Media Release & Consent Agreement

1. Purpose of This Agreement

This Media Release & Consent Agreement ("Agreement") governs interviews, recordings, photographs, videos, audio recordings, written interviews, guest articles, editorial contributions, testimonials, event coverage, startup spotlights, promotional materials, content collaborations, submissions, and other media-related or publication-related activities associated with CIBA Startups.

CIBA Startups operates under CIBA Business Network.

This Agreement is intended to explain how CIBA Startups may capture, receive, use, edit, publish, distribute, display, retain, archive, and otherwise handle media content, written contributions, participation-related materials, and related identity or likeness elements in connection with the Platform, its operations, its events, its programs, its outreach, its publications, and its present or future activities.

2. Scope of This Agreement

This Agreement applies to any media-related, publication-related, editorial, or promotional participation, contribution, appearance, submission, or content associated with CIBA Startups, including without limitation:

  • interviews, whether written, audio, video, live, recorded, remote, email-based, or in person;
  • photographs, event photography, headshots, portraits, behind-the-scenes materials, and candid images;
  • audio and video recordings;
  • event appearances, panels, speaking engagements, networking events, community activities, and startup-related programs;
  • submitted or provided written statements, quotes, testimonials, biographies, founder stories, startup descriptions, answers, responses, articles, opinion pieces, guest contributions, editorial submissions, and other written or recorded content;
  • livestreams, webinars, virtual sessions, hybrid events, recorded calls, and related digital participation; and
  • any other media, content, or materials captured, created, submitted, provided, or used in connection with CIBA Startups.

3. Consent to Recording, Capture, Receipt, and Use

By participating in any activity covered by this Agreement, or by submitting or providing any content covered by this Agreement, you grant CIBA Startups permission to record, photograph, film, capture, collect, receive, use, and otherwise document or handle your:

  • name;
  • likeness;
  • image;
  • voice;
  • appearance;
  • statements;
  • responses;
  • quotations;
  • biography or background details;
  • startup, company, or project information;
  • written contributions;
  • editorial submissions; and
  • any other content, materials, or participation-related elements you provide, submit, or make available in connection with CIBA Startups.

This consent applies whether such materials are captured directly by CIBA Startups or by persons acting on its behalf, including photographers, videographers, interviewers, editors, writers, contractors, event personnel, media personnel, collaborators, service providers, or other authorized third parties.

4. Rights Granted to CIBA Startups

You grant CIBA Startups a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully paid, transferable, sublicensable, perpetual, and irrevocable right and license to record, capture, receive, collect, reproduce, copy, host, store, publish, display, publicly perform, distribute, transmit, share, excerpt, quote, adapt, modify, edit, translate, subtitle, dub, reformat, combine with other materials, create derivative works from, archive, retain, index, and otherwise use the materials covered by this Agreement, in whole or in part, in any format, medium, channel, or technology now known or later developed.

This includes, without limitation, use in connection with:

  • websites, landing pages, directories, and platform features;
  • social media channels and social media content;
  • promotional campaigns, announcements, recaps, highlights, showcases, and spotlights;
  • newsletters, email communications, and editorial content;
  • digital or printed publications, including magazines, reports, brochures, flyers, and event materials;
  • startup profiles, founder features, interviews, articles, written features, educational materials, and guest content;
  • event promotion, event recaps, recordings, replay materials, and related media;
  • internal records, archives, operational use, administrative use, and historical reference; and
  • future media formats, technologies, channels, and uses related to CIBA Startups and its activities.

These rights may be exercised directly by CIBA Startups or indirectly through or with affiliates, volunteers, contractors, service providers, partners, sponsors, collaborators, media personnel, event personnel, consultants, designers, editors, publishers, and other third parties acting on behalf of or in connection with CIBA Startups.

5. Editorial Control; Publication Discretion; No Approval Rights

CIBA Startups retains full editorial, creative, operational, and publication discretion with respect to all materials covered by this Agreement.

