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