How OCME Governance Works | Creator-Controlled Rules, Real Decision Authority

OCME is governed by its members through a structured framework with defined roles, transparent decision-making, and real authority vested in creator and industry participants. This isn't governance theater — it's a working system built on Trust over IP (ToIP) standards where an elected Industry Advisory Council votes on the rules that shape the ecosystem.

How is OCME governed?

OCME is governed by three bodies that share clearly defined authority: a Board of Directors for legal oversight, an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) for governance and policy, and an Executive Director for day-to-day operations. This structure ensures no single person or group controls the ecosystem.

Legally, OCME is a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation organized as an unincorporated association under Wisconsin jurisdiction, with developed bylaws. It obtained federal tax-exempt status in July 2025. The non-profit structure means there are no shareholders extracting value — the ecosystem exists to serve its 800+ members, not investors.

What is the Industry Advisory Council?

The IAC is the governance body where ecosystem participants — creators, curators, and industry leaders — have direct decision-making authority over the rules that affect their work. The IAC reviews and approves the governance framework, oversees controlled documents, and votes on recognizing new Colonies.

Current IAC Members:

The IAC is not an advisory panel that makes suggestions to a corporate board. When the IAC votes on a governance change, that vote carries real authority. The Board provides legal and fiduciary oversight, but the IAC drives policy.

What decisions does each governing body make?

Decision authority in OCME follows a clear matrix. Each type of decision has a defined process and a specific body responsible for it.

Board of Directors (Alan Katzman, Tommy Beringer, Darrell O'Donnell) — Legal and fiduciary oversight, constitutional amendments, strategic direction.

Industry Advisory Council — Reviews and approves the governance framework, oversees controlled documents, recognizes Colonies.

Executive Director (Andy Woodruff) — Day-to-day operations, operational document authority, implementation of Board and IAC decisions.

This separation of authority means governance changes require consensus across the ecosystem's leadership, not unilateral decisions from any single role. To see how this compares to traditional platform governance, read OCME vs. Traditional Platforms.

What are OCME's core principles?

OCME's governance framework is built on nine core principles. These aren't aspirational statements — they are structural commitments that the governance framework is designed to enforce.

1. Decentralization & Member Empowerment — Champion Creator Governed Content. Power flows to members, not to central authorities.
2. Transparency & Open Governance — All governance decisions are visible to the community. No backroom deals.
3. Built on Proven, Open Foundations — OCME uses open standards (ToIP, DIDs) so creators are never locked into proprietary systems.
4. Creator Data Autonomy — Creators own their data. Full stop.
5. Creator Rights & Fair Compensation — Value flows to creators. The 60% revenue share is a structural guarantee, not a promotional rate.
6. Colony Autonomy with Universal Alignment — Colonies operate with flexibility, but within universal guardrails that protect all members.
7. Long-term Community — Minimum viable value extraction. OCME takes 5% for operations — the minimum needed to sustain the ecosystem.
8. Inclusion, Equity & Accessibility — The ecosystem is open to all. Creator membership is free and open.
9. Minimal Control — Only governance that is genuinely necessary. No bureaucracy for its own sake.

These principles are not just listed in a document — they are enforceable through the governance framework. The IAC has authority to review any policy or decision against these principles.

What is the ToIP governance framework?

OCME's governance follows the Trust over IP (ToIP) framework, an open standard for building trust ecosystems. ToIP provides the structural blueprint for how governance documents are organized, how authority flows between governing bodies, and how members interact with the system.

Using ToIP means OCME's governance is built on proven, open foundations rather than proprietary frameworks. Creators aren't locked into OCME-specific systems — the standards are portable, interoperable, and maintained by a global community. This aligns directly with OCME's third core principle: Built on Proven, Open Foundations.

The governance framework defines three tiers of documents: the Primary Governance Framework (the foundational document, amended by IAC vote with Board approval), Universal Controlled Documents (governed by IAC vote, applying ecosystem-wide), and Colony Controlled Documents (managed at the colony level for colony-specific policies and procedures).

How do Colonies govern themselves?

Colonies are specialized content communities (like the Video Media Colony for music videos, Music Colony, and Gaming Colony) that operate with autonomy within OCME's universal governance framework. Each colony can set its own content policies, community standards, and operational procedures — as long as they align with OCME's nine core principles.

Colony recognition and removal is governed by IAC vote. This means the community decides which colonies join the ecosystem, not a single administrator. Colonies inherit universal principles but have genuine flexibility in how they organize. A gaming colony doesn't need the same operational rules as a music video colony — and OCME's framework is designed to accommodate that.

Communities belong to the colony and the ecosystem, not to any single curator or individual. This ensures that if a curator leaves, the community they built continues to thrive within the ecosystem. To understand what Colonies look like in practice, see What is OCME?.

How can members participate in governance?

Every OCME member can participate in governance from the moment they join. The ecosystem is designed so that the people doing the work — creating content, curating experiences, building community — are the same people making the rules.

Here's how participation works at each level:

• All members can engage in governance discussions, propose changes, and contribute to the direction of their Colony.
• IAC members vote on governance framework changes, controlled documents, and colony recognition. The IAC is composed of active ecosystem participants.
• Board members provide legal and fiduciary oversight and vote on constitutional amendments.

OCME was founded in spring 2024, formed its IAC in August 2024, and conducted a strategic premortem in October 2024 to stress-test the governance model before scaling. The governance framework roadmap was finalized in August 2025. This is a system that has been deliberately built and tested — not bolted on as an afterthought.

If you believe creators should control the rules, OCME is where that's actually happening. Join as a creator today and start participating.