IMAGE BANK POLICY European Vitreoretinal Society (EVRS) e.V. (hereinafter referred to as “EVRS”)

1. Objective

To establish a secure, high-quality, and easily accessible educational image and/or video repository for retinal specialists, contributed/submitted voluntarily by EVRS members and/or verified users (“Contributor”), with appropriate recognition and fair use guidelines.

2. Submission & Ownership

• Contributors retain full ownership of their submitted content.
• By submitting images and/or videos (“Content”), Contributors grant EVRS and its successors a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the Content for educational purposes on digital and print media platforms, including the EVRS Image Bank, scientific presentations, and social media (with credit).
• Contributors indemnify, defend and hold EVRS and its successors harmless from and against any claims, damages or expenses (including reasonable costs and outside attorney’s fees) arising out of a breach of the granted license.
• Contributors are free to use and publish their images elsewhere on a non-exclusive basis.
• Contributors will submit their works free of charge. They will not receive any payments for the submitted content.

3. Image Usage & Acknowledgement

• Citation Mandatory:
  All educational or formal reuse (presentations, publications) must cite EVRS and the Contributor.
• Watermarking on EVRS Platforms:
  EVRS is entitled to add an EVRS watermark to the submitted Content. Submitted Content shared on EVRS platforms will carry only the EVRS watermark.
• Social Media Sharing:
  No watermark is required; however, EVRS and the Contributor must be acknowledged in the caption or description.
• Unauthorized Use:
  Third-party use in publications or commercial settings without the Contributor’s consent is strictly prohibited.

4. Platform Access

• Access to the Image Bank is restricted to verified users only.
• EVRS membership is not mandatory, but users must be authenticated prior to access.
• It is at EVRS’ sole discretion to remove submitted content from its platforms and social media platforms (e.g. due to but not limited to change of medical standards).

5. Recognition & Motivation

• Image of the Month will be featured regularly across various themes / categories.
• Annual Image Awards will recognize top Contributors across various themes and categories.

6. Contributor Rights & Control

• Contributors may request removal of their Content (image(s) and/or videos) submitted at any time via written request.
• EVRS retains archival rights for past educational use but will remove public access promptly upon Contributor’s request.

7. Additional Safeguards

• Commercial Use:
  Requires explicit written consent from the Contributor.
• Image Modification:
  Content (images and/or videos) must not be cropped, altered, or annotated – with the exception of the addition of the EVRS watermark – without permission.
• Patient Privacy:
  Contributors are responsible for ensuring all Content is anonymized and complies with relevant privacy and consent laws.
• Educational Purposes:
  All submitted Content is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for individualized professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

8. Submission Process

Images can be submitted through the official portal along with:

• Image file (JPG/PNG)
• Title
• Brief Description
• Diagnosis
• Key Learning Point