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Media Accreditation
Terms & Conditions

In order to access the AIG Women's Open and the Virtual Media Centre, the Applicant must complete the Online Application Form and obtain prior consent and official accreditation from The R&A, which, if granted, will be subject to these Media Accreditation Terms and Conditions, which terms shall incorporate the General Terms and Conditions. In addition to the General Terms and Conditions, where:

  1. the Media Accreditation includes Written Word, the Additional Written Word Terms shall apply;
  2. the Media Accreditation includes Virtual Media Centre Access, the Additional Virtual Media Centre Access Terms shall apply;
  3. the Media Accreditation includes Photography, the Additional Photography Terms shall apply; and

 

AIGWomen's Open: The AIG Women's Open 2020 to be held at Royal Troon Golf Club between 18-23 August 2020. Practice Days shall be held 18 - 19 August 2020 and Championship Days shall be held 20 - 23 August 2020 and on any, if any, additional days required for play-offs or extensions of the tournament.

Virtual Media Centre: The Virtual Media Centre for the AIG Women's Open where imagery, footage and other content and media assets will be made available by The R&A to accredited Media.

The Applicant: The applicant identified in the Online Application Form.

The R&A: LGU Championships Limited, a company incorporated in Scotland with Company Number SC366854 and having its registered office at Beach House, Golf Place, St Andrews, KY16 9JA.

R&A Contact(s): Mary Flanagan, Media Services Manager, The R&A Corporate Communications, Beach House, Golf Place, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JA; Tel: 01334 460000; Email: media@randa.org 

IMGMedia: IMG Media Limited, a company incorporated in England with Company Number 04459066 and having its registered office at Building 6 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5HR.


Applying for Media Accreditation:

  • The Applicant's Online Application Form shall give the Applicant the option to request any of the forms of accreditation set out below. The R&A shall review the Applicant's Online Application Form and, if approved by The R&A (at its absolute discretion), The R&A shall confirm to the Applicant the accreditation being granted (the Media Accreditation).
  • Written Word meaning: access to the AIG Women's Open, on Practice Days and Competition Days, for the sole purpose of creating written material based on or including elements of the AIG Women's Open.
  • Virtual Media Centre Access meaning; access to the AIG Women's Open Virtual Media Centre to access media assets for use in accordance with the Additional Virtual Media Centre Terms set out below.
  • Photography meaning: access to the AIG Women's Open, on Practice Days and Competition Days, for the sole purpose of creating still image(s) based on or including elements of the AIG Women's Open.
  • Media Material meaning: any content made available to The Applicant via the Virtual Media Centre and any material created by the Applicant in accordance with the rights granted above.


General Terms and Conditions:

A. Core Conditions

  1. The Applicant may publish the Media Material for "Editorial Purposes" only, which, for the purpose of these

    Terms, means journalistic reporting of the Media Material for use in newspapers, magazines, books, television programming, mobile wireless platforms and/or websites and expressly excludes any advertising, endorsements, sponsorship, marketing or any other commercial purposes, unless otherwise agreed in advance in writing with The R&A. Subject always to the Terms, the Applicant may sell, promote or distribute coverage to third party organisations for Editorial Purposes use only.

