photo/video release & event waiver
TL;DR: Our events are photographed and filmed, and by registering or attending you let us use footage you appear in to promote Hacking Hours (no payment). Don't want to appear? Email us before the event or grab an opt-out wristband at check-in. You also attend at your own risk — rooftops have heights, weather, and drinks — and you agree not to sue us, the building, or sponsors for ordinary event risks to the extent the law allows.
Effective date: July 20, 2026. This Photo/Video Release and Event Waiver (the "Release") is between you and Digital Chair, Inc., a New York corporation doing business as "Hacking Hours" ("Digital Chair"). By registering for, RSVPing to, or attending a Hacking Hours event (each an "Event"), you agree to this Release. It is incorporated into our Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not register for or attend an Event.
1. photography and recording notice
Photography, videography, and audio recording occur at all Events, by Digital Chair and photographers/videographers working on its behalf, for promotional purposes. Areas of the venue where recording occurs are open and visible; by entering, you acknowledge this notice.
2. grant of rights
You grant Digital Chair, its successors, assigns, and licensees a perpetual, irrevocable (except as provided in section 3), worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to record, use, reproduce, edit, adapt, publish, display, distribute, and create derivative works from your image, likeness, appearance, voice, and statements as captured in photographs, video, and audio at Events (the "Recordings"), in any and all media now known or later developed, for the purpose of promoting, marketing, and documenting Hacking Hours and Digital Chair, including on websites, social media, email, and paid advertising. You agree that:
- no compensation, royalty, or fee is owed to you for any use of the Recordings;
- Digital Chair owns the Recordings and is not obligated to use them;
- you waive any right to inspect or approve the Recordings or any use of them, and, to the extent permitted by law, any claims based on right of publicity, right of privacy, or defamation arising from uses consistent with this Release (this waiver does not extend to uses that place you in a knowingly false light or to unlawful uses);
- we will not use your image in a manner that states or implies your personal endorsement of a third-party sponsor's product without your separate written consent;
- Recordings are ordinary photos/video only — we do not extract biometric identifiers or run facial recognition on them (see our Privacy Policy's BIPA section).
3. how to opt out
- Before the Event: email hello@hackinghours.com any time before the Event starts, and we will instruct our photographers to avoid featuring you.
- At the Event: ask for a no-photo wristband at check-in and wear it visibly; our photographers are instructed not to feature anyone wearing one.
- After the fact: if you appear in published material despite opting out — or if you simply change your mind about a specific image — email hello@hackinghours.com identifying the image, and we will remove it from channels we control within a reasonable time. Removal from already-distributed materials (e.g., printed items or third-party reposts) may not be possible, but we will make reasonable efforts.
Opt-out is free and does not affect your admission. Because Events are group settings, you may still appear incidentally in wide or crowd shots; we will make reasonable efforts to avoid featuring opted-out attendees identifiably.
4. assumption of risk
You understand and voluntarily accept that attending an Event involves inherent risks, including, for rooftop Events in particular: heights and proximity to railings, ledges, and edges; weather exposure (sun, heat, cold, wind, rain, lightning); and uneven, wet, or slippery surfaces, stairs, thresholds, and temporary furniture or structures. Additional risks include crowded spaces, the presence and consumption of alcohol, food and beverage allergens, and the acts of other attendees and third parties. These risks can cause property damage, serious personal injury, or death. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, INCLUDING RISKS ARISING FROM THE ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASED PARTIES (DEFINED BELOW), but not risks arising from their gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, or intentional wrongdoing.
5. alcohol responsibility
- You will not consume alcohol at an Event unless you are 21 or older, and you will present valid ID on request.
- You will not provide alcohol to anyone under 21 or to anyone visibly intoxicated.
- You are solely responsible for your own consumption and for arranging safe transportation; do not drive impaired.
- Service may be refused to anyone at any time. Nothing in this Release waives rights that cannot be waived under the Illinois Liquor Control Act (dram shop) or other non-waivable law.
6. release of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, you, for yourself and your heirs, personal representatives, and assigns, RELEASE, WAIVE, AND DISCHARGE Digital Chair, Inc., its officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, and volunteers; the owner and manager of the building and venue hosting the Event and their staff; and Event sponsors (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action arising out of or related to your attendance at an Event, INCLUDING CLAIMS BASED ON THE ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE OF ANY RELEASED PARTY. This release does not apply to gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, intentional acts, or any liability that cