Batin
Governance document
*Adopted at the founding meeting on 26 June 2026 in Fredrikstad, Norway. This is a text edition for reading and linking, and an unofficial English translation. The signed Norwegian PDF (Founding Document and Statutes) is the official version. Norsk versjon: Norsk.*
The association's name is Batin. Internationally the association may operate under the name "Batin" and refer to its collective work as the Batin ecosystem.
The purpose of the association is to advance digital freedom, privacy and technological innovation through the development, management and distribution of open source. The software shall be made freely and without charge available to the public, in order to secure a safe, independent and decentralised digital ecosystem.
The purpose is pursued through, among other things:
The association is an independent legal person with members and is self-owning. Being self-owning means that no one, neither members nor others, has any claim to the association's assets or property, or is liable for its debt or other obligations. The association is not for profit, and any financial surplus shall in its entirety be returned to the association's non-profit purpose.
The association may admit as a member any natural or legal person who wishes to support the association's purpose. The board approves the admission of new members.
All members have the right to take part in the annual meeting, have the right to vote and are eligible for elected office. Members who owe a set membership fee for more than one year have no voting rights or other rights, and the board may strike them from membership. Members are obliged to abide by decisions made by the annual meeting.
The annual meeting, held every year, is the association's highest authority. The annual meeting has a quorum with the number of members entitled to vote who attend, and each member has one vote. The chair of the meeting is elected by the annual meeting. Unless otherwise decided, decisions are made by an ordinary majority of the votes cast. A tie is decided by drawing lots.
The annual meeting shall:
The annual meeting is convened by the board with at least one month's notice, directly to the members and by announcement on the association's website. Proposals to be considered must be sent to the board no later than two weeks before the annual meeting, and the complete agenda shall be available no later than one week before. The annual meeting cannot consider proposals not on the agenda, unless 3/4 of those present require it.
An extraordinary annual meeting is held when the board decides so, or when at least 1/3 of the members require it. It is convened as for an ordinary annual meeting, with at least 14 days' notice. The meeting may only consider the matters announced in the notice.
The association has a board of 2 to 7 members. The board is the highest authority between annual meetings. The board meets when the chair or a majority of the board members require it.
The board shall:
The board has a quorum when a majority of the members are present. Decisions are made by a majority of the votes cast; in the event of a tie the chair has a casting vote.
The association's signatory rights are held by the chair alone, or by two board members jointly.
Amendments to these statutes may only be made at an ordinary or extraordinary annual meeting after having been placed on the agenda, and require a 2/3 majority of the votes cast.
Dissolution of the association may only be considered at an annual meeting and requires a 2/3 majority. On dissolution, the association's assets, intellectual property rights and source code shall, after debts are covered, pass to another non-profit organisation with a similar purpose as decided by the annual meeting. The source code remains under a free software licence. No members have any claim to the association's funds.