  2. The Applicant shall not in any way interfere with players, caddies, officials or marshals and shall not conduct player interviews during play and/or after the round until after the scorecard is signed by the player.
  3. The Applicant shall at all times comply with and follow all instructions given by marshals and R&A personnel.
  4. The R&A reserves the right at any time, and without having to provide notice, to refuse entry to the AIG Women's Open or to withhold, suspend or terminate the Applicant's Media Accreditation and right to access the AIG Women's Open at its absolute discretion and without prejudice to The R&A's other rights and remedies.
  5. The Applicant undertakes that it shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations (including, without limitation, those applicable in the countries in which any Media Material may be broadcast by the Applicant or on its behalf) and, whilst at the AIG Women's Open, with the reasonable directions of The R&A and/or its authorised agents.
  6. The Applicant shall refer to the event as the AIG Women's Open at all times in any material published pursuant to these Terms.
  7. The Applicant shall effect and maintain for the duration of these Terms and for a period of five years thereafter public liability and other appropriate insurances to a value of not less than £5 million per claim in respect of potential liabilities both to The R&A and to third parties which may arise as a result of the enjoyment or exploitation of the Media Accreditation and/or the attendance of the Applicant  (and/or  its  agents  or employees) at the AIG Women's Open. If requested the Applicant shall provide documentary evidence of such insurance to The R&A in advance of 7 August 2020.
  8. The Applicant shall not purport the Media Material or any part of its coverage to be live, play-by-play or 'official' coverage.
  9. The Applicant shall not use, or allow others to use, (i) any Media Material to imply any endorsement or association of The R&A, any professional player and/or the AIG Women's Open or with any commercial product or service; (ii) editorial and factual reporting of the AIG Women's Open, in such a way as to imply an official commercial relationship between the Applicant, any other commercial entity and The R&A or the AIG Women's Open, unless otherwise agreed in writing in advance with The R&A.
  10. The Applicant agrees not to reproduce any scores, leaderboards and/or statistics relating to the AIG Women's Open to create live or near-live scoring coverage of any play, either on the Applicant's own behalf or by distribution, sale or license of such data to any third party (including without limitation for any betting and/or gambling purposes). The Applicant must only use scores, leaderboards and/or statistics for editorial and factual reporting, unless separately agreed in writing in advance with The R&A. It will be permissible to publish detailed scores and leaderboards after an embargo of IS-minutes but this must not be represented in any manner as to give the false impression that it is the official scores service. Reports that include 'short data' and are part of editorial news content can be published as they become available but must not include elements that could be misconstrued as the official live scores service.
  11. The Applicant shall not attempt any filming of the AIG Women's Open (including but not limited to the players, the golf course and any of its surrounding areas forming part of the golf club's grounds) except as permitted by these Terms or with the prior written consent of The R&A.
  12. The Applicant shall not alter any Media Material in such a way as to misrepresent actual events or individuals provided it will be permissible to adjust still images by means of flipping, cropping and manipulation as a means of telling a story, computerised enhancement and/or composite layout. Any major alterations must carry a suitably positioned and sized statement, explaining to the reader or viewer that the still image has been altered or artificially created. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these Terms is intended to be, or shall be interpreted as undermining editorial independence or restricting or preventing the exercise of normal journalistic activities including reports, observations and comments including criticism.
  13. At the end of the AIG Women's Open, or at the end of the Applicant's access period if earlier, the Applicant must return to The R&A all accreditation documents, including any passes, badges or armbands, and formally relinquish its accredited status in order to be able to re-apply the following year.
  14. The Applicant hereby agrees to comply with these Terms (and if the Applicant is a company or other entity it will procure that its employees and others under its control do so). Where the Applicant is an employee of a company or other entity, the person completing the application Online Application Form represents and warrants that he or she is authorised to enter contracts on behalf of the company or entity.
  15. Whilst on-site at the AIG Women's Open, the Applicant shall ensure that:
  1. All of their devices are on 'silent' mode at all times.
  2. Calls are placed or received in approved designated areas, referred to as 'Mobile Device Zones' (Green Zones).
  3. Whilst data use (e.g. texting, email, website access etc.) is permitted throughout the golf course, the volume on all devices is muted at all times.
  4. No 'selfie sticks' or similar pieces of equipment are used.
  5. No drones or other aerial filming devices in or over the venue or its immediate environs, whether or not originated from off-site, during the AIG Women's Open week.

B. Internet, Social Media and Distribution Conditions

The Applicant agrees:

  1. That each online distribution channel displaying any Media Material shall provide a prominent link to the Official Open Website (www.AIGWomensOpen.com). Such link should feature the official logo of the AIG Women's Open (The AIG Women's Open Logo). The AIG Women's Open Logo and the AIG Women's Open Brand Guidelines can be obtained via the Virtual Media Centre.
  2. That where sponsorship of any distribution channel featuring Media Material is being considered, the Applicant shall not engage in any such sponsorship without an approach first being made to the official patrons of The R&A giving them the opportunity to sponsor the AIG Women's Open section of such internet site. A list of the current official patrons can be obtained upon request to The R&A. The Applicant shall (and/or shall procure that the relevant publisher/distribution channel shall) take all reasonable steps required by The R&A in order for appropriate action to be taken against any ambush marketing attempts by third parties in respect of any such sponsorship.
  3. All posts and communications on distribution channels must not contain obscene, discriminatory, vulgar, sexually explicit, defamatory, abusive or illegal words or images. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this clause or these Terms generally is intended to undermine journalistic freedom or independence.
  4. The Applicant shall ensure that any publications shall not disclose any confidential or private information in relation to any third party which may compromise the security, staging and organisation of the AIG Women's Open.
  5. The Applicant shall ensure that distribution channels using social media are encouraged to credit the AIG Women's Open social media channels in posts or tweets using official hashtag #AIGWO or tagging in @AIGWomensOpen on Twitter, Instagram or at Facebook.
  6. To the extent that Media Material is made available on Official Social Media Channels, the Applicant shall not set the privacy settings on such Official Social Media Channels to "private" and/or block The R&A from viewing the Official Social Media Channels. Official Social Media Channels means the Applicant's (i) official publications, television channels, websites, software applications ("apps") and social media accounts that are operated by the Applicant; and/or (ii) the personal social media accounts of the Applicant.