Without limitation, CIBA Startups may determine:

  • whether any content is used at all;
  • how, where, when, and for how long content is used;
  • the format, context, placement, headline, caption, excerpting, sequencing, and presentation of content;
  • whether content is edited for length, clarity, grammar, style, formatting, branding, publication standards, accessibility, or presentation;
  • whether written content is shortened, adapted, reformatted, retitled, excerpted, summarized, or otherwise prepared for editorial or promotional use;
  • whether full versions, partial versions, clips, excerpts, summaries, screenshots, still frames, pull quotes, adapted versions, or translated versions are used; and
  • whether content is used alone or together with other materials, commentary, visuals, branding, sponsorship references, or editorial content.

You waive any right to inspect, review, approve, reject, or require revision of any draft, edit, final version, publication, or use before or after publication, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

6. No Ownership Transfer of Your Pre-Existing Intellectual Property

Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, CIBA Startups does not claim ownership solely by reason of submission or participation over intellectual property rights you already owned in materials you created before submitting or providing them.

However, all recordings, photographs, videos, edited content, formatted materials, compilations, derivative works, layouts, design integrations, promotional assets, and other media or publication outputs created by or for CIBA Startups in connection with this Agreement, including edited and produced versions, shall be owned by CIBA Startups or its applicable licensors to the extent permitted by law.

Any pre-existing rights you may retain in your own original materials remain subject to the rights, permissions, releases, and licenses granted to CIBA Startups under this Agreement.

7. No Compensation; No Future Claim for Payment

Participation and contribution are voluntary unless otherwise stated in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of CIBA Startups.

You acknowledge and agree that:

  • you are not entitled to payment, royalties, fees, commissions, reimbursement, or other compensation in connection with materials covered by this Agreement;
  • you will not assert any claim for payment or compensation based on the recording, capture, editing, publication, display, distribution, reuse, reposting, archiving, quoting, excerpting, or other use of such materials; and
  • no publication, feature, appearance, contribution, or use creates any entitlement to business opportunity, promotion, publicity, future participation, attribution format, placement, or other benefit.

8. No Obligation to Use, Publish, Credit, or Maintain Content

CIBA Startups is not obligated to record, use, publish, post, display, distribute, maintain, preserve, continue using, credit, attribute, or otherwise exploit any materials covered by this Agreement.

CIBA Startups may, at any time and in its sole discretion, decide to use, not use, stop using, remove, archive, replace, edit, shorten, revise, repurpose, discontinue, or publish without attribution any such materials, with or without notice and with or without stating a reason.

Nothing in this Agreement requires CIBA Startups to use any contribution in its original form, publish any contribution in full, maintain any publication indefinitely, or provide any specific attribution format unless expressly agreed in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of CIBA Startups.

9. No Endorsement; No Guaranteed Context

Use of your name, image, likeness, appearance, startup information, statements, interview materials, written contributions, or participation-related content by CIBA Startups does not require CIBA Startups to present such use in any specific manner, sequence, length, tone, or context.

Unless expressly stated by CIBA Startups, use of such materials does not constitute a legal representation that you endorse CIBA Startups, any sponsor, any partner, any event, any submission, or any third party.

You acknowledge that CIBA Startups may use excerpts, clips, quotations, summaries, still images, adapted text, reformatted written content, or edited portions of media content for lawful editorial, promotional, educational, operational, archival, or publication-related purposes, subject to applicable law.

10. Representations and Warranties

You represent, warrant, acknowledge, and agree that:

  • you have the full right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement and grant the rights described in it;
  • you are at least 18 years old and legally capable of agreeing to this Agreement;
  • your participation and any materials you provide do not violate any law or binding obligation applicable to you;
  • any content, statements, materials, or information you provide do not knowingly infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate any third-party intellectual property, privacy, publicity, contractual, or other rights;
  • you have obtained any permissions, approvals, or consents necessary from any relevant third party whose rights may be implicated by content you provide; and
  • the information you provide is not knowingly false, misleading, or deceptive.

