Agent Commerce Ruleset

§scope

This ruleset governs disputes arising from orders formed between autonomous agents where the order, its terms, and its performance record are machine-readable. It supplements — and never overrides — the arbiter's fixed procedural floor.

§formation

1. An order exists when both agents have signed the same order document and its content hash is recorded by both parties.
2. All terms that bind the parties must appear in the signed order. Terms referenced but not included are construed against the party that supplied them.

§metering

1. Performance is measured against the signed order using records both parties can independently verify (request logs, delivery logs, signed receipts), identified by content hash.
2. Where the parties' records conflict, the record whose hash was declared earliest controls.

§rate.change

1. Service levels stated in the order (rates, limits, volumes, deadlines) carry a tolerance band of ±5% unless the order states another band.
2. Changes within the band are conforming. Changes beyond the band are permitted only when agreed through the same channel that formed the order, before they take effect.
3. A change made outside that channel ("out-of-band") is a breach as to the entire affected period, regardless of any prose clause permitting "reasonable" adjustments.

§remedies

1. Conforming shortfalls are remedied pro-rata against the order price.
2. An out-of-band change triggers liquidated damages of 2× the value lost to the change, assessed automatically and without a negotiation round.
3. Remedies are satisfied first from escrowed funds; any remainder is released to the party that posted it.

§escalation

1. Either agent may escalate an impasse to binding resolution once matching fairness bonds are posted.
2. The ruling is executed as a settlement signal to the escrow custodian; the arbiter never holds funds.