Competition Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction and Acceptance

These Competition Terms & Conditions ("Competition Terms") govern all photography competitions, contests, and prize programmes operated by Nexpher Images Limited ("Nexpher Images", "we", "our", or "us"), including the Monthly Photo Competition and any future competitions we may offer (each, a "Competition").

Nexpher Images Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexpher Limited. References to "Nexpher", "we", or "us" in these Competition Terms include Nexpher Images Limited, Nexpher Limited, and members of the Nexpher Group where applicable.

By opting in to a Competition through your IFS account, submitting eligible images, or otherwise participating, you agree to be bound by these Competition Terms in addition to our general Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and applicable editorial policies. If you do not agree, you must not participate in any Competition.

2. Eligibility

Unless otherwise stated on a specific Competition page, Competitions are open only to individuals who, at the time of entry and at the time prizes are awarded:

• Are approved contributors, staff, or stringers with an active Nexpher account in good standing;
• Are at least eighteen (18) years of age, or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is higher;
• Are not subject to any sanction, suspension, or restriction that would prevent participation;
• Are not employees or immediate family members of employees involved in judging that specific Competition, where such restriction is disclosed; and
• Meet any additional eligibility criteria published on the relevant Competition page.

Competitions are void where prohibited by law. You are solely responsible for determining whether you are legally permitted to participate and receive prizes in your jurisdiction.

3. How to Enter

Unless otherwise specified, entry to a Competition works as follows:

• Opt-in required. You must actively opt in to Competition participation through your IFS account before you can be eligible to win. Uploading images without opting in does not constitute a valid entry for prize purposes.
• Automatic entry upon upload. Once opted in, eligible images you create and submit to Nexpher during the applicable Competition period are automatically entered. No separate entry form is required.
• Competition period. Unless otherwise stated, the Monthly Photo Competition runs from 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) / Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the first day of each calendar month through 11:59 PM EST/EDT on the last day of that month. Timestamps are determined by Nexpher's systems, which shall be final.
• Editorial standards. All entered images must comply with Nexpher's editorial standards, metadata requirements, and rights verification processes.

We reserve the right to reject, exclude, or remove any submission that does not meet entry requirements, regardless of whether it was previously accepted on the platform.

4. Entry Requirements and Representations

By entering a Competition, you represent and warrant that:

• You are the creator of the submitted image or have full authority to submit it on behalf of the rights holder;
• The image is original to you (or your organisation) and was not copied, generated, or substantially derived from third-party work without proper authorisation;
• You hold all necessary rights, licences, releases, and permissions — including model, property, and trademark releases where required — to submit the image and to grant the rights described in these Competition Terms;
• The image does not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any person or entity;
• The image complies with applicable laws and Nexpher editorial policies, including restrictions on manipulated, misleading, or unethical content;
• Your entry does not contain unlawful, defamatory, obscene, hateful, harassing, or otherwise objectionable material; and
• All information you provide in connection with the Competition is accurate and not misleading.

You agree to provide evidence of rights, releases, or authenticity upon request. Failure to do so within a reasonable time may result in disqualification and forfeiture of any prize.

5. Judging and Winner Selection

Winners are selected by Nexpher's editorial team or other designated judges in our sole and absolute discretion. Judging criteria may include, without limitation, newsworthiness, composition, storytelling, technical quality, originality, and compliance with editorial standards.

All judging decisions are final and binding. No correspondence, review, or appeal will be entered into regarding the selection of winners, ranking of entries, or interpretation of Competition rules, except where required by applicable law.

We are not obligated to select the maximum number of winners or to award all advertised prize tiers if, in our judgment, insufficient eligible or qualifying entries are received.

6. Disqualification and Removal

Nexpher reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and without prior notice, to disqualify any participant or entry, revoke any prize, or remove any submission if we reasonably believe that the participant or entry:

• Does not meet eligibility requirements or has provided false or misleading information;
• Violates these Competition Terms, our Terms and Conditions, editorial policies, or applicable law;
• Infringes or may infringe third-party intellectual property, privacy, or other rights;
• Was submitted without valid opt-in or outside the applicable Competition period;
• Involves manipulation, fraud, plagiarism, AI-generated content presented as authentic editorial photography where prohibited, or other deceptive conduct;
• Attempts to interfere with the fair operation of a Competition, including vote rigging, multiple-account abuse, or collusion; or
• Brings Nexpher, the Nexpher Group, or the Competition into disrepute.

