Christian Nennemann
3a139dfc7e
Strategic work for IETF submission of draft-nennemann-act-01 and
draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-02:
Package restructure:
- move ACT and ECT refimpls to workspace/packages/{act,ect}/
- ietf-act and ietf-ect distribution names (sibling packages)
- cross-spec interop test plan (INTEROP-TEST-PLAN.md)
ACT draft -01 revisions:
- rename 'par' claim to 'pred' (align with ECT)
- rename 'Agent Compact Token' to 'Agent Context Token' (semantic
alignment with ECT family)
- add Applicability section (MCP, OpenAI, LangGraph, A2A, CrewAI)
- add DAG vs Linear Delegation Chains section (differentiator vs
txn-tokens-for-agents actchain, Agentic JWT, AIP/IBCTs)
- add Related Work: AIP, SentinelAgent, Agentic JWT, txn-tokens-for-agents,
HDP, SCITT-AI-agent-execution
- pin SCITT arch to -22, note AUTH48 status
Outreach drafts:
- Emirdag liaison email (SCITT-AI coordination)
- OAuth ML response on txn-tokens-for-agents-06
Strategy document:
- STRATEGY.md with phased action plan, risk register, timeline
Submodule:
- update workspace/drafts/ietf-wimse-ect pointer to -02 commit
225 lines
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Markdown
225 lines
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Markdown
# ACT + ECT IETF Strategy
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**Author**: Christian Nennemann
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**Date**: 2026-04-12
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**Status**: Active
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---
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## 1. Executive Summary
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Two Internet-Drafts, one strategy: **ACT** (general) + **ECT** (WIMSE profile) as a complementary spec family for AI agent authorization and execution accountability.
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**The window**: In the last 8 weeks, 14+ competing IETF individual drafts and 7+ high-relevance arXiv papers appeared. The space is crowding fast. **Ship -01/-02 within 2 weeks**; establish IETF 123 (July 2026) as the landing point.
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**The position**: ACT is the only spec combining (a) two-phase JWT lifecycle, (b) DAG-based DAG predecessor structure, and (c) standards-track independence from proprietary agent frameworks. ECT is the only WIMSE-aligned execution-context spec.
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---
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## 2. Current State (What We Have)
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### Artifacts in place
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| Artifact | Location | Status |
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| ACT draft | `packages/act/draft-nennemann-act-01.md` | -01, ready to review |
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| ECT draft | `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/draft-nennemann-wimse-ect.md` | -02, needs HTTP header update |
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| ACT refimpl | `packages/act/` (ietf-act) | 103 tests pass, `pred` + Context rename done |
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| ECT refimpl | `packages/ect/` (ietf-ect) | 56 tests pass, `inp_hash` bug fixed |
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| ACT applicability section | In draft §1.5 | MCP, OpenAI, LangGraph, A2A, CrewAI, WIMSE-ECT |
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| Diff doc vs Txn-Agents | `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/DIFF-vs-txn-tokens-for-agents.md` | Done, ~1235 words |
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| WIMSE mailing list email | `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/wimse-intro-email.md` | Done, ~390 words |
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### Recent completed work
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- `par` → `pred` rename across ACT (spec alignment with ECT)
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- "Agent Compact Token" → "Agent Context Token" rename (semantic alignment with ECT)
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- Package restructure to `workspace/packages/{act,ect}/`
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- ECT `inp_hash` format bug fix (removed `sha-256:` prefix)
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---
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## 3. Landscape (What Just Happened)
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### Critical drafts published April 7–11, 2026
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| Draft | Impact | Response |
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| `draft-emirdag-scitt-ai-agent-execution-00` | SCITT profile for AgentInteractionRecord (AIR) | **Propose liaison**: ACT = lifecycle, AIR = anchor payload |
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| `draft-oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents-06` | Amazon's `actchain` competes with ACT's DAG | **Differentiate**: linear chain vs DAG (fork/join) |
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| `draft-ietf-wimse-http-signature-03` | `Wimse-Audience` header **removed** → `wimse-aud` param | **Breaking change — fix ECT immediately** |
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| `draft-ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens-08` | In WG Last Call → RFC imminent | Lock references before publication |
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| `draft-ietf-scitt-architecture-22` | In AUTH48 → RFC imminent | Update SCITT refs to RFC number |
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### Competitive arXiv papers (Mar–Apr 2026)
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- **2603.24775 (AIP/IBCTs)** — closest technical competitor, JWT + Biscuit/Datalog, zero auth on ~2000 MCP servers
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- **2604.02767 (SentinelAgent)** — formal Delegation Chain Calculus
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- **2509.13597 (Agentic JWT)** — prior linear chain JWT
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- **2603.23801 (AgentRFC — Composition Safety)** — theoretical grounding for DAG-level tracking
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### Strategic openings
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- `draft-ietf-wimse-arch-07 §3.3.9` — WG arch doc **already names AI/ML intermediaries as workloads**; ECT fills this gap
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- **DAWN potential new WG** (`draft-king-dawn-requirements-00`, 2026-04-11) — agent discovery; ACT identity claims are natural payload
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- **NIST/NCCoE Concept Paper** — US government validation of standards-first agent identity approach
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---
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## 4. Positioning Strategy
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### The three-sentence pitch
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> ACT is a two-phase JWT lifecycle — the authorization mandate transitions to a tamper-evident execution record, producing a cryptographically verifiable DAG of agent invocations. ECT is the WIMSE profile that binds ACT-style execution records to workload identity with assurance levels. Together they close the agent accountability gap that OAuth/WIMSE/SCITT leave partially open.
