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@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+"@objectstack/spec": minor
+"@objectstack/metadata": minor
+---
+
+feat(spec): retire the paper metadata-customization protocol with its full coupling set (#13135, re-charter of #12057; ADR-0049, ADR-0126)
+
+<!-- adr-0087: registered metadata-customization-protocol-retired -->
+
+**BREAKING** export removal + authorable-key retirement, landing after the
+v17.0.0 cut (the lockstep launch-window convention ships it as `minor`; the
+prescriptions are registered under protocol major 18 —
+`RETIRED_DEFS_BY_MAJOR[18]`, `RETIRED_KEYS_BY_MAJOR[18]` and the D3 semantic
+entry `metadata-customization-protocol-retired` — where `os migrate meta`
+users will look).
+
+`kernel/metadata-customization.zod.ts` declared a three-layer platform/user
+patch-overlay protocol (field-level change tracking, customization policies, a
+3-way-merge story) that nothing reachable implemented: no route ever served
+the paper `…/overlay` / `…/effective` endpoints, the only implementation
+(`packages/metadata`'s manager limb) was called solely by its own unit tests,
+no merge engine ever existed, and no code read a `CustomizationPolicy`.
+ADR-0126 §6 wall 4 supersedes the protocol as a matter of record ("nothing may
+build against it"); the maintainer adopted retirement on #12057 (2026-08-29,
+「同意」), and #13135 charters the full coupling set the fork report measured.
+
+FROM → TO:
+
+- `MetadataOverlaySchema` / `FieldChangeSchema` / `CustomizationOriginSchema` /
+  `MergeConflictSchema` / `MergeStrategyConfigSchema` / `MergeResultSchema` /
+  `CustomizationPolicySchema` and their `…`/`…Parsed` types
+  (`@objectstack/spec/kernel`) → *(removed — no replacement protocol)*. The
+  customization that actually ships: ADR-0005's org-scoped overlay
+  (`allowOrgOverride` on `DEFAULT_METADATA_TYPE_REGISTRY`, `sys_metadata` org
+  rows, layered read `code`/`overlay`/`effective`) and ADR-0126's
+  packaged-metadata model (clone + ledger disable).
+- `MetadataOverlayResponseSchema` / `MetadataOverlaySaveRequestSchema` /
+  `MetadataEffectiveResponseSchema` (`@objectstack/spec/api` §5) →
+  *(removed)* — contracts for endpoints no adapter ever served; the layered
+  read's contracts (`getMetaItemLayered`) are the live API.
+- `IMetadataService.getOverlay` / `.saveOverlay` / `.removeOverlay` /
+  `.getEffective` optional members (`@objectstack/spec/contracts`) →
+  *(removed)*, together with `packages/metadata`'s in-memory limb and its
+  `'overlay'` feature log entry.
+- `MetadataPluginConfig.customizationPolicies` / `.mergeStrategy` and
+  `MetadataManagerConfig.persistence.overlayWritable` → *(removed — retiredKey
+  tombstones)*: authoring one is now a `tsc` error and a parse error carrying
+  the prescription. Delete the keys; nothing replaces them (`persistence.writable`
+  remains the base write gate).
+
+One-line fix: delete the keys and any code building against the removed
+exports — they configured and described nothing that ever ran; org-level
+customization keeps riding the ADR-0005 overlay unchanged.
+
+The retirement kit: whole-module deletion + kernel barrel line; 10
+`RETIRED_DEFS_BY_MAJOR[18]` entries (7 kernel defs + 3 api §5 contracts); 3
+`RETIRED_KEYS_BY_MAJOR[18]` tombstone entries (no D2 conversion —
+plugin/manager configs are not stack collection members, the
+`kernel/MetadataPluginConfig:additionalTypes` precedent); D3 semantic entry
+`metadata-customization-protocol-retired`; retirement pin test
+(`kernel/metadata-customization-retirement.test.ts`); type-alias pin rows
+Iso408-411 vacated; api-surface / export-origins / json-schema manifest /
+authorable-surface / reference docs regenerated (the
+`kernel/metadata-customization` reference page disappears with the module).
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Presentation layer - views, forms, dashboards, and app branding.
 | **[Chart](/docs/references/ui/chart)** | `chart.zod.ts` | Chart, ChartType | Chart definitions |
 | **[Widget Contract](/docs/protocol/objectui/widget-contract)** ↗ | `widget.zod.ts` | FieldWidgetProps | Props a custom field widget receives — the contract is documented with ObjectUI, outside `references/ui/` |
 
