MEMBERSHIP TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Scope & Application

These Terms & Conditions apply to:

+ All TIMA voting members (Core, Standard, and Premier tiers)

+ All Inktegrity Access Pass holders (Basic, Professional, and Partner)

+ Board members, Officers, and Committee Chairs of both organizations

+ Staff, contractors, and volunteers acting on behalf of TIMA or Inktegrity

+ Any individual or organization participating in TIMA meetings, working groups, events, forums, webinars, or any official or affiliated activity

These terms apply to conduct in all contexts: in-person events, virtual meetings, digital communications, working groups, committee proceedings, public representations, and any other setting where a member acts in their capacity as a TIMA or Inktegrity participant.

2. Open Access & The Table Principle

2.1 An Open Industry Alliance

TIMA and Inktegrity are open to every segment of the tattoo, PMU, body piercing, body modification, and body art industry.

Membership is available to:

+ Ink and pigment manufacturers

+ Raw material suppliers and distributors

+ Studio owners, tattoo artists, and PMU practitioners

+ Equipment and device manufacturers

+ Aftercare and skin-prep product developers

+ Regulatory professionals and compliance consultants

+ Scientists, researchers, and academic institutions

+ Public health advocates and medical professionals

+ Collectors and body art enthusiasts

+ Media and communications professionals (via the Media Alliance Committee)

+ Any allied individual or organization that supports the mission of a safer, more transparent, and better-represented industry

No individual, company, or brand has preferential standing simply by virtue of size, seniority, market share, or financial contribution. Membership grants access to the alliance — it does not grant ownership of it.

2.2 The Table Belongs to the Industry

No single person, company, brand, or faction owns this table. The table belongs to the industry and the trade — and TIMA will defend that principle.

TIMA operates as a level playing field. All voices carry equal weight in deliberation. Standards, guidance, and policy positions are developed through collaborative, evidence-based processes — not by who speaks loudest, gives the most, or has been here the longest.

Members agree to approach every engagement — meetings, working groups, committees, and forums — with the collective good of the industry as their primary purpose.

Conduct that serves narrow commercial interests at the expense of the broader membership or the public interest is a violation of this principle.

3. Professional Conduct

Every member of TIMA and Inktegrity is expected to conduct themselves with the professionalism, integrity, and respect that this industry — and the public it serves — deserves.

3.1 Standards of Professionalism

+ Members will represent themselves and their organizations honestly, accurately, and transparently.

+ Misrepresentation of qualifications, certifications, regulatory status, or organizational affiliation is strictly prohibited.

+ Members will refrain from disparaging, defaming, or making false statements about other members, organizations, competitors, regulators, or the public.

+ Members will honor commitments made in their capacity as TIMA or Inktegrity participants.

+ Only members who have been explicitly authorized may represent TIMA or Inktegrity externally in any official capacity.

3.2 Integrity in All Dealings

+ Members will act honestly in all communications, submissions, votes, and participation within TIMA activities.

+ Information shared within confidential proceedings — including board meetings, closed working group sessions, and internal communications — will be kept confidential and not used for competitive advantage.

+ Members will disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest as required by the TIMA Conflict of Interest Policy and will recuse themselves from related discussions and votes.

4. Civil Discourse & Respect for Diverse Views

One of TIMA's greatest strengths is that it brings together people who do not always agree — and that is by design.

Manufacturers, practitioners, distributors, collectors, scientists, and regulators see this industry through different lenses. TIMA is the forum where those perspectives meet, inform each other, and build something stronger than any one of them could alone.

Disagreement is expected. Debate is healthy. What is not acceptable is conduct that shuts debate down, silences perspectives, or turns difference of opinion into personal conflict.

4.1 Principles of Civil Discourse

+ Members will engage in discussions with respect for the individuals across the table, even when they strongly disagree with their positions.

+ Every member's perspective is entitled to a fair hearing. No viewpoint will be dismissed because of who holds it.

+ Members will challenge ideas and positions on their merits — through evidence, reasoning, and dialogue — not through personal attacks, ridicule, or intimidation.

+ Members will allow others to speak and will not engage in conduct that dominates, derails, or intentionally disrupts collaborative proceedings.

+ Sarcasm, condescension, eye-rolling, dismissiveness, and other forms of passive disrespect are incompatible with the standards of this alliance.

4.2 No Person or Company Owns the Conversation

TIMA does not permit any individual, company, or coalition to consistently dominate deliberations, steer outcomes for private benefit, or use procedural tactics to suppress minority viewpoints.

Moderators and committee chairs are empowered to enforce equal participation, redirect off-topic conduct, and intervene when any participant monopolizes the floor.

