Filming and taking photos at the ECCO FEI European Championships 2013

In the final countdown to next month’s ECCO FEI European Championships in Herning, we are looking forward to welcoming spectators and media representatives from all over the world to Denmark.

Before the Championships get underway, the organisers would like to clarify the situation regarding spectators taking photographs or filming. We are happy to confirm that spectators are most welcome to bring along their cameras and take photographs, and also film for their own private use.

We want you to take home and keep memories of the Championships and members of the public are welcome to share photographs on social media platforms or websites for personal use, but these pictures may not be used commercially. Only photographers that have been accredited to cover the Championships can offer their images for commercial use.

However, as with almost all major cultural and sporting events, audio/visual recordings can only be transmitted by rights holding broadcasters. Footage filmed by spectators or members of the media who have not previously cleared the rights, must not be published, and this includes the share-and-publish function on all social media platforms (including Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc).

There was some confusion about restrictions on filming following the publication of the official Media Guide for the Championships, which stated that the rights to any use or publishing of sound and/or visual recordings at the ECCO FEI European Championships 2013 in Herning is protected by copyright.

To clarify, these rules apply to virtually all sporting events, including the Olympic Games, and are by no means exceptional to the ECCO FEI European Championships. The rights are owned by the International Federation, which has contractual obligations to the rights-holding broadcasters, who transmit coverage of the Championships. The FEI and the Organising Committee of Herning have to protect these rights and their value, which means that only rights holders who have been accredited by the organisers can distribute or publish audio/visual recordings. Unauthorised publishing of videos and sound recordings is not allowed.

The warm-up arena in Herning is accessible to the public and there will be a café area right next to the warm-up so that you can enjoy refreshments while watching your favourite horses and riders preparing for competition.

The organisers want everyone – riders and their horses, officials, media and all the spectators – to have a great experience as our guests in Denmark. We look forward to seeing all of you at the ECCO FEI European Championships in Herning!

Source: European Herning press release