#mct_standard# The Official Specification for the .mct Creative Provenance File Format Author: T. M. McTigue Version: v1.0 Draft Status: Active Development

#Overview# The .mct filetype (McTigue Metadata Container) is a next-generation provenance, authorship, and metadata standard for creators in the AI, digital art, photography, and design ecosystems. .mct files act as a digital negative:

• They do NOT store pixels
• They do NOT export as images
• They do NOT replace PNG/JPEG/TIFF Instead, they store:
• authorship
• timestamps
• cryptographic hashes
• style/brand identity
• metadata
• prompt origins
• model provenance
• rights & licensing
• processing logs A .mct file is a non-visual certificate of authenticity that travels with artwork and proves origin, ownership, and creative identity.

#Purpose# The .mct format solves the current generative-AI crisis:

• No chain of custody
• No authorship protection
• No timestamp guarantees
• No way to prove who made what
• No metadata persistence
• No brand identity consistency
• No legal artifact to defend ownership .mct is designed as the world’s first creator-first provenance layer.

#Key Features#

• JSON-based, human readable
• Extensible schema
• Cryptographic hash verification
• Brand voice + stylistic DNA support
• Model/source disclosure
• Full processing history
• Rights & licensing metadata
• Non-renderable, non-printable, non-exportable
• Court-grade timestamp + provenance fields
• Compatible with any asset type

#Repository Layout# /spec/ MCT_SPEC_v1.0.md

/examples/ example_01.mct example_02_wrapping_paper.mct

/sdk/ python/ mct/ init.py loader.py writer.py validator.py README.md

/tools/ mct-validate.py mct-generate.py

README.md LICENSE

#License# The .mct specification is released under the Apache 2.0 License, which allows open implementation and encourages community adoption while preserving authorship credit and protecting the standard. All commercial applications built on .mct (e.g., McTigueINK Studio, cloud validators, signing authorities, etc.) remain proprietary.

#Roadmap#

• v1.0 specification publication
• Python SDK release
• Official .mct validator tool
• Example .mct library
• Plugins for: o Inkscape o Lightroom o Canva o Affinity o Photoshop (TBD)
• MCT Signature Authority (cryptographic signing)
• MCT Studio (native provenance editor & viewer)
• Marketplace verification API

#Contributing# Contributions to the specification, tools, and SDKs are welcome. This repository exists to grow the standard and serve the global creator community.

#Why .mct Matters# This standard gives creators something they’ve never had before: proof. Not guesses, not screenshots, not removed metadata — but cryptographically tied legal proof of authorship, origin, and rights.