5. Anti-Harassment & Zero Tolerance

TIMA has zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or exclusionary conduct of any kind. This is not a guideline — it is a condition of membership.

5.1 Prohibited Conduct

The following behaviors are prohibited in all TIMA and Inktegrity spaces and activities, without exception:

+ Verbal, written, or physical harassment targeting any individual or group

+ Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic

Threats, intimidation, or coercive conduct of any kind

+ Sustained or targeted negative behavior designed to humiliate, exclude, or harm another member

+ Unwanted physical contact in any in-person TIMA or Inktegrity setting

+ Sharing, posting, or distributing offensive, discriminatory, or sexually explicit material in any TIMA-affiliated channel or communication

+ Retaliating against any member for reporting a concern, filing a complaint, or cooperating with a review process

5.2 Reporting

Any member who experiences or witnesses conduct that violates this policy is encouraged to report it promptly to the Executive Director or any Board member.

Reports may be made anonymously. All reports will be reviewed in good faith, treated with confidentiality to the extent possible, and acted upon without retaliation against the reporting party.

TIMA's whistleblower protections apply in full to any member who, in good faith, raises a concern about conduct, policy, or compliance.

6. Level Playing Field & Protection Against Ill Intent

TIMA is built on the principle that no hidden agenda, private interest, or concentrated power should be able to manipulate the outcomes of this alliance for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many.

Every safeguard in these terms — from civil discourse rules to the ethics review process — exists to protect that principle.

6.1 No Agenda-Driven Conduct

+ Members may not use their participation in TIMA or Inktegrity to advance private commercial agendas through the organization's regulatory, policy, or standards work.

+ Working groups, committees, and proceedings may not be used to coordinate pricing, market allocation, or any other conduct that violates U.S. antitrust or competition laws. See Section 7 for the full antitrust policy.

+ Members may not make, fund, or coordinate communications designed to misrepresent the organization's positions, undermine its credibility, or manipulate its members.

+ Attempts to stack working groups, pack meetings, or otherwise game TIMA's governance to produce a pre-determined outcome will be treated as a serious violation of these terms.

6.2 Transparency & Good Faith

+ Members must be transparent about who they represent — themselves, a company, or another organization — in any TIMA proceeding.

+ Information obtained through TIMA participation may not be used to gain unfair competitive advantage over other members or used in ways inconsistent with the purposes of the alliance.

+ Members in positions of authority — on boards, committees, or working groups — are fiduciaries of this alliance. They must act in the interest of the organization and the industry it represents, not their own commercial interests.

7. Antitrust Compliance

As a trade association, TIMA is committed to full compliance with all applicable antitrust and competition laws.

Members must not, at any TIMA or Inktegrity meeting, event, or communication:

+ Discuss, coordinate, or agree upon prices, pricing strategies, or pricing terms with competitors

+ Agree on market allocation, customer assignment, or geographic territories

+ Coordinate production limits, supply restrictions, or product availability

+ Engage in bid-rigging or any other collusive behavior

Any discussion that approaches these areas must be stopped immediately. Members who recognize a potential antitrust issue in a proceeding are obligated to raise it.

Violations of antitrust policy may result in immediate membership termination and could expose the individual or their organization to civil and criminal penalties under applicable law.

8. Conflict of Interest

Members in covered roles — including Board members, Officers, Committee Chairs, and voting members — must complete and sign an annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.

Members must also disclose any new or emerging conflict as soon as it arises during the membership year.

A conflict of interest exists when a member's participation in a TIMA decision could result in direct or indirect personal or financial benefit to themselves or a closely affiliated party.

When a conflict exists, the member must:

+ Disclose the conflict fully to the Board or committee chair before the matter is discussed

+ Abstain from all discussion and voting on the matter

+ Leave the meeting room or digital session while the matter is deliberated, if requested

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest is itself a violation of these Terms & Conditions and may result in disciplinary action.

9. Confidentiality

Members will protect information shared within closed TIMA and Inktegrity proceedings, including proprietary business information, pre-decisional discussions, draft documents, member submissions, and deliberative communications not intended for public release.

Confidentiality obligations survive termination or expiration of membership.

A former member may not use, share, or leverage confidential information obtained through TIMA participation for any purpose after their membership ends.

10. Enforcement & Disciplinary Process

TIMA takes violations of these Terms & Conditions seriously. The integrity of the alliance depends on consistent, fair enforcement — regardless of who is involved or how long they have been a member.

10.1 Range of Disciplinary Actions

Depending on the nature, severity, and pattern of the violation, TIMA may take the following actions, in escalating order:

+ Formal Written Warning

A documented notice that a violation has occurred, describing the conduct and the expected correction. A written warning becomes part of the member's record.

