality protects trust.
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12. TERMINAL CONDITION
The SOP is successfully executed when:
• Asset is Archived or designated Historical Anchor
• All utilities resolved
• All distribution disabled
• ArchivePackage locked
• Audit trail complete
At this point, the asset becomes permanent record, not product.
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DECLARATION - LIFECYCLE & DECOMMISSIONING SOP v1.0 is hereby declared ACTIVE and FROZEN.
With this declaration, the ARC Core Operating System is complete.