The Cosplay Photography Awards

1. Organizer and Scope

These Terms and Conditions apply to the photography contest "The Cosplay Photography Awards" (hereinafter "Contest").
The organizer of the Contest is: Mikhail Davydov, acting on behalf of the "The Cosplay Photography Awards Team" volunteer group, Neue Schönholzer Str. 29, 13187 Berlin, Germany (hereinafter "Organizer").
By participating in the Contest, the participant accepts these Terms and Conditions.

Participation is open to any natural person who has reached the age of 18 at the time of entry.
The participation is free of charge.
Employees of the Organizer and the sponsoring companies are excluded from participation.
Jury members cannot participate during the Awards year they are judging.

The Submission period begins on Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT and ends on Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT.
The Review period begins on Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:01:00 GMT and ends on Tue, 08 Dec 2026 00:00:00 GMT.
To participate, photos must be submitted using the participant's real legal name via an upload form (revealing later).
All submitted entries must comply with the separate Submission Rules.
The Submission Rules are an integral part of these Terms and Conditions. Failure to comply with them will result in disqualification.
Multiple submissions through multiple accounts or identity spoofing are strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.

Winners will be selected by a jury or voting process as described in the separate Judging Criteria.
The decisions of the jury are final and binding. Legal recourse regarding the selection of winners is excluded (Der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen).
Entries submitted to incorrect categories will be penalized and may be discarded by the jury.

The participant retains the copyright to their images.
By submitting a photo, the participant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, non-transferable, and royalty-free right to publish the photograph on the Contest website and the Organizer's social media channels (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, X) only if the photo is selected as a winner or nominee. Non-winning photos will not be published.
The Organizer agrees to credit the participant by name whenever the image is used, to the extent technically feasible.

The participant warrants that they are the sole author of the submitted photograph and hold all unlimited usage rights. If co-creators exist, the participant warrants they have obtained full written authorization to submit the work.
The participant warrants that the submitted photo is free of third-party rights and that all primary subjects intentionally posing or featured in the composition are at least 18 years old and have consented to the publication (Model Release). Incidental background crowds at public events are exempt.
Indemnification: The participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Organizer harmless from any claims, damages, or costs (including reasonable legal defense costs) asserted by third parties due to an infringement of their rights by the submitted photo.

The prizes are provided by external sponsors. The Organizer acts solely as an intermediary and does not become a contracting party regarding the prizes.
Disclaimer: The Organizer assumes no liability for the quality, functionality, or timely delivery of the prizes. Any warranty claims (Gewährleistungsansprüche) must be directed solely against the sponsor or manufacturer.
Prizes will be shipped directly by the sponsors. By accepting a prize, the winner expressly consents to their shipping address being forwarded to the sponsor.
A cash payment of the prize value or an exchange of the prize is excluded.
Shipping Restrictions: Shipping of prizes is subject to standard international shipping capabilities. If shipping is impossible due to force majeure, crisis, or import restrictions, the Organizer and Sponsor are released from the obligation to deliver the prize.
Identity and Ownership Verification: Before awarding any prize, the Organizer will verify the winner's identity and ownership. Legal consent, and shipping details will be collected via email. Ownership will be verified either by confirming the image is posted on the participant's declared social media profile (via Direct Message) or by providing the original RAW/unedited file.
The Organizer may request original RAW or unedited files at any time during the Contest. Failure to provide them within 72 hours of the request will result in immediate disqualification.

The Organizer is liable without limitation for intent (Vorsatz) and gross negligence (grobe Fahrlässigkeit).
For slight negligence (leichte Fahrlässigkeit), the Organizer is only liable in the event of a breach of a material contractual obligation (Kardinalpflicht). In such cases, liability is limited to the typical, foreseeable damage.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Organizer bears no liability for unauthorized image use, indirect, or consequential damages. As a free, volunteer-run contest, total liability for ordinary negligence shall not exceed €0. This limitation does not apply in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
The Organizer assumes no liability for technical issues, such as data loss during upload or server downtime.

Personal data provided by participants (e.g., name, email) will be processed solely for the purpose of conducting the Contest.
Data will be deleted after the Contest is concluded and legal retention periods have expired.
If a participant wins, the Organizer will request their shipping details and explicit consent via email before sharing any personal data with sponsors for prize fulfillment.
Further information can be found in the Privacy Policy.

The Organizer reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or end the Contest prematurely if proper execution is no longer possible due to technical, legal, or health reasons (e.g., serious illness of key organizers, force majeure, or public health restrictions).
The Organizer reserves the right to update or modify these Terms and Conditions during the application or review phase. Changes will be published on the Contest website and announced via the Organizer's official social media channels. Individual notification by email is not required.
The Organizer reserves the right to revoke titles and remove publications if rule violations are discovered after the contest concludes. The Organizer is not obligated to notify entrants of disqualification or provide justifications for rejection.
The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies.