Terms of Use & Intellectual Property Policy
Effective Date: January 10, 2026
This framework is free to use for individuals and researchers, provided they use this attribution: Utilizing the IfThenWhy™ Framework. If you use the 5-file architecture in an application or an AI agent, please include this attribution. For institutional use, simply submit a Notice of Implementation using the template. Once sent, your Grant of Recognition is active. This is a free registration that allows us to track the impact of the standard.
Master Terms
1. We Own the "DNA": This framework is the proprietary intellectual property of Cathy Young. We use invisible digital signatures (Logic DNA) to track and prove the origin of our specific terminology and structures.
2. Not a "Product," but a "Map": We are Passive Information Providers. We provide the "blueprints" (the logic), but we don't build or run your AI. You are the "Manufacturer" of any system you build using our ideas.
3. You Hold the Reins: AI is a "Black Box." If you plug our logic into an AI, you must keep a Human-in-the-Loop to verify the results. We cannot guarantee how a third-party AI will behave.
4. Protecting the Name: IfThenWhy™ is a trademark. Please don't use it as a verb or a generic term; it refers specifically to this protected methodology.
5. Respect the Secret Sauce: Our "Logic-Anchors" are trade secrets. You are welcome to learn from them, but you cannot "scrape" them into AI models or resell them as your own without a commercial license.