Entries will be disqualified if they:
• Do not comply with the festival theme.
• Fail to meet the technical requirements.
• Are staged, posed, reenacted, or otherwise misleading, and fail to depict genuine, real-life situations truthfully.
• Contain AI-generated imagery or AI-assisted manipulation that materially alters the factual content of the image, as distinguished from the standard automatic camera processing described in Article 4.
• Were taken using equipment other than a mobile phone.
• Contain violent, offensive, discriminatory, or culturally inappropriate content, or violate applicable laws or the cultural values of ECO Member States.
Intellectual Property and Legal Provisions
1. Copyright of all submitted works remains with the photographer.
2. By submitting an entry, the participant represents and warrants that: (a) the participant is the creator of the photograph; and (b) all required permissions, releases, and consent from identifiable individuals, where legally required, have been obtained.
3. Where a submitted photograph clearly depicts an identifiable minor, the participant shall ensure that all permissions required by applicable law have been obtained.
4. Submitted photographs must truthfully depict genuine, real-life situations.
5. The participant shall be recognized as the copyright holder. If ownership is later proven otherwise, the entry will be disqualified, and all legal responsibility shall rest with the submitter.
6. Participants bear full responsibility for any claims regarding copyright infringement, privacy violations, or the rights of third parties.
7. Participants are responsible for ensuring that the creation and submission of their photographs comply with all applicable copyright, privacy, and data protection laws in the country where the photograph was taken.
8. The Festival Secretariat may reproduce and publish selected works solely for cultural, educational, research, and promotional purposes on a non-commercial basis, without additional compensation, with full credit to the photographer.
9. Whenever a photograph is published, the photographer's name and country will be acknowledged.
10. The Festival Secretariat may request the original image file, EXIF metadata, or any additional material necessary to verify the authenticity of a submitted photograph. Failure to provide such materials within the requested timeframe may result in disqualification.
11. The Festival Secretariat reserves the right to verify the date, location, and authenticity of any submitted photograph.
12. The Festival Secretariat may consult independent experts where necessary to verify the authenticity of submitted photographs.
13. The Festival Secretariat reserves the right to withdraw any award if a violation of these Regulations is discovered after the announcement of the results.
14. The ECO Cultural Institute reserves the right to reject works inconsistent with the cultural values, ethical standards, or objectives of the festival.
15. Personal information collected from participants will be used exclusively for festival administration, in accordance with the Institute's applicable data protection procedures, and will not be shared with third parties without consent, except where required by law.
16. Ethical Photography: Participants shall not endanger people, animals, cultural heritage, or the environment while taking photographs for the Festival.
17. The decisions of the Jury and the Festival Secretariat regarding eligibility, evaluation, and award recipients shall be final and binding.