Competition Law Statement

Published statement: Version 1.0, dated August 2024. The Statement of Competition Compliance on cheri-alliance.org is the current approved text and takes precedence if this page differs.

The Alliance promotes the adoption of open CHERI security technology, methods, and standards for stronger system security and memory protection. Members and non-member attendees must pursue that purpose while meeting their ethical, professional, and legal responsibilities.

Information that may be shared

Appropriate collaboration can include:

• public, non-confidential information;
• technical industry topics, standards, health, and safety;
• non-strategic scientific or technical data that benefits consumers;
• industry communication or public-policy activity, provided no competitively sensitive material is exchanged;
• standards that improve interoperability, compatibility, or safety, with appropriate advice on their transparency, availability, development, and competitive effects.

Advice should be sought where an initiative could exclude market participants or otherwise affect competition.

Information that must not be shared

Alliance activity, whether formal or informal, direct or indirect, must not be used to exchange commercially sensitive information between members or with non-members. Prohibited subjects include:

• current or planned prices and factors affecting price;
• organisation-specific sales or cost information;
• wages, salaries, hiring arrangements, or restraints on hiring competitors’ staff;
• confidential commercial plans, geographic expansion, or contraction;
• sensitive terms involving particular suppliers or customers.

Conduct that must not be coordinated

Participants must not reach an agreement, understanding, or tacit coordination through Alliance work concerning:

• customer prices or the timing and method of price changes;
• terms of sale or delivery;
• allocation of products, territories, or customers;
• whether or how to bid for customer work;
• production, capacity, or sales volumes;
• employee solicitation, salaries, or benefits.

Cartel agreements are unlawful in the United Kingdom, where the Alliance is established. They cannot be justified by the Alliance’s purpose or by an informal setting.

Questions and concerns

Questions about the statement and suspected breaches should be directed to the Alliance Board of Directors. When uncertain, stop the discussion and obtain appropriate advice before continuing.