---
slug: "Sign"
name: "Sign"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Sign#b202"
sema_id: "sema:Sign#mh:SHA-256:b2020447ec4c2725a139c6117c764cf464643e6e83379e86263267f95e4965ee"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Sign/
related: ["Artifact","Act","Identity","Signal","AuditTrail","Award","Contract","FailureTrace"]
---

# Sign

Attest to authorship or agreement

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

The [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md) of attaching a verifiable [Identity](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Identity.md) proof to an [Artifact](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Artifact.md), asserting authorship, approval, or agreement. Unlike a raw [Signal](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Signal.md), a Sign action creates a link between the entity and the data that a third party can verify without the entity's cooperation. Used to validate contracts or authorize actions.

## Invariants

- Binds the signing [Identity](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Identity.md) to the [Artifact](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Artifact.md).
- Verifiable by a third party without the signer's cooperation.
- Invalidates if the [Artifact](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Artifact.md) changes.

## Failure modes

- Legitimate retraction: a signature is permanent, so a signer who changes their mind cannot unsign.
- Brittle integrity: a typo fix invalidates the signature along with the substantive change.
- Legal gap: technical non-repudiation is not legal non-repudiation, which has separate requirements.

## Signature

- `Act(Identity)`

## Builds on

- [Artifact](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Artifact.md) (Infrastructure; Accepts)
- [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Identity](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Identity.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Signal](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Signal.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [AuditTrail](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/AuditTrail.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Award](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Award.md) (Society; Composes with)
- [Contract](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Contract.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [FailureTrace](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/FailureTrace.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Sign#mh:SHA-256:b2020447ec4c2725a139c6117c764cf464643e6e83379e86263267f95e4965ee`
- Ref: `Sign#b202`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Sign#mh:SHA-256:1fb991fd538b93a9e2566b3f2a4c69f67a6b101d0577d911f50a4e194c1dc6ba`
  - `sema:Sign#mh:SHA-256:d89a18b44321e4b9ba9aada7ac698f69ef9f24a2b0d92e0906168554604a301c`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Sign/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Sign)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Sign.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)