# Commercial Path

KDNA layers open-source protocol and commercial assets. Here is what is free, what is paid, and why.

## What Is Open Source

| Component | License | Why |
|-----------|---------|-----|
| KDNA format specification | Apache 2.0 | Standard must be free to adopt |
| JSON schemas | Apache 2.0 | Anyone can validate KDNA files |
| Validator (kdna-lint, kdna-validate) | Apache 2.0 | Anyone can check domain quality |
| CLI (kdna) | Apache 2.0 | Anyone can install and use |
| Loader library | Apache 2.0 | Anyone can integrate KDNA into agents |
| Skills (kdna-loader) | Apache 2.0 | Anyone can load KDNA into their agent |
| Basic & experimental domains | CC BY 4.0 | Lower the barrier to entry |
| Benchmark cases | CC BY 4.0 | Community can contribute and verify |

## What Can Be Commercial

| Component | Model | Why |
|-----------|-------|-----|
| Pro domains (Writing, Speaking, etc.) | Paid license (KCL) | Expert judgment is the asset |
| KDNA Runtime | Paid / Hosted | Task projection, license, watermark |
| Enterprise private KDNA | Consulting + License | Encode internal expertise |
| Creator certification | Certification fee | Quality assurance for buyers |
| Hosted registry | Subscription | Discovery, versioning, analytics |

## Why This Split

The protocol must be open for KDNA to become a standard — like HTML, Markdown, or npm. If the format were proprietary, no one would build on it.

The assets can be commercial because the value is not in the format — it is in the expert's judgment structure. This is how open-source ecosystems have always worked: the platform is free, the content is monetizable.

## Current Status

We are in Phase 4: building evidence that KDNA improves agent judgment. Commercial assets (Pro domains, Runtime) exist in private repositories and will be released when the evidence base is strong enough.
