Civic Continuum welcomes rigorous peer review and collaboration. We begin with a defined purpose, synthetic data, separate accounts and observable acceptance criteria.
These are our prospective operating rules, not a contract imposed on every reader or a guarantee against misuse. Our detailed existing IP and partner protection policy remains in effect, subject to applicable licenses and law.
These operating rules apply prospectively to Civic Continuum collaborations involving research, inventions, software, services, demonstrations, marketing and business development. Each engagement still needs terms suited to its actual activities and legal parties. No claim is made that every repository, account or service has already been audited.
We respect collaborators’ confidential material, ownership and authorized boundaries just as we expect them to respect ours. Neither side receives company ownership or unrestricted rights merely by helping. Rights in actual contributions must be resolved under applicable law, existing licenses and any signed agreement.
| Stage | Required boundary before advancing |
|---|---|
| Public discussion or peer demo | Defined purpose, public or synthetic materials, separate accounts; public licenses continue to apply. |
| Confidential exchange | Verified legal parties and authority, appropriate mutual NDA, permitted purpose, approved recipients and disclosure list. |
| Code, inventions or shared deliverables | Separate written scope, background asset schedule, contribution and results ownership/use terms, third-party license review and exit plan. |
| Production or commercial work | Agreed delivery, payment, liability, data handling and incident terms; specific minimum access with an end date. |
| Publication or exit | Specific permissions where needed, accurate evidence and attribution, access removal, appropriate return/deletion and retained-record rules. |
Implementation begins with the verified public notices and a private unsigned evaluation draft. Broader account reviews, website placement, tailored contracts and legal review remain tracked work; they are not represented as complete.
WIPO’s technology transfer agreement guidance distinguishes confidentiality arrangements from agreements governing collaborative work and IP rights. UK Intellectual Property Office NDA guidance describes mutual confidentiality where both parties disclose. These are drafting resources; UK guidance is not a substitute for advice on the applicable US jurisdiction.
Updated October 18, 2026. This policy does not allege misconduct by a collaborator, competitor or other organization.
From October 18, 2026, our standard introduction includes this policy before a substantive collaboration discussion. Please confirm in writing that the initial exchange will use public information, harmless synthetic examples and separate accounts. The boundary is mutual: we will not ask for your secrets or use your protected work beyond agreed rights either.
A greeting, profile view, policy link, page visit, silence or dismissal of a notice is not treated as an executed NDA, IP assignment or completed collaboration agreement. Public browsing and existing license rights are unaffected. Before protected or commercial work, both parties must settle the appropriate activity-specific terms and any required signatures.
Our first-contact greeting and process · Public welcome page.