Governance
Steering Committee

The Steering Committee (StC) defines the strategic directions of the AIoT User Group, shapes the structure of the organization, identifies and initiates key initiatives, and provides support, guidance and oversight of progress. The StC is elected bi-annually by the Active Contributors. It consists of up to 12 StC members. Every representative of an Active Contributor can apply, with a limit to one application per company. Elections are opened 4 weeks before the actual vote. Each applicant is given the chance to send an application letter to all Active Contributors to introduce himself. The actual voting is done electronically and anonymous. A special election can be held to replace a Steering Committee member who resigns. The first StC is elected by the founders.
Roles
(*) Significant contribution: Can be co-authorship of a whitepaper or use case documentation, contribution to the Ignite AIoT Playbook, or contribution to the community WG (e.g. co-organization of an Ignite Talk or AIoT Bootcamp). Confirmed by at least one StC member.
Dispute Resolution

Any AIoT User Group participant may raise a formal objection or complaint to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will attempt to reach a resolution and report back to the participants.
Any Steering Committee member has the right to dispute a decision taken by the Steering Committee. This shall be settled by open dialogue in the Steering Committee.
In case the dispute can not be settled within the AIoT User Group, a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) shall be chosen.

Antitrust Code of Conduct

The AIoT User Group (hereinafter referred to as “AIoT UG”) is a global, open and independent initiative with a focus on sharing good practices for connected, intelligent, physical products, utilizing AI and the Internet of Things (collectively hereinafter referred to as “AIoT”). This Antitrust Code of Conduct provides rules for the collaboration within AIoT UG in more detail.

I. General Rules and Governance
The following summarizes AIoT UG´s general antitrust rules and governance policies:
  1. The AIoT UG is not aimed at providing a platform for any kind of conduct resulting in restricting or distorting competition in any way.
  2. The AIoT UG participants are committed to comply with all applicable antitrust and competition laws and regulations and therefore to strictly adhere to these laws and regulations. Each AIoT UG participant acknowledges that non-compliance may result in exclusion of the respective participant from the AIoT UG.
  3. The participation in AIoT UG is open to all industrial companies, academic institutions and other research institutions interested in.
  4. All policies and guidelines published by AIoT UG are recommendations. The AIoT UG participants remain free to participate in alternative initiatives or to develop products that do not comply with the AIoT UG policies and guidelines.
  5. In the event that any activities by AIoT UG could lead to an industrial standard involving intellectual property rights, the AIoT UG participants shall agree on a clear and balanced IPR-Policy separately.
  6. AIoT UG participants shall inform their employees and representatives participating in AIoT UG about this Antitrust Code of Conduct. Each AIoT UG participant shall assure that its representatives are duly sensitized to antitrust issues and that they understand any associated risks and therefore conduct their participation in AIoT UG in compliance with antitrust and competition laws and regulations.
  7. A detailed agenda shall be established and circulated prior to any AIoT UG meetings (in person or over the phone). Any antitrust / competition law concerns with respect to topics on the agenda, shall be addressed to AIoT UG and/or the participant in charge of organizing the respective meeting. If the concerns may not be resolved prior to the meeting, the respective agenda topic shall be taken from the agenda until compliance with antitrust /competition laws is established. AIoT UG participants shall hold their meetings in strict accordance with the agenda; deviations should be mirrored in the meeting minutes. Minutes reflecting the essence of the discussions shall be drawn-up for each meeting and circulated to the AIoT UG participants in due course for approval.
  8. AIoT UG participants shall immediately and openly raise their concerns if certain discussions may, in their view, entail a risk of non-compliance with antitrust and/or competition laws and regulations. Such concerns shall be reflected in the meeting minutes. If the concerns may not be resolved in the meeting, the topic shall be postponed until compliance with antitrust /competition laws is established.
  9. In case of doubt about compliance of any AIoT UG matter with antitrust / competition laws, the AIoT UG participants shall involve their respective legal department for advice and assistance.

II. Anti-competitive Conduct and Exchange of Information
Certain conduct is considered inherently harmful to competition, and applicable antitrust and competition laws and regulations regularly prohibit such conduct. Such conduct includes agreements or concerted practices between competitors and even the exchange of information with respect to:
  1. Development, market strategy and intended market entries regarding new products in the field of AIoT (unless already publicly known)
  2. Planned internal R&D projects in the field of AIoT
  3. All price related information (e.g. purchase, sales and resale prices including list prices, price components, price calculation, pricing policy, price changes)
  4. Capacities and quotas (e.g. production quotas, restriction on production, capacity shortages)
  5. Sales policy, sales territories, customers (e.g. customer lists, current orders and invitations to order or requests for quotation, customer and market sharing, market exits, boycotts)
  6. Terms and conditions agreed with customers/suppliers (e.g. warranty)
  7. Information related to personnel recruitment of experts for AIoT or other experts (e.g. salary, salary components, salary ranges, bonuses, monetary incentives or no poach agreements)
The AIoT UG participants will neither encourage, nor facilitate or favor in any way such conduct or any communication of sensitive, confidential and strategic business information among AIoT UG participants.