Antitrust Guidelines

OASIS is a not-for-profit consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of open standards for the global information society. OASIS is not intended to, and may not, play any role in the competitive decisions of OASIS members, or in any way restrict competition in OASIS member industries. It is the policy of OASIS to comply with all antitrust and competition laws and regulations.

Those participating in OASIS activities at all levels, including Technical Committees, Subcommittees, Project Teams, Steering Committees, Board of Directors, etc., need to proceed with caution to ensure against inadvertent violations of international, federal or state/province antitrust and competition laws, because violations of such laws can result in criminal as well as civil penalties for individuals as well as their employers. Laws relating to antitrust and anticompetitive behavior are complex. You should seek to further understand these issues. If you are an employee of a corporate OASIS member your company may have materials to explain them to you.

OASIS members acknowledge that they may compete with one another in various lines of business and that it is therefore imperative that they and their representatives act in a manner that does not violate any applicable antitrust or competition laws and regulations. Each OASIS member may design, develop, manufacture, acquire or market competitive specifications, products and services, and conduct its business in whatever way it chooses. OASIS members participating in OASIS activities may not have any discussion relating to product pricing, methods or channels of product distribution, any division of markets, or allocation of customers or any other topic that should not be discussed among competitors. It is each OASIS member’s responsibility to obtain appropriate legal counsel regarding their conduct in OASIS and compliance with applicable antitrust or competition laws and regulations.

REMEMBER: Both your company and you as an individual can be prosecuted for violations of antitrust and anticompetition laws.

Approved by OASIS Board of Directors: 8 February 2008.