The novel Zcash Trademark and License Settlement was the primary of its form. Electrical Coin Co. (ECC) and Zcash Basis (ZF) created it, amongst different causes, to make sure that any Zcash community improve represented “the Clear Consensus of the Zcash neighborhood,” which might be decided by “proof agreed to by each events.” The language wasn’t particular about what this “proof” could be.
Whereas well-intentioned, Zcash has outgrown the necessity for such a settlement, and Zcash protocol governance ought to prolong past the attain of the 2 events. We moreover contend that as initiatives like Zcash face elevated regulatory scrutiny, it’s essential to take motion now. It’s time to additional decentralize Zcash.
For these causes and others, ECC intends to terminate the trademark settlement, pending a profitable negotiation with ZF to make sure a easy transition. The settlement’s authors envisioned that this time would probably come and included numerous mechanisms for dissolution. We’re wanting ahead to a productive dialogue that advantages your complete ecosystem.
Whereas ECC will go away the settlement, we won’t go away the Zcash neighborhood. We’re dedicated to persevering with our work to supply a world-class UX for Zcash, and we keep a robust curiosity within the continued well-being of the Zcash neighborhood and the broader ecosystem.
Background
When ECC donated the Zcash trademark to ZF in 2019, the settlement created a 2-of-2 consensus mannequin requiring each events’ settlement on utilization.
ECC initially meant to donate the trademark to the ZF with out restriction. Nonetheless, after some rivalry, ECC proposed the unprecedented settlement to make sure ZF didn’t have unilateral decision-making authority on the usage of the mark. It was a donation with strings connected. Since then, the neighborhood has grown and matured, with many extra third events lively in analysis, engineering, neighborhood improvement, and adoption efforts. We don’t want it anymore.
Why we need to terminate the trademark settlement
The Zcash trademark settlement successfully consolidates governance energy in two sovereign organizations. A darker view is that Zcash’s governance rests within the arms of two folks and their respective boards of administrators. We imagine each organizations’ leaders are good actors at the moment, however we must always not assume this may at all times be true.
Even the notion of centralized energy places Zcash in danger with regulators. As many know, your complete crypto ecosystem is underneath intense scrutiny from authorities and legislation enforcement businesses within the US and overseas. Authorized battles are ubiquitous, initiatives have been shut down for doubtful contraventions, and builders have been arrested and jailed. We felt the very actual impacts at ECC when the SEC subpoenaed us (ZF, too) final 12 months.
The trademark settlement binds ECC and ZF to help and perform the voice of the neighborhood, stating, “Every get together covenants and agrees that it’ll not make or withhold any approval, consents, or different resolution underneath this Settlement if such approval, consent, or different resolution is opposite to the Clear Consensus of the Zcash neighborhood.” Nonetheless, there is no such thing as a commonplace approach to accumulate or interpret neighborhood consensus, and no group or committee represents the geographic and perspective range of Zcashers worldwide. The “Clear Consensus” clause was conceived with good intent however doesn’t perform as a professional test on energy. It’s flawed, and new governance is overdue.
How does strolling away make Zcash higher?
If Zcash is to be a shared public good, it should regularly add new contributors who signify numerous views on what Zcash is and may turn out to be. Better participation fuels vibrancy and resilience, and better participation fuels even better participation.
A brand new governance mannequin that features many different groups and stakeholders in disparate elements of the world will assist Zcash develop and evolve to serve very actual wants. It’ll unearth contemporary views, create a greater protocol, and provides rise to a brand new vitality.
We don’t know what this new mannequin appears to be like like but, and it’s not ECC’s job to say, however we’re sure the Zcash neighborhood is artistic and motivated. There are already a number of compelling concepts and items of concepts floating round on the discussion board and different social platforms.
Whereas empowering extra voices might appear to be it could complicate decision-making on the floor, we imagine it raises the bar for social consensus as an open-source challenge and thru Zcash’s ZIP course of.
Implications and dangers
If ECC unilaterally terminates the settlement with none concessions by ZF, it’ll give ZF sole possession of the Zcash trademark and the facility to license it. As such, we intend to collaborate with ZF and contribute concepts on future trademark administration, together with enforcement and governance of the blockchain bearing the Zcash identify, as acceptable.
We are going to ask ZF for 3 issues:
They are going to decide to utilizing the trademark solely to guard in opposition to its misuse by scammers or clear abusers of the mark. Within the curiosity of clear decentralization, they won’t use it to aim to manipulate the course of the protocol.
They are going to take into account relinquishing the trademark to free the neighborhood of restrictions. This can even permit ZF to reallocate help and enforcement funding to different constructive enhancements for Zcash. When ECC owned and managed the trademark, we spent vital effort and cash making an attempt to guard it, and many of the fraud and non-compliance was going down in nations like China, the place the trademark wasn’t protected anyway. It was whack-a-mole. Different decentralized protocols, reminiscent of Bitcoin, don’t have any group that protects the mark. It’s protected by social consensus.
If ZF retains possession of the mark, termination of the trademark settlement will revoke all ECC trademark rights. We are going to request an ongoing restricted license to proceed offering neighborhood providers, reminiscent of sustaining the z.money web site and managing the Zcash X account, until or till one other proprietor or resolution is discovered.
We look ahead to listening to from the neighborhood about any extra dangers or issues and dealing with ZF to make sure Zcash continues to evolve its governance and capabilities in a approach that’s extremely inclusive, protecting, and nourishing for the expansion of the protocol and ecosystem.
