Network Working Group                                        S. Baismail
Internet-Draft                                                      GLCN
Intended status: Informational                              May 29, 2026
Expires: November 30, 2026

             Secured Digital Lifecycle Protocol (SDLP) RFC 0
                    draft-baismail-glcn-sdlp-00.txt

Abstract

   The Secured Digital Lifecycle Protocol (SDLP) defines a universal,
   lifecycle-governed framework for the creation, identity,
   transformation, distribution, and retirement of digital goods.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on November 30, 2026.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2026 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.


S. Baismail                                                     [Page 1]

Internet-Draft                  SDLP RFC 0                      May 2026

1.  Introduction

   The Secured Digital Lifecycle Protocol (SDLP) defines a structured,
   identity-anchored, lifecycle-driven model for digital goods. It
   establishes the conceptual foundation upon which all subsequent
   SDLP specifications will be built.

2.  Purpose of SDLP

   SDLP exists to address three systemic issues in digital goods:
   identity ambiguity, uncontrolled duplication, and undefined
   lifecycle transitions. SDLP provides a universal framework to ensure
   that every digital object has a clear identity, lineage, and
   lifecycle.

3.  Design Principles

   SDLP is governed by three core principles:

   o  P1. Identity First -- Every digital object must possess a
      persistent DigitalID.

   o  P2. Lifecycle Determinism -- Every object must exist in exactly
      one lifecycle state at any given time.

   o  P3. Transformation Integrity -- All transformations must be
      explicit, authenticated, and lineage-preserving.

4.  Terminology

   DigitalID:  The persistent identity of a digital object.

   Instance:  A specific materialization of a DigitalID.

   Lifecycle State:  A protocol-defined phase of existence.

   Transformation:  A rule-governed change to an object or instance.

   Retirement:  The terminal lifecycle state.


S. Baismail                                                     [Page 2]

Internet-Draft                  SDLP RFC 0                      May 2026

5.  Lifecycle Model Overview

   SDLP defines a universal lifecycle model consisting of:

   1. Creation
   2. Activation
   3. Distribution
   4. Transformation
   5. Verification
   6. Retention
   7. Retirement

   SDLP RFC 1 will define the DigitalID specification. SDLP RFC 2 will
   define the lifecycle state machine. SDLP RFC 3 will define
   transformation rules and lineage guarantees.

6.  Out-of-Scope Items

   The following are explicitly out of scope for this document:

   o  Implementation details
   o  Transport mechanisms
   o  Storage formats
   o  Cryptographic algorithm selection
   o  Commercial licensing models
   o  UI or UX considerations

7.  Security Considerations

   SDLP requires that all lifecycle transitions be authenticated,
   authorized, and recorded. Identity spoofing, unauthorized
   transformations, and lineage tampering must be mitigated by
   protocol-level controls defined in later SDLP documents.

8.  IANA Considerations

   This document makes no requests of IANA.


S. Baismail                                                     [Page 3]

Internet-Draft                  SDLP RFC 0                      May 2026

Appendix A.  Rationale for RFC 0

   RFC 0 exists to establish the philosophical and structural
   foundation of SDLP before defining any technical mechanisms. It
   ensures that all subsequent SDLP documents share a unified
   conceptual framework.

Author's Address

   Sami Hassan Omar Baismail
   Global Legal Compliance Network (GLCN)
   Jeddah
   Saudi Arabia

   Email: shbaismail@gmail.com
   URI:   https://sites.google.com/view/glcn-compliance/
   Github: Shbaismail-droid


S. Baismail                                                     [Page 4]