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### Differentiation matrix
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| Against | How ACT/ECT differ |
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| `draft-oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents` | Two-phase lifecycle (authorization → proof-of-execution), DAG (not linear `actchain`), works without AuthZ server |
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| `draft-emirdag-scitt-ai-agent-execution` | Lifecycle layer complement, not competitor; ACT produces what AIR anchors |
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| AIP/IBCTs (arXiv 2603.24775) | Standards-track IETF home; JWT-only (no Biscuit/Datalog complexity) |
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| `draft-helixar-hdp-agentic-delegation` | JWT/JOSE-standard (vs raw JSON), DAG (vs linear), IETF path |
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| SentinelAgent (arXiv 2604.02767) | Standards deployability (vs formal calculus) |
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| Agentic JWT (arXiv 2509.13597) | Two-phase lifecycle; DAG vs linear chain |
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### Non-goals (say this explicitly)
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- ACT does not replace WIMSE WIT/WPT — it sits above
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- ACT does not replace OAuth/Txn-Tokens — it profiles for agent semantics
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- ACT does not require SCITT — but integrates cleanly with it
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- ECT does not carry identity — it carries execution context
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---
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## 5. Action Plan
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### Phase A — Urgent technical updates (this week)
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- [ ] **A1**: Update ECT HTTP header section — replace `Wimse-Audience` with `wimse-aud` signature metadata parameter per `draft-ietf-wimse-http-signature-03`
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- [ ] **A2**: Update SCITT references in ACT — point to `draft-ietf-scitt-architecture-22` (AUTH48); note RFC-to-be
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- [ ] **A3**: Update Txn-Tokens references in ACT/ECT — lock to `draft-ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens-08`
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- [ ] **A4**: Add "DAG vs linear chain" section to ACT — key technical differentiator
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- [ ] **A5**: Add Related Work additions to ACT:
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- AIP/IBCTs (arXiv 2603.24775)
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- SentinelAgent (arXiv 2604.02767)
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- Agentic JWT (arXiv 2509.13597)
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- Txn-Tokens-for-Agents-06
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- HDP (`draft-helixar-hdp-agentic-delegation`)
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- [ ] **A6**: Add Related Work additions to ECT:
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- WIMSE arch §3.3.9 (explicit)
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- Composition Safety (arXiv 2603.23801)
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- MIGT taxonomy (arXiv 2604.06148)
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- NIST/NCCoE Concept Paper
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- [ ] **A7**: Commit all current work to git (workspace + research.ietf subrepo)
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### Phase B — External engagement (next 1–2 weeks)
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- [ ] **B1**: Email Emirdag (VERIDIC) — propose SCITT-AI + ACT liaison; coordinate AIR payload format with ACT execution-phase claims
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- [ ] **B2**: Submit ACT -01 to datatracker
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- [ ] **B3**: Submit ECT -02 to datatracker
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- [ ] **B4**: Post ECT intro email to wimse@ietf.org with diff doc link
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- [ ] **B5**: Post short response to OAuth WG on Txn-Tokens-for-Agents-06 — compare `actchain` (linear) vs ACT `pred` (DAG), offer as complementary not competitive
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- [ ] **B6**: Request 10-min slot at IETF 123 WIMSE session (July 2026)
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- [ ] **B7**: Track DAWN WG charter formation — if charters, submit positioning comment on how ACT identity claims serve discovery
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### Phase C — IETF 123 preparation (May–June 2026)
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- [ ] **C1**: Iterate ACT/ECT based on mailing list feedback
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- [ ] **C2**: Prepare 10-min WIMSE slides (focus on: gap filled, relationship to adopted drafts, ECT's role in execution context propagation)
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- [ ] **C3**: Prepare 5-min OAuth slot request if Txn-Tokens-for-Agents discussion opens
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- [ ] **C4**: Reference implementation hardening: test vectors, interop with at least one other implementation
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### Phase D — Post-IETF 123 (August 2026+)
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- [ ] **D1**: Based on WIMSE reception: either iterate toward WG adoption or pivot to BoF-style workshop
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- [ ] **D2**: If SCITT-AI liaison forms: draft joint implementation report
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- [ ] **D3**: If DAWN charters: submit ACT positioning statement
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---
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## 6. Timeline
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```
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2026-04-12 Strategy finalized (today)
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2026-04-12 Phase A starts
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2026-04-19 Phase A complete, ACT-01 + ECT-02 submitted