+ Removal from Meeting or Event

A member may be removed from a specific meeting, working group session, event, or forum if their conduct is disruptive, harassing, or otherwise in violation of these terms. Removal is immediate and does not require a prior warning when the conduct warrants it.

+ Suspension of Membership

Temporary suspension of membership privileges — including access to meetings, working groups, the Inktegrity resource portal, voting rights, and all other member benefits — for a defined period determined by the Ethics Committee. Membership dues continue to accrue during suspension.

+ Termination of Membership

Permanent cancellation of membership in TIMA and/or Inktegrity. Termination is without refund of any dues paid. Access to all membership resources, events, and communications will be revoked immediately upon termination.

All suspensions and terminations are without refund of membership fees, regardless of the remaining term of membership at the time of the action.

10.2 Grounds for Immediate Action

The following violations may result in immediate suspension or termination, without a prior warning, at the discretion of the Ethics Committee:

+ Harassment, threats, or physical conduct directed at any member, guest, or affiliated party

+ Willful misrepresentation of qualifications, certifications, or regulatory status in official TIMA proceedings

+ Deliberate or coordinated action to manipulate TIMA governance for private benefit

+ Antitrust violations

+ Disclosure of confidential information for competitive or harmful purposes

+ Retaliation against a member for good-faith reporting of a concern

+ Conduct that brings TIMA or Inktegrity into public disrepute

11. Ethics Committee Review

All disciplinary matters — except informal warnings — are referred to the TIMA Ethics Committee for review.

The Ethics Committee operates independently of the Board and is composed of at least three members who do not have a direct interest in the matter under review.

11.1 Review Process

+ Upon receipt of a complaint or referral, the Ethics Committee will notify the subject member in writing within ten (10) business days, describing the nature of the concern.

+ The subject member will have the opportunity to submit a written response within fifteen (15) business days of notification.

+ The Ethics Committee may request additional information, documentation, or written statements from any relevant parties.

+ The Ethics Committee will issue a written decision within thirty (30) business days of receiving the member's response, or of the close of the response period if no response is received.

+ The decision will include the findings, the disciplinary action (if any), and the basis for the determination.

+ All proceedings before the Ethics Committee are confidential. Members involved are expected to maintain confidentiality throughout the process.

11.2 Interim Measures

Pending the Ethics Committee's final determination, TIMA may impose interim measures — including temporary suspension of meeting access — where necessary to protect the integrity of proceedings, the safety of other members, or the reputation of the organization.

12. Appeal Process

Every member subject to a disciplinary decision has the right to appeal — one time.

An appeal must be submitted in writing to the TIMA Board of Directors within twenty (20) business days of the Ethics Committee's written decision.

The appeal must state:

+ The specific grounds for the appeal — procedural error, new evidence not previously available, or a finding that is clearly contrary to the evidence

+ Any supporting documentation or information the member wishes the Board to consider

The Board of Directors will review the appeal and issue a final written decision within thirty (30) business days.

The Board's decision on appeal is final and binding. No further internal appeal is available after the Board's determination.

Appeals that do not identify a specific procedural error, new evidence, or factual basis will not be granted. An appeal is not an opportunity to re-litigate the original matter without new grounds.

13. Membership Dues & Refund Policy

+ Membership dues are set annually by the TIMA Board of Directors and are subject to change with at least thirty (30) days' advance written notice to members.

+ Dues are non-refundable except where explicitly provided in writing by the Board.

+ TIMA may activate “On-Duty Dues” for members during active advocacy or lobbying phases, with at least thirty (30) days' advance notice.

+ Members whose membership is suspended or terminated for violations of these Terms & Conditions forfeit all dues paid for the current term. No refund will be issued.

+ Voluntary cancellation of membership does not entitle the member to a refund of dues already paid.

14. Amendments

TIMA reserves the right to update or amend these Membership Terms & Conditions at any time by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Members will be notified of material changes in writing with at least thirty (30) days' advance notice.

Continued participation in TIMA or Inktegrity following notice of an amendment constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

15. Member Acknowledgment & Agreement

These Terms & Conditions are provided for your review before applying for TIMA or Inktegrity membership.

Membership applications and payments are completed separately through the applicable membership application form. As part of that process, you will be required to confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these TIMA & Inktegrity Membership Terms & Conditions before submitting your application and payment.

By providing that acknowledgment and submitting your membership application, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions for the duration of your membership.

You further acknowledge that violation of these terms may result in a formal warning, removal from meetings or activities, suspension, or permanent termination of membership without refund, subject to the Ethics Committee review and appeal processes described above.