C. IP Ownership

  1. Except as set out elsewhere in these Terms (including but not limited to below in Clause 3 of this section), The R&A is, and shall remain, the exclusive owner of the AIG Women's Open and all rights in connection with the AIG Women's Open.
  2. The R&A shall be the exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in and to all brand assets, content and other materials made available to The Applicant via the AIG Women’s Open Virtual Media Centre.
  3. All intellectual property rights including copyright in Media Material created by the Applicant will, as between The R&A and the Applicant, be owned by the Applicant. The Applicant agrees that, the use of the Media Material by the Applicant, and by anyone authorised by the Applicant, shall be subject to the terms of these Media Accreditation Terms and Conditions.
  4. The Applicant shall only use the AIG Women's Open Logo in accordance with the AIG Women's Open Brand Guidelines (as amended from time to time) and these Terms. All rights in connection with the AIG Women's Open Logo are owned by or licensed to The R&A.

D. General Conditions

  1. The R&A shall have no liability to the Applicant, either in contract, tort (including negligence or breach or duty) or otherwise for any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Applicant, howsoever caused. Notwithstanding the above, nothing in these Terms shall exclude or limit either party's liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of that party or their agents or employees.
  2. The Applicant shall indemnify, and keep indemnified, The R&A against all losses, damage or expense suffered by The R&A as a result of the enjoyment of the rights granted to the Applicant and/or the attendance of the Applicant (and/or its agents or employees) at the AIG Women's Open.
  3. The R&A may update and reissue this Agreement to Applicants at any time at its sole discretion.
  4. This Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Scotland. The Parties irrevocably agree that the Scottish Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim that arises out of or in connection with this Agreement or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).

E. Additional Written Word Terms

Where the Accreditation Terms include Written Word, the Applicant hereby agrees to abide by the following terms:

  1. Unless specifically permitted in the Applicant's Media Accreditation, no still photography of play is permitted on Championship Days. Still photography is permitted in general spectator areas for the Applicant's social media channels only to the extent that no actual play is included in any such photography.
  2. On Practice Days, still photography is permitted throughout the venue outside the ropes but may only be used on the Applicant's social media channels.
  3. No still photography, audio or video capture is permitted in the Media Centre Interview Room, Clubhouse or Locker Room at any time (including both Practice Days and Championship Days).
  4. No audio, video capture or video blogging (collectively, for the purpose of this sub-section, "Video Blogs") is permitted at any time apart from, at the backdrop located outside the Mixed Zone or any other areas that The R&A notifies to the Applicant, and subject to the following restrictions: (i) the live streaming of Video Blogs is not permitted on Championship Days (ii) Video Blogs must be self-shot arms-length footage or interview format only; (iii) maximum 2 minutes per Video Blog, and no more than 3 separate Video Blogs per day; (iv) all Video Blogs are for use on the Applicant's Official Social Media Channels or Official Websites only; (v) all Video Blogs must be shot with personal mobile devices or small DSLR cameras only.
  5. Any proposed Video Blogs: (i) must be notified in writing to The R&A in advance as part of the accreditation process; (ii) cannot be a real time description of the AIG Women's Open or purport to be live, play-by-play or official coverage of the AIG Women's Open; (iii) cannot be sponsored; (iv) cannot include any marks or logos of The R&A and/or the AIG Women's Open unless incidental; (v) in interview format and/or containing any interview footage shall not be broadcast or made public in any territory until the live world feed coverage of the AIG Women's Open in that territory, on the day on which the Video Blog is produced, has concluded; (vi) cannot include footage other than the self-shot arms-length footage; and (vii) the Applicant must immediately send to media@randa.org a direct link to each Video Blog(s) on the Official Social Media Channels. The Applicant shall immediately comply with any request from The R&A to remove the Video Blog(s) from the Official Social Media Channels.
  6. No professional broadcast cameras or video equipment shall be used by the Applicant for the purpose of creating Video Blogs.
  7. Any requests for inside the ropes access must be made by the Applicant separately in advance and in writing to The R&A. The R&A may grant or deny any such request at its sole discretion. Any such access granted shall be subject to these Terms together with such other conditions of access that The R&A may impose from time to time including, without limitation: (i) when inside the ropes, the Applicant must stay within one arm's length of the ropes at all times; and (ii) the Applicant must not interfere with or distract players or caddies during the Practice Days or Championship Days, and must be respectful at all times to the players, caddies, officials and marshals.

