cli-watermarklisted

> **Optimization:** Heavy content lives in `references/`. Load on demand. > **Language rule:** Skill instructions are written in English. When generating user-facing output, detect the project's primary language (from README, comments, docs, commit messages) and produce the output in that language. If the project is bilingual, ask the user which language to use before proceeding. > **SECURITY:** This skill generates PRIVATE artifacts. NEVER commit watermark secrets, codebooks, or proof files to a public repo. All secrets go in `{project}/.watermark/` (gitignored) or in a separate private repo. # CLI Watermark — Steganographic Code Fingerprinting > *"Cartographers insert fictional towns to catch map plagiarists. We insert fictional decisions to catch code plagiarists."* ## Rules for the Watermarker 1. **L8 first, always.** Generate the timestamped commitment BEFORE applying any code-level layer. Anteriority is your strongest asset — if you apply L4 without L8, you have a clever trick but no legal proof. 2. **Never publish secrets.** `secret.env` and `codebook.json` are PRIVATE. Only `PROOF.md`, `vectors.json`, and `.ots` files can be shared. 3. **Derive, don't invent.** Every watermark value (constant, canary, ordering) must be deterministically derivable from the master secret. Ad-hoc choices are indefensible — "I just picked that number" loses in court. 4. **Watermark the behavior, not the syntax.** After 2 rewrites + clean code, only L4/L5/L7/L8 survive. Invest there