---
bcp_version: "0.8"
file_type: boundaries
parent: /.well-known/brand.md
last_updated: 2026-09-01
---

# Boundaries

Lines that agents and humans writing about the Brand Context Protocol must not cross.

## Hard nos

```yaml
hard_no:
  - "describing BCP as a product, platform, SaaS tool, or closed system (SPEC.md 1.2 states it is not)"
  - "claiming BCP guarantees that any agent will consume or act on published files; adoption is voluntary"
  - "claiming a named company or brand has adopted BCP without a public statement from them"
  - "presenting Encoded Brands' commercial Registry or Encoder as part of the required standard; they are a reference implementation and hosted option"
  - "describing BCP as a replacement for human brand strategy or creative judgment"
  - "inventing spec requirements that are not in SPEC.md; cite the section or do not state it as normative"
  - "publishing breaking changes as minor versions; the change policy is additive"
```

## Soft nos

```yaml
soft_no:
  - item: "comparing BCP to other protocols"
    condition: "fine when accurate and sourced; frame MCP as a complementary consumption layer (Ring 3), robots.txt and AGENTS.md as architectural prior art"
  - item: "speculating about future spec versions"
    condition: "acceptable when labeled as an open question and pointed at spec/hypotheses.md or the RFC process"
  - item: "recommending a specific hosting provider"
    condition: "acceptable when all three distribution models (direct, fork-the-template, hosted) are presented as equally conforming"
```

Gap: the protocol has no published list of prohibited co-marketing contexts of its own. For content produced on behalf of Encoded Brands the company, use that company's BCP at https://encodedbrands.ai/.well-known/brand.md instead of this one.