F. Additional Photography Terms

Where the Accreditation Terms include Photography, the Applicant hereby agrees to abide by the following terms:

  1. The Applicant shall ensure that no images or sequences of images may be used or modified in anyway for the production/ creation of a moving film or video, or any other type of moving image.
  2. The Applicant shall not change the functionality of their camera equipment to record any video or audio material and will not attempt any filming of the AIG Women's Open (Course or its immediate environs) except with the prior written consent of The R&A.
  3. The Applicant shall not release the camera shutter after a player has taken his position over the ball and before the player has completed the stroke.
  4. The R&A may request to use still images taken by the Applicant at the AIG Women's Open in any of its promotional material, websites and digital products. The Applicant will, where possible, consider favorably any such requests. If these still images are to be used by The R&A for commercial purposes, their use will be subject to agreement with the copyright holder of the still images.
  5. Any requests for inside the ropes access must be made by the Applicant separately in advance and in writing to The R&A. The R&A may grant or deny any such request at its sole discretion. Any such access granted shall be subject to these Terms together with such other conditions of access that The R&A may impose from time to time including, without limitation: (i) when inside the ropes, the Applicant must stay within one arm's length of the ropes at all times; and (ii) the Applicant must not interfere with or distract players or caddies during the Practice Days or Championship Days, and must be respectful at all times to the players, caddies, officials and marshals.

G. Additional Virtual Media Centre Terms

The AIG Women's Open Virtual Media Centre has been launched to provide content and assets to approved media outlets and representatives from legitimate media organisations to assist with their editorial coverage of the championship. Where access is granted, the applicant hereby agrees to abide by the following terms:

  1. Images obtained from the Virtual Media Centre may be used for editorial purposes only.
  2. Images obtained from the Virtual Media Centre must be credited to The R&A.
  3. Brand assets obtained from the Virtual Media Centre must be used in accordance with the AIG Women's Open Brand Guidelines.
  4. The R&A has appointed a host production company which has been granted certain exclusive rights to film The AIG Women's Open (the Host Producer). The Applicant will indicate in its Online Application Form whether it is requesting access to the Host Producer's feed. In return for access to the Host Producer's feed (if granted by The R&A), and subject to the terms hereof, the Applicant hereby agrees (a) to pay, on or before Monday 20 July 2020, the incremental technical fees in respect quoted by The R&A or IMG Media; and (b) that it shall not obtain any interest or right in the Host Producer's feed other than the right to access as expressly granted by The R&A.
  5. There are certain territories in which one or more networks have been granted exclusive telecast rights to the AIG Women's Open (each, a Broadcast Rights Holder). In each of these territories, to the extent the Applicant seeks to use any footage that has been created by the Host Producer or broadcast by the Broadcast Rights Holder, the Applicant must use such footage only in accordance with these Terms and any news access restrictions issued by the Broadcast Rights Holder or Host Producer, as applicable, in the applicable territories. For the avoidance of doubt: (1) broadcasters based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland must source all inside the ropes footage from Sky UK Limited ("Sky"), the Broadcast Rights Holder in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and all footage usage shall be subject to Sky's terms and conditions and the Sports News Access Code, which includes the following: (i) no more than 60 (sixty) seconds of video footage may be used in each bulletin (up to a maximum of 6 (six) bulletins per Applicant in the 24 (twenty-four) period after the end of the applicable day's play); and (ii) the footage used must include the following credit: "Pictures provided courtesy of Sky Sports"; and (2) broadcasters based in the United States must source all inside the ropes footage from NBCUniversal Media, LLC ("NBCUniversal"), the Broadcast Rights Holder in the United States and all footage usage shall be subject to NBCUniversal's terms and conditions.
  6. The Applicant shall not use or broadcast in any media any Broadcast Rights Holder or Host Producer footage of play, interviews, special features, audio, pre/post-game analysis, talent or graphics without the prior written approval of the Broadcast Rights Holder or Host Producer, as applicable.
  7. The Applicant undertakes that throughout all material of the AIG Women's Open broadcast or displayed by or on behalf of the Applicant: (i) the AIG Women's Open Logo will be prominently and continuously displayed on screen in a size and format as set forth in the AIG Women's Open Brand Guidelines; and (ii) the Applicant shall not use the AIG Women's Open Logo to suggest or imply any official or commercial association or endorsement between The R&A and any company, service and/or product.
  8. In order for The R&A to grant the Applicant access rights to the Host Producer's feed and for The R&A to grant media accreditation, Applicant must complete and submit the Online Application Form declaring all of its intended activity and facilities requests in terms of reporting at or from the AIG Women's Open (whether audio, visual, editorial or other) and accessing the Host Producer's feed. Any activities other than as set out in an accepted Online Application Form are prohibited.
  9. Successful Applicants for accreditation will be notified in writing or email by The R&A. Media credentials and Host Producer feed access will be provided by The R&A at its sole discretion. In the event that the Applicant has requested access to particular onsite technical facilities, The R&A (or IMG Media) will provide a quote with respect to any incremental charges, and Applicant shall pay such amounts, in accordance with the payment provisions specified in the quote, in order to receive access to such facilities.

