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BMLinkS Project Committee Regulations

Dec 11, 2003

BMLinkS Project Committee Rules

(Name of the Committee)
Article 1. The Committee is named as BMLinkS Project Committee.

(Objectives)
Article 2. The Committee aims to realize an integrated interface BMLinkS (Business Machine Linkage Service) that remarkably enhances convenience of office appliances under network environment and to promote its introduction into office appliances. For this goal, the Committee intends to engage in various activities such as specifications’ study/development, software development, feasibility tests, information exchange, and promotion activities in order to improve user convenience and intellectual work productivity for those who use office appliances. The purpose also targets contribution to the overall growth of business machine and information system industries.

(Activities)
Article 3. The Committee pursues the following activities to achieve the objectives stipulated in the foregoing Article 2:
(1) BMLinkS specifications study/development;
(2) BMLinkS feasibility tests or Plug Fest, etc.;
(3) Certification of BMLinkS products;
(4) Information Exchange and promotion activities related to BMLinkS; and
(5) Other activities necessary to accomplish the purpose of The Committee.

(Membership Classifications and Requirements)
Article 4. The Committee is composed of members of the following three classifications, and the members of each classification own the rights and obligations set forth separately from those for the other members.
2. Board members are full members of Business Machine and Information System Industries Association. All Rights Reserved. (JBMIA), and perform activities in line with the purpose and operate the Committee.
3. Regular members are regular members or patronage members of JBMIA who agree to the purpose and activities of the Committee and perform activities in line with the purpose.
4. Associate members are regular members or patronage members of JBMIA who agree to the purpose and activities of the Committee and perform activities in line with the purpose from the standpoint of realizing various applications except for implementing the Office Services on the BMLinkS appliances.

(Board Members)
Article 5. Board members shall be the regular members of JBMIA.
2. The board initially consists of member companies (the Founders) of OA System Project Committee as of May 31, 2002, which is the forerunner of the Committee.
3. The term of the Board membership is set to two years, and Board members are to be reelected every other year. The Regular members who are regular members of JBMIA can announce candidacy for Board members at the time of reelection.
4. Management Committee defined in Article 9 decides and approves final candidates for the new Board members out of the Regular members who have announced candidacy, in conformity with procedures separately set forth.
5. The Management Committee may decide and approve the final candidates for new Board members out of the Regular members who have announced candidacy at the timing other than the reelection by following the procedures separately set forth in Section 4 of this Article.
6. The approved final candidates for new Board members can officially be Board members after submitting the signed IPR Agreement for Board Members, except when the final candidates are already Board members at the time of reelection.
7. The term of the Board membership shall be within the set term regardless of the timing that the Board membership is approved.

(Admission)
Article 6. Those who intend to be members of the Committee shall submit application forms for admission set forth separately, IPR agreements and written confirmations regarding specifications and common software corresponding to their membership requirements.

(Payment of Annual Membership Fee etc.)
Article 7. Members shall pay annual membership fee, which is separately decided per fiscal year according to the classification of membership.
2. The annual membership fee already paid by members is non-refundable for any reason.

(Withdrawal and Expulsion from the Committee)
Article 8. Those who intend to withdraw from the Committee shall submit written notice of the withdrawal.
2. If a member failed to pay the annual membership fee and did not respond to a call for the payment, the member might be expelled.
3. When the Management Committee judges that a member has damaged credit of the Committee or has conducted any action, which hampers activities of the Committee, the member may be expelled.

(Management Committee)
Article 9. The Management Committee consists of the Board members. The Management Committee decides and approves the following matters:
(1) Basic strategy of the Committee;
(2) Management policies and rules for the Committee;
(3) Establishment of expert committees or subcommittees;
(4) Proposals, decision making and approvals regarding specifications etc.; and
(5) Matters related to activities of the Committee other than the above Subsections (1) to (4) of this Article.
2. One chairperson and three vice-chairpersons are to be appointed for the Management Committee.
3. Regular members, Associate members, and Observers to whom the Management Committee has given prior approval to participate, can attend meetings of the Management Committee in principle. However, these members and the Observers have no right to propose, decide or approve any subject.
4. The chairperson or the vice-chairpersons for the Management Committee, defined in Article 10, are authorized to restrict Regular members, Associate members or Observers to attend the meetings or to make remarks in the meetings in the following situations: i) in cases where the subjects to be discussed are limited by member class or member rights, as predefined in Article 4 or ii) in cases where smooth and appropriate proceedings of the meetings are required.

(Election of Chairperson and Vice-chairpersons for Management Committee)
Article 10. The chairperson and the vice-chairpersons for the Management Committee are to be elected by mutual vote of Board members, followed by approval from the Management Committee.
2. The chairperson represents the Committee.
3. The vice-chairpersons assist the chairperson. If the chairperson is not capable of carrying out the duties, the vice-chairperson designated by the chairperson is to perform the duties of the chairperson.
4. Each of the terms of the chairperson and the vice-chairpersons is set to two (2) years; however, this does not preclude the possibility of reelection.

