TVN Bridge — Legal
Last updated: March 28, 2026
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Organizational Structure
TVN Bridge is developed by Johnathon Rhoades, who holds the intellectual property and patent rights to the underlying technology.
The software is licensed to The Rhoades Institute of Technology (RIT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which serves as the platform's steward. RIT's mission is to advance accessible, transparent, and accountable AI tooling for the public benefit.
RIT has authorized the formation of a for-profit subsidiary (name to be announced) to operate TVN Bridge as a commercial platform. This subsidiary operates under the nonprofit's guidelines, ensuring that the platform's development remains aligned with its public-benefit mission while sustaining a viable business.
This structure is currently being formalized with legal counsel. Details on this page will be updated as the organizational framework is finalized.
Intellectual Property
TVN Bridge contains proprietary technology (18 claims across 5 embodiments). All intellectual property rights are held by the inventor, Johnathon Rhoades, and licensed through The Rhoades Institute of Technology. Use of the software does not grant any license to the underlying intellectual property.
Terms of Service
TVN Bridge is proprietary software. Copyright © 2026 Johnathon Rhoades. All rights reserved.
The software is licensed exclusively to The Rhoades Institute of Technology for stewardship and distribution.
The software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
Licensing Philosophy & Shared Source Model
Status: DRAFT — Requesting constructive feedback for assessment and modification.
This document represents our current thinking on how TVN Bridge and the broader TVN ecosystem should be licensed. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ethical technology, we believe this decision should be made transparently and with community input. Nothing here is final.
Why Not Fully Open Source
We respect and depend on open source — TVN Bridge uses 120+ open source dependencies and we are grateful to every maintainer behind them. But we have made a deliberate decision not to release TVN Bridge under a fully open source license.
1. Security by Design
TVN Bridge is a security tool. Its purpose is to govern what AI agents can do — intercept actions, enforce constraints, maintain audit trails, and protect user data. Publishing the full enforcement engine as unrestricted open source creates a roadmap for circumvention.
We believe the right answer is controlled transparency — access for those who will use it responsibly, not unrestricted access for everyone.
2. Preventing Weaponization
An AI governance tool that enforces "whatever rules the user defines" is value-neutral by design. But a bad actor could use it to enforce harmful rules. We want the ability to deny access to actors whose intent conflicts with the civic mission this tool was built to serve.
3. Sustainable Development
TVN Bridge is built by a nonprofit with no venture capital. A multi-tier licensing model — free for civic and educational use, paid for commercial use — gives us the best chance of sustaining development while keeping the tool accessible.
Collaborative Stewardship
We are developing a Shared Source licensing model built on three principles:
Principle 1: Access Through Agreement
Source code access is granted to individuals and organizations that agree to core values aligned with RIT's mission:
- Do no harm. The software will not be used to facilitate surveillance, discrimination, censorship, or abuse.
- Respect privacy. User data sovereignty is non-negotiable.
- Contribute, don't extract. Improvements and security findings should be shared back.
- Be honest. Forks and derivative works must be clearly identified as such.
Principle 2: Tiered Licensing
| Tier | Who | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Civic & Educational | Nonprofits, educators, researchers, students | Free |
| Individual Developer | Independent developers, small teams | Free or low annual fee (TBD) |
| Commercial | Companies using TVN in products or services | Paid (terms TBD) |
| Strategic Partner | Co-development, deep integration, resale | Custom negotiation |
All tiers receive the same source code. The difference is in usage rights, not access rights.
Principle 3: Democratic Governance of the Standard
- Publish open specifications for TSP, constraint engine schema, truth node format, and memory node system.
- Keep the enforcement engine as controlled source — access by agreement.
- Invite community input on the specifications.
- Establish an advisory council as adoption grows.
The goal is not to control AI governance. The goal is to steward it responsibly until the community is ready to govern it collectively.
Why Not AGPL?
AGPL prevents corporate free-riding but allows anyone to use the software for any purpose — including purposes that conflict with the civic mission. It does not allow us to deny access to bad actors, and creates compatibility concerns with enterprise environments.
Why Not Fully Proprietary?
Our current license is fully proprietary. This was pragmatic during early development. But it conflicts with our civic mission, prevents community engagement, and limits adoption by researchers and educators. The shared source model is our intended direction.
Summary
| Question | Our Position |
|---|---|
| Is TVN Bridge open source? | Not currently. Shared source with access by agreement. |
| Can I see the code? | Yes, if you agree to core principles. |
| Can I use it for free? | Yes, for civic, educational, research, and personal use. |
| Can I use it commercially? | Yes, with a commercial license. |
| Will it ever be fully open source? | Possibly, when community governance structures are mature enough. |
| Why should I trust this? | Review the code under your access agreement. Trust but verify. |
Provide Feedback
Use our interactive feedback tool to suggest edits or leave comments on specific sections.
You can also reach us:
- In person: CypherCon 2026 (April 1, Milwaukee), Midwest Gaming Classic
- Email: [email protected]
- GitHub: Rhoades-Institute-of-Technology
This document reflects the views of the Rhoades Institute of Technology (RIT), a Wisconsin 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is not legal advice. Formal license terms will be drafted with legal counsel and community input before adoption.