H. Footage use restrictions

  1. With respect to any use of: (i) Broadcast Rights Holder and/or Host Producer footage; the Applicant hereby agrees to the following:
  2. Unless specifically permitted in the Applicant's Media Accreditation and subject to paragraph 5 of the Additional Virtual Media Centre Terms above, video footage from the AIG Women's Open may only be aired in regularly scheduled non sponsored regional or national television news or sports news bulletins, and will be a maximum of 2 (two) minutes in duration per bulletin. Such material must be aired within 24 (twenty-four) hours of the conclusion of the relevant day's play and no use after that 24 (twenty-four) hour time period is permitted.;
  3. No footage may be broadcast by the Applicant until that day's live coverage in the Licensed Territory (as specified in the Online Application Form) by the Broadcast Rights Holder(s) in that territory is concluded, unless the Applicant shall have obtained the prior written agreement of such Broadcast Rights Holder(s);
  4. No footage from the AIG Women's Open may be used by the Applicant for any commercial or advertising purposes, nor sold to any third party, unless otherwise agreed in writing with The R&A;
  5. The Applicant is not allowed to sublicense any of the rights granted by The R&A to a third party unless otherwise agreed in writing with The R&A;
  6. The Applicant shall on request provide a copy of all its recordings to The R&A or to such third party as The R&A directs in such a format as The R&A may reasonably request and grants to The R&A a licence to use any material in connection with the AIG Women's Open, subject to The R&A reimbursing the Applicant in respect of its reasonable pre-approved (by The R&A) technical costs incurred in so doing; and
  7. The Applicant shall not broadcast any programme titled or branded with the AIG Women's Open or The R&A (e.g., "Live from the AIG Women's Open") without the prior written permission of The R&A.

I. Audio use restrictions 

Any audio recordings obtained from the Virtual Media Centre may only be used in accordance with the Terms and will only permit Applicant to use audio recordings for transmission by the radio stations specified in Applicant's application form on the following conditions:

  1. All radio reports must be retrospective;
  2. Radio reports may not exceed two minutes (inclusive of any interview clips) per hour on each radio station licensed hereunder;
  3. Unless The R&A's prior written consent is obtained and (at The R&A's discretion) any additional fees agreed, Applicant shall not be entitled to carry out any live presenting at any location on-site at AIG Women's Open venue;
  4. Radio reports must be part of the radio station's regularly scheduled news and/or sports bulletins;
  5. Radio reports must only be heard on the internet as part of the radio's normal output simulcast on its own website. There can be no on-demand or downloadable audio related solely to AIG Women's Open;
  6. Applicant shall refer to the event as AIG Women's Open or AIG Women's Open Championship at all times in any radio reports made pursuant to these Terms.