Disqualification may apply retroactively. If a prize has already been paid, you may be required to return it or its cash equivalent where permitted by law. We may also suspend or terminate your Nexpher account in accordance with our general terms.

7. Prizes

Prize amounts, tiers, and descriptions are published on the relevant Competition page. For the Monthly Photo Competition, unless otherwise stated, prizes are:

• 1st Place: USD $40
• 2nd Place: USD $30
• 3rd Place: USD $20
• Two (2) Honorary Mentions: USD $10 each

Prizes are awarded in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated. Prizes have no cash alternative except at our sole discretion. Prizes are non-transferable except where required by law.

Winners must remain opted in, maintain an account in good standing, and satisfy any verification, tax, or payment requirements before prizes are issued. We may withhold or cancel payment if you are disqualified, ineligible, or fail to comply with these Competition Terms.

Winners are solely responsible for any taxes, duties, withholdings, or reporting obligations arising from prize receipt. Where required by law, we may request tax documentation before payment.

8. Intellectual Property and Publicity Rights

You retain ownership of your submitted images. However, by entering a Competition, you grant Nexpher Images, Nexpher Limited, and the Nexpher Group a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, display, publish, distribute, and promote your entered images and associated metadata, captions, and contributor name in connection with:

• Operating, administering, and promoting the Competition;
• Announcing and showcasing winners on our website, apps, social channels, and marketing materials;
• Editorial and archival use within the Nexpher platform; and
• Internal reporting, training, and business purposes.

This licence survives disqualification for images already published as winners or used in good-faith promotional materials prior to disqualification, unless otherwise required by law.

By accepting a prize, you further consent to our use of your name, likeness, username, and submitted image in winner announcements and related publicity without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

9. Modification, Suspension, and Cancellation

We reserve the right at any time, in our sole discretion, to modify, suspend, postpone, or cancel any Competition, in whole or in part, without liability to participants. This includes changing prize amounts, eligibility criteria, Competition periods, judging procedures, or these Competition Terms.

Material changes will be posted on the relevant Competition page and/or your dashboard where practicable. Continued participation after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Competition Terms. If you do not agree to changes, you must opt out and cease participating.

10. Technical Issues and Force Majeure

We are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, corrupted, or undeliverable entries caused by technical failures, network outages, platform downtime, upload errors, system maintenance, or events beyond our reasonable control.

We shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes outside our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, labour disputes, government actions, or failures of third-party service providers.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

Competitions are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Nexpher disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, or statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that any Competition will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that defects will be corrected. Participation is at your own risk.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Nexpher Images, Nexpher Limited, the Nexpher Group, and their respective directors, officers, employees, contractors, agents, judges, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunities, arising out of or related to your participation in any Competition, whether based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to a Competition shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the prize amount actually awarded to you for that Competition, or (b) USD $50.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability. In such cases, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Nexpher Images, Nexpher Limited, the Nexpher Group, and their respective directors, officers, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any claims, demands, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your participation in a Competition;
• Any image or content you submit;
• Your breach of these Competition Terms or any representation or warranty made herein;
• Any allegation that your entry infringes or violates third-party rights; or
• Your violation of applicable law.

14. Privacy

Personal information collected in connection with Competitions is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. This may include using your name, username, and submitted images in winner announcements and promotional materials.

15. Governing Law and Disputes

These Competition Terms are governed by the laws applicable to Nexpher Images Limited and Nexpher Limited as set out in our general Terms and Conditions, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to a Competition shall be subject to the dispute resolution provisions in our general Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated by reference.

16. General

If any provision of these Competition Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver. These Competition Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Nexpher regarding Competitions and supersede any prior communications on the same subject, except where expressly incorporated into our general Terms and Conditions.

Questions about these Competition Terms may be directed through our contact page.