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2026-04-20 Phase B starts (WIMSE ML post + Emirdag outreach)
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2026-05-01 All external engagement initiated
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2026-07-xx IETF 123 (target: WIMSE 10-min slot)
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2026-08-xx Post-IETF 123 review, decide WG adoption strategy
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```
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---
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## 7. Risk Register
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| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
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| WIMSE WG rejects ECT as out-of-charter | Medium | High | Cite arch §3.3.9 explicitly; frame as charter-aligned |
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| Amazon Txn-Tokens-for-Agents gets OAuth WG adoption first | High | Medium | Differentiate at DAG/lifecycle level; position as complementary layer |
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| SCITT-AI (Emirdag) adopted, ACT seen as redundant | Medium | High | Proactive liaison; position as lifecycle vs anchoring |
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| DAWN charters without ACT positioning | Medium | Medium | Submit positioning statement during charter review |
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| 14+ competing drafts fragment the space | High | Medium | Focus on ACT's unique two-phase lifecycle; cite competitors as related work |
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| Independent-submission path stalls for ACT | Medium | Medium | Keep ECT on WG-adoption path; ACT can stay independent longer if needed |
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---
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## 8. Success Criteria
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### 30-day criteria
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- ACT-01 + ECT-02 on datatracker
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- WIMSE mailing list engagement (≥3 replies from chairs/contributors)
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- Emirdag liaison conversation started
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### 90-day criteria (IETF 123 timing)
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- 10-minute WIMSE agenda slot secured
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- ≥1 independent implementation of ACT or ECT outside our refimpl
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- Referenced by at least 2 other drafts
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### 180-day criteria
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- WIMSE WG adoption call for ECT (or clear path to it)
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- SCITT-AI joint profile or explicit coordination
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- ACT independent submission moving toward RFC Editor queue
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---
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## 9. Dependencies and Open Decisions
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### External dependencies
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- `draft-ietf-scitt-architecture` → RFC (timing unknown, AUTH48 now)
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- `draft-ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens-08` → RFC (WG Last Call now)
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- `draft-ietf-wimse-http-signature` → needs breaking change propagated
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- WIMSE WG charter interpretation (chairs' call)
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### Open decisions (need user input)
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- Approach to Emirdag: liaison email, co-authorship offer, or just citation?
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- Publish refimpls to PyPI? (currently package names `ietf-act`/`ietf-ect` reserved but not published — **no publishing without explicit user approval**)
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- Repo strategy: single monorepo, or split ACT/ECT into separate Git repos for separate draft homes?
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- IETF 123 travel: attend in person or remote?
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---
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## 10. References
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### Our work
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- `packages/act/draft-nennemann-act-01.md`
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- `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/draft-nennemann-wimse-ect.md` (docname -02)
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- `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/DIFF-vs-txn-tokens-for-agents.md`
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- `drafts/ietf-wimse-ect/wimse-intro-email.md`
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### Key competing/complementary drafts
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- draft-oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents-06 (Raut/Amazon)
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- draft-emirdag-scitt-ai-agent-execution-00 (VERIDIC)
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- draft-helixar-hdp-agentic-delegation-00
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- draft-king-dawn-requirements-00 (potential new WG)
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- draft-ietf-wimse-arch-07 (cite §3.3.9)
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- draft-ietf-wimse-http-signature-03 (breaking change)
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### Key arXiv references
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- 2603.24775 — AIP / IBCTs
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- 2604.02767 — SentinelAgent
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- 2603.23801 — AgentRFC (Composition Safety)
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- 2509.13597 — Agentic JWT
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- 2604.06148 — MIGT taxonomy
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