(Secretariat and Secretary)
Article 11. The Secretariat is to be established in order to serve staff function of the Management Committee.
2. A candidate for the Secretary shall be a person recommended by the chairperson of an expert committee or a subcommittee or by a Board member.
3. A candidate for the Secretary becomes the Secretary by fulfilling registration procedures set by the Board member companies after approved by the Management Committee
4. The term of the Secretary is set to two years. This does not preclude the possibility of reelection.
5. The Secretary can resign the position and also can be replaced by another person in mid-course of the term of the secretary in response to request by a Board member.
6. The term of a new secretary who has taken over is set to the remaining period of the term of the predecessor.

(Expert committees, Subcommittees, Working Groups (hereinafter referred to as "WG") etc.)
Article 12. The Expert committees and Subcommittees can be established with approval of the Management Committee when necessary to operate activities of the Committee.
2. The Working Group (WG) etc. can be established dependent to an expert committee or a Subcommittee with approval of the Management Committee when necessary to operate activities of the Committee.

(Election of Vice-chairperson/Chief Officer and Vice-chairpersons/Deputy Chief Officers of Expert Committee, Subcommittee, WGs)
Article 13. The chairperson/chief officer and the vice-chairpersons/deputy chief officers for the Expert Committee, Subcommittee, WGs are to be elected by mutual vote of the corresponding committee or WG, followed by approval from the Management Committee.
2. The chairperson represents the corresponding committee, subcommittee, or WG.
3. The vice-chairpersons/deputy chief officers assist the chairperson/chief officer. If the chairperson/chief officer is not capable of carrying out the duties, the vice-chairperson/deputy chief officer designated by the chairperson/chief officer is to perform the duties of the chairperson.
4. Each of the terms of the chairperson/chief officer and the vice-chairpersons/deputy chief officers is set to two years; however, this does not preclude the possibility of reelection.

(Limitation of Participation in Expert Committees, Subcommittees, WGs)
Article 14. In compliance with each section of Article 4, the chairperson of an Expert Committees or a subcommittee is authorized to restrict members’ participation in meetings of the Expert Committee, the Subcommittee or the WG etc. as well as selection of members’ names to put on mailing lists. The chairperson is also authorized to restrict distribution of specifications, common software or meeting materials.
2. In compliance with each section of Article 4, the Management Committee is authorized to instruct the chairperson of an Expert Committee or a Subcommittee to restrict members’ participation in meetings of this committee and WGs under this committee as well as selection of members’ names to put on mailing lists. The Management Committee is also authorized to instruct the above chairperson to restrict distribution of specifications, common software and materials. Also, the Management Committee can lift the whole or part of the restriction placed mainly by the expert committee or subcommittee as stipulated in this Article.
3. When a member whose participation in this committee or WGs under the committee is restricted in compliance with this article and the foregoing Section 2 hereof intends to request for removal of the whole or part of the restriction for a reasonable ground, the member can appeal to the Management Committee with a written statement of the reasons.
4. Upon receipt of the appeal, the Management Committee judges whether the restriction by the chairperson of the subcommittee is reasonable or not. When judging it unreasonable, the Management Committee makes a decision to affirm the whole or part of the appeal.
5. The chairperson of the expert committee or the subcommittee who has received the decision described in the foregoing Section 4 hereof shall take an immediate measure as required in accordance with the above-mentioned decision.

(Staff Office)
Article 15. The Staff Office is established for the Committee.
2. The Staff Office is placed within JBMIA.

(Membership Fee)
Article 16. In principle, membership fee is allotted to expenses necessary for operation of the Committee.
2. When some expenses are beyond the amount of annual membership fee in order to execute necessary activities as part of the activities for the Committee, contributions of the Board members and the Regular members can be collected in addition to the annual membership fee stipulated in the foregoing section so as to cover such expenses.
3. Expenses incurred for an event, where some members join as part of the activities for the Committee, can be covered by charging extra contributions to the members participating in the event, in addition to annual membership fee or the contributions described in the preceding section, as a result of considering the purpose of and foreseeable benefits from such an event.

(Fiscal Year)
Article 17. The fiscal year of the Committee begins on April 1st every year and ends on March 31st of the following year.
2. Accounting report shall be made to all members.

(Establishment of Rules, Bylaws)
Article 18.  For more appropriate activity purposes, the Expert Committees or the Subcommittees, co-working with the IPR & Legal Expert Committee, can set up a necessary rule or a bylaw under the BMLinkS Project Committee Rules. The rule or the bylaw becomes effective after the approval of the Management Committee.

Supplementary Provision
1. Revised rules are to be effected on and after Dec 11, 2003.