-## Kernel Protocol (17 of 31 schemas)
+## Kernel Protocol (17 of 30 schemas)
 
 Plugin architecture, manifests, and kernel runtime.
 
 
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: IMetadataService Contract
-description: Reference for the Metadata Service contract — CRUD operations for object and field definitions, schema registry, overlay management, and import/export
+description: Reference for the Metadata Service contract — CRUD operations for object and field definitions, schema registry, and import/export
 ---
 
 The Metadata Service manages all object and field definitions at runtime. It serves as the **schema registry** — plugins, the Kernel, and the API layer all query this service to discover what objects exist and what fields they contain.
@@ -61,12 +61,6 @@ export interface IMetadataService {
   bulkRegister?(items: Array<{ type: string; name: string; data: unknown }>, options?: { continueOnError?: boolean; validate?: boolean }): Promise<MetadataBulkResult>;
   bulkUnregister?(items: Array<{ type: string; name: string }>): Promise<MetadataBulkResult>;
 
-  // Overlay / customization (optional)
-  getOverlay?(type: string, name: string, scope?: 'platform' | 'user'): Promise<MetadataOverlay | undefined>;
-  saveOverlay?(overlay: MetadataOverlay): Promise<void>;
-  removeOverlay?(type: string, name: string, scope?: 'platform' | 'user'): Promise<void>;
-  getEffective?(type: string, name: string, context?: { userId?: string; tenantId?: string; positions?: string[]; permissions?: string[] }): Promise<unknown | undefined>;
-
   // Watch / subscribe (optional)
   watch?(type: string, callback: MetadataWatchCallback): MetadataWatchHandle;
 
@@ -206,35 +200,16 @@ const validation = await metadataService.validate('object', definition);
 
 ---
 
-## Overlay Management
-
-Overlays customize a metadata item without modifying the base (system) definition.
-A `MetadataOverlay` references the target by `baseType` + `baseName`, carries a JSON
-Merge Patch in `patch`, and resolves in the order **system ← platform ← user**.
-
-```typescript
-// Save a platform-scope overlay
-await metadataService.saveOverlay({
-  id: 'overlay-platform-1',
-  baseType: 'object',
-  baseName: 'task',
-  scope: 'platform',
-  patch: { label: 'Work Item' },
-});
+## Overlay Management — removed
 
-// Read the merged (effective) definition with overlays applied
-const effective = await metadataService.getEffective('object', 'task', {
-  userId: 'user-123',
-});
-```
-
-| Property | Type | Description |
-|:---|:---|:---|
-| `baseType` | `string` | Metadata type being customized |
-| `baseName` | `string` | Metadata name being customized |
-| `scope` | `'platform' \| 'user'` | Customization scope (default `platform`) |
-| `owner` | `string` | Owner user ID, for `user`-scope overlays |
-| `patch` | `object` | JSON Merge Patch (changed fields only) |
+The optional `getOverlay` / `saveOverlay` / `removeOverlay` / `getEffective`
+members and their `MetadataOverlay` record were removed in #13135 (ADR-0049
+enforce-or-remove): they belonged to a paper customization protocol no route
+ever served, and ADR-0126 supersedes it on the record. Org-scoped
+customization is [ADR-0005's metadata overlay](https://github.com/objectstack-ai/objectstack/blob/main/docs/adr/0005-metadata-customization-overlay.md)
+— opt-in per type via `allowOrgOverride`, written through the REST meta write
+doors, and read back through the layered read (`code` / `overlay` /
+`effective`).
 
