1 # Bytecode Alliance Organizational Code of Conduct (OCoC)
3 *Note*: this Code of Conduct pertains to organizations' behavior. Please also see the [Individual Code of Conduct](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
7 The Bytecode Alliance (BA) welcomes involvement from organizations,
8 including commercial organizations. This document is an
9 *organizational* code of conduct, intended particularly to provide
10 guidance to commercial organizations. It is distinct from the
11 [Individual Code of Conduct (ICoC)](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md), and does not
12 replace the ICoC. This OCoC applies to any group of people acting in
13 concert as a BA member or as a participant in BA activities, whether
14 or not that group is formally incorporated in some jurisdiction.
16 The code of conduct described below is not a set of rigid rules, and
17 we did not write it to encompass every conceivable scenario that might
18 arise. For example, it is theoretically possible there would be times
19 when asserting patents is in the best interest of the BA community as
20 a whole. In such instances, consult with the BA, strive for
21 consensus, and interpret these rules with an intent that is generous
22 to the community the BA serves.
24 While we may revise these guidelines from time to time based on
25 real-world experience, overall they are based on a simple principle:
27 *Bytecode Alliance members should observe the distinction between
28 public community functions and private functions — especially
29 commercial ones — and should ensure that the latter support, or at
30 least do not harm, the former.*
34 * **Do not cause confusion about Wasm standards or interoperability.**
36 Having an interoperable WebAssembly core is a high priority for
37 the BA, and members should strive to preserve that core. It is fine
38 to develop additional non-standard features or APIs, but they
39 should always be clearly distinguished from the core interoperable
42 Treat the WebAssembly name and any BA-associated names with
43 respect, and follow BA trademark and branding guidelines. If you
44 distribute a customized version of software originally produced by
45 the BA, or if you build a product or service using BA-derived
46 software, use names that clearly distinguish your work from the
47 original. (You should still provide proper attribution to the
48 original, of course, wherever such attribution would normally be
51 Further, do not use the WebAssembly name or BA-associated names in
52 other public namespaces in ways that could cause confusion, e.g.,
53 in company names, names of commercial service offerings, domain
54 names, publicly-visible social media accounts or online service
55 accounts, etc. It may sometimes be reasonable, however, to
56 register such a name in a new namespace and then immediately donate
57 control of that account to the BA, because that would help the project
58 maintain its identity.
60 For further guidance, see the BA Trademark and Branding Policy
61 [TODO: create policy, then insert link].
63 * **Do not restrict contributors.** If your company requires
64 employees or contractors to sign non-compete agreements, those
65 agreements must not prevent people from participating in the BA or
66 contributing to related projects.
68 This does not mean that all non-compete agreements are incompatible
69 with this code of conduct. For example, a company may restrict an
70 employee's ability to solicit the company's customers. However, an
71 agreement must not block any form of technical or social
72 participation in BA activities, including but not limited to the
73 implementation of particular features.
75 The accumulation of experience and expertise in individual persons,
76 who are ultimately free to direct their energy and attention as
77 they decide, is one of the most important drivers of progress in
78 open source projects. A company that limits this freedom may hinder
79 the success of the BA's efforts.
81 * **Do not use patents as offensive weapons.** If any BA participant
82 prevents the adoption or development of BA technologies by
83 asserting its patents, that undermines the purpose of the
84 coalition. The collaboration fostered by the BA cannot include
85 members who act to undermine its work.
87 * **Practice responsible disclosure** for security vulnerabilities.
88 Use designated, non-public reporting channels to disclose technical
89 vulnerabilities, and give the project a reasonable period to
90 respond, remediate, and patch. [TODO: optionally include the
91 security vulnerability reporting URL here.]
93 Vulnerability reporters may patch their company's own offerings, as
94 long as that patching does not significantly delay the reporting of
95 the vulnerability. Vulnerability information should never be used
96 for unilateral commercial advantage. Vendors may legitimately
97 compete on the speed and reliability with which they deploy
98 security fixes, but withholding vulnerability information damages
99 everyone in the long run by risking harm to the BA project's
100 reputation and to the security of all users.
102 * **Respect the letter and spirit of open source practice.** While
103 there is not space to list here all possible aspects of standard
104 open source practice, some examples will help show what we mean:
106 * Abide by all applicable open source license terms. Do not engage
107 in copyright violation or misattribution of any kind.
109 * Do not claim others' ideas or designs as your own.
111 * When others engage in publicly visible work (e.g., an upcoming
112 demo that is coordinated in a public issue tracker), do not
113 unilaterally announce early releases or early demonstrations of
114 that work ahead of their schedule in order to secure private
115 advantage (such as marketplace advantage) for yourself.
117 The BA reserves the right to determine what constitutes good open
118 source practices and to take action as it deems appropriate to
119 encourage, and if necessary enforce, such practices.
123 Instances of organizational behavior in violation of the OCoC may
124 be reported by contacting the Bytecode Alliance CoC team at
125 [report@bytecodealliance.org](mailto:report@bytecodealliance.org). The
126 CoC team will review and investigate all complaints, and will respond
127 in a way that it deems appropriate to the circumstances. The CoC team
128 is obligated to maintain confidentiality with regard to the reporter of
129 an incident. Further details of specific enforcement policies may be
132 When the BA deems an organization in violation of this OCoC, the BA
133 will, at its sole discretion, determine what action to take. The BA
134 will decide what type, degree, and duration of corrective action is
135 needed, if any, before a violating organization can be considered for
136 membership (if it was not already a member) or can have its membership
137 reinstated (if it was a member and the BA canceled its membership due
140 In practice, the BA's first approach will be to start a conversation,
141 with punitive enforcement used only as a last resort. Violations
142 often turn out to be unintentional and swiftly correctable with all
143 parties acting in good faith.