Grace Periods

When a creator boxes their identity, existing avatars using their likeness aren’t immediately removed. Instead, a 30-day grace period gives avatar creators time to comply.

Why Grace Periods Exist

LMIF prioritizes fair treatment for everyone:

For creators: Protection is enforced, but fairly
For avatar creators: Time to adapt, not abrupt cutoffs
For users: Conversations preserved, smooth transitions
For platforms: Predictable compliance windows

30-Day Timeline

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    GRACE PERIOD TIMELINE                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│  DAY 0: Box Activated                                        │
│  ├── All matching avatars flagged                            │
│  ├── Avatar creators notified                                │
│  ├── Users notified (in-app message)                         │
│  └── Grace period countdown begins                           │
│                                                              │
│  DAY 7: First Reminder                                       │
│  └── Notification sent to avatar creators                    │
│                                                              │
│  DAY 21: Second Reminder                                     │
│  └── "9 days remaining" notification                         │
│                                                              │
│  DAY 28: Final Warning                                       │
│  └── "2 days remaining - take action now"                    │
│                                                              │
│  DAY 30: Enforcement                                         │
│  ├── Unlicensed avatars deactivated                          │
│  ├── Users migrated to alternatives                          │
│  └── Conversation history preserved                          │
│                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Resolution Options

During the grace period, avatar creators have several options:

Option	Description
Obtain License	Apply for and pay for a license
Remove Avatar	Delete the violating avatar
Mark as Parody	Add clear parody disclaimer (if allowed by policy)
Modify Avatar	Change name/image to remove likeness
Appeal	Dispute the detection (goes to human review)

For Platform Developers

Handling Grace Period Webhooks

app.post('/webhooks/lmif', async (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;

  switch (event.type) {
    case 'grace_period.started':
      // A grace period has begun for your platform
      await handleGracePeriodStart(event.data);
      break;

    case 'grace_period.reminder':
      // Reminder notification (day 7, 21, 28)
      await sendReminder(event.data);
      break;

    case 'grace_period.ending':
      // Final warning - 2 days left
      await sendUrgentNotification(event.data);
      break;

    case 'grace_period.expired':
      // Grace period ended - enforcement required
      await enforceViolation(event.data);
      break;

    case 'grace_period.resolved':
      // Avatar creator resolved the violation
      await markResolved(event.data);
      break;
  }

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

Grace Period API

// Get active grace periods for your platform
const gracePeriods = await lmif.gracePeriods.list({
  platformId: 'your_platform_id',
  status: 'active'
});

// Get details of a specific grace period
const period = await lmif.gracePeriods.get('gp_abc123');

// Mark a violation as resolved
await lmif.gracePeriods.resolve('gp_abc123', {
  resolution: 'removed',
  avatarId: 'avatar_xyz'
});

Response Format

{
  "id": "gp_abc123",
  "boxId": "box_xyz789",
  "violationId": "viol_123456",
  "status": "active",
  "startedAt": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
  "expiresAt": "2024-01-31T00:00:00Z",
  "daysRemaining": 15,
  "affectedAvatars": [
    {
      "avatarId": "avatar_001",
      "platformId": "your_platform",
      "creatorId": "creator_abc",
      "userCount": 1500
    }
  ],
  "notifications": {
    "day0": { "sent": true, "at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z" },
    "day7": { "sent": true, "at": "2024-01-08T00:00:00Z" },
    "day21": { "sent": false },
    "day28": { "sent": false }
  }
}

User Experience Principles

Never abrupt - Users always get warning
Always alternatives - Suggest similar avatars
Preserve history - Conversations and memories saved
Smooth migration - Clear path to new avatars

Special Cases

Early Resolution

If an avatar creator resolves the violation early (e.g., obtains a license), the grace period ends immediately:

// Avatar creator obtained a license
await lmif.gracePeriods.resolve('gp_abc123', {
  resolution: 'licensed',
  licenseId: 'lic_xyz789'
});

Appeals

If an avatar creator appeals, the grace period is paused:

{
  "id": "gp_abc123",
  "status": "paused",
  "pauseReason": "appeal_pending",
  "appealId": "appeal_456",
  "originalExpiresAt": "2024-01-31T00:00:00Z"
}

The grace period resumes (with remaining time) if the appeal is denied.

Creator Changes Policy

If the identity owner changes to a less restrictive policy during the grace period:

Policy Change	Effect
BLOCK_ALL → MONETIZE	Grace period continues, but with licensing option
BLOCK_ALL → OPEN	Grace period ends, no enforcement
MONETIZE → BLOCK_ALL	Grace period resets to 30 days

Sandbox Testing

In the sandbox environment, grace periods are accelerated:

Production	Sandbox
30 days	24 hours
Day 7 reminder	Hour 6 reminder
Day 21 reminder	Hour 18 reminder
Day 28 warning	Hour 22 warning