11. Withdrawal and Removal Requests

You understand and agree that once materials are recorded, published, distributed, shared, reposted, copied, archived, quoted, screenshotted, downloaded, syndicated, referenced, or otherwise made available, complete withdrawal, removal, recall, or deletion may be impossible or impracticable.

You may submit a request asking CIBA Startups to remove or stop using certain content. However:

  • CIBA Startups is not obligated to honor any such request;
  • CIBA Startups may evaluate any such request in its sole discretion;
  • CIBA Startups is not required to remove or recover materials already published, distributed, archived, reused, excerpted, or shared;
  • CIBA Startups is not responsible for reposting, sharing, retention, quotation, republication, screenshots, downloads, copies, or downstream uses by third parties; and
  • removal from one platform, page, post, publication, or channel does not require removal from all systems, archives, backups, publications, or prior distributions.

12. Release of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release and hold harmless CIBA Startups, CIBA Business Network, and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees, volunteers, contractors, partners, sponsors, collaborators, service providers, event personnel, and representatives from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising out of or relating to:

  • the recording, capture, use, editing, publication, display, distribution, transmission, reuse, reposting, storage, archiving, excerpting, modification, or other handling of materials covered by this Agreement;
  • the use of your name, image, likeness, voice, statements, written contributions, quotations, appearance, or participation-related content;
  • the editorial formatting, context, sequencing, modification, excerpting, captioning, summarizing, retitling, translation, or presentation of content; and
  • any claims relating to privacy, publicity rights, likeness rights, reputational harm, or similar matters, to the fullest extent such claims may lawfully be waived.

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to release liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or intentional unlawful conduct to the extent such release is prohibited by applicable law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless CIBA Startups, CIBA Business Network, and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees, volunteers, contractors, partners, sponsors, collaborators, service providers, event personnel, and representatives from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, settlements, penalties, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or relating to:

  • any materials, statements, content, or information you provide;
  • your participation in media-related, editorial, or publication-related activities;
  • any allegation that materials you provided infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate third-party rights; or
  • your breach of this Agreement.

This obligation survives termination of your participation and any use of the relevant materials.

14. Relationship to Other Policies and Agreements

This Agreement should be read together with the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Startup Submission & Idea Disclosure Policy, Event Liability Waiver & Participation Agreement, and any event-specific, interview-specific, participation-specific, submission-specific, publication-specific, or program-specific terms that may apply. Those documents already establish the platform-wide rules on acceptance, submissions, disclosure, and participation, and this Agreement is intended to work with them rather than replace them.

If there is a conflict between this Agreement and a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of CIBA Startups, that separate written agreement will control only to the extent of the specific conflict.

15. Acceptance of This Agreement

By participating in any interview, recording, photography session, video session, event, panel, livestream, webinar, content collaboration, startup feature, editorial feature, article contribution, written interview, guest publication, or other media-related or publication-related activity associated with CIBA Startups, or by submitting or providing any media-related or publication-related content, you confirm that you have read, understood, and voluntarily agreed to this Agreement.

Where a checkbox, digital confirmation, written release, registration form, event form, RSVP flow, interview form, article submission form, contribution form, submission flow, email confirmation, or similar acceptance mechanism is used, your action in proceeding through that process constitutes your affirmative and legally binding acceptance of this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by law. This follows the same acceptance structure already used in your Terms of Use for platform flows and related participation mechanisms.

16. Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.

17. Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

18. Force Majeure

CIBA Startups shall not be held liable for any failure or delay in recording, producing, using, publishing, distributing, retaining, or otherwise handling materials covered by this Agreement where such failure or delay results from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, labor disputes, failures of third-party service providers, platform outages, internet disruptions, technical failures, or other events outside its reasonable control.

19. Contact Information

Questions about this Agreement or requests relating to media or publication-related content may be directed to: info@cibastartups.com or 25351 Commercentre Dr, Suite 100, Lake Forest, CA 92630.

Effective April 10, 2026Last updated April 27, 2026