 ---
 
@@ -293,7 +268,6 @@ console.log(result.failed);    // failed
 | Type | Description |
 |:---|:---|
 | `MetadataQuery` / `MetadataQueryResult` | Query parameters and paginated result for `query()` |
-| `MetadataOverlay` | Runtime customization layer (`baseType`, `baseName`, `scope`, `patch`) |
 | `MetadataExportOptions` | `{ types?, namespaces?, format? }` for `exportMetadata` |
 | `MetadataImportOptions` | `{ conflictResolution?, validate?, dryRun? }` for `importMetadata` |
 | `MetadataImportResult` | `{ total, imported, skipped, failed, errors? }` |
@@ -321,36 +295,14 @@ const views = await metadataService.listViews('account');
 const dashboard = await metadataService.get('dashboard', 'sales_overview');
 ```
 
-### User-Level Customization
+### Org-Level Customization
 
-Users can customize views via the overlay system:
-
-```typescript
-// Admin customizes a view for all users
-await metadataService.saveOverlay({
-  id: 'overlay-platform-1',
-  baseType: 'view',
-  baseName: 'account.default',
-  scope: 'platform',
-  patch: { columns: ['name', 'email', 'status', 'created_at'] },
-});
-
-// A specific user saves personal column preferences
-await metadataService.saveOverlay({
-  id: 'overlay-user-123',
-  baseType: 'view',
-  baseName: 'account.default',
-  scope: 'user',
-  owner: 'user-123',
-  patch: { columns: ['name', 'status'] },  // user only wants 2 columns
-});
-
-// Resolve effective view for a specific user
-const effectiveView = await metadataService.getEffective('view', 'account.default', {
-  userId: 'user-123',
-});
-// Result: base view ← platform overlay ← user-123 overlay
-```
+Per-org view customization rides ADR-0005's metadata overlay (opt-in per type
+via `allowOrgOverride`, `view` among the overlay types): an org-scoped write
+through the REST meta doors stores a `sys_metadata` row, and the layered read
+returns `code` / `overlay` / `effective` for it. The per-user, per-field patch
+overlay a previous revision of this page taught here was removed in #13135 —
+it was never served by any route.
 
 ### Permission-Based UI Filtering
 
 
@@ -227,21 +227,25 @@ instance goes through `@objectstack/cloud-connection` (`os package install`).
 A still-configured `artifact-api` source fails loudly at `start()` rather
 than silently falling back to the filesystem scan.
 
-### 2. Persistence Write Gates
+### 2. Persistence Write Gate
 
-`MetadataManagerConfigSchema.persistence` is a two-axis runtime freeze. Both flags default to `true`.
+`MetadataManagerConfigSchema.persistence` is a runtime freeze. The flag defaults to `true`.
 
 | Flag | Effect when `false` |
 | :--- | :--- |
 | `persistence.writable` | `register()` becomes a no-op (or throws when `validation.throwOnError`). |
-| `persistence.overlayWritable` | `saveOverlay()` is rejected. Disables Studio overlays in sealed deployments. |
 
 ```typescript
 new MetadataManager({
-  persistence: { writable: false, overlayWritable: false },
+  persistence: { writable: false },
 });
 ```
 
+(`persistence.overlayWritable` was removed in #13135 with the paper
+metadata-customization protocol — the `saveOverlay()` it gated was never
+reachable from any served surface. Authoring it is now a compile-time and
+parse-time error carrying the prescription.)
+
 ### 3. DatabaseLoader Read-Through Cache
 
 `DatabaseLoader` wraps `load` / `loadMany` / `list` / `stat` results in a generic LRU cache (lazy TTL, promote-on-get, write invalidation). Reads always observe writes performed through the same loader instance; out-of-band SQL writes are honored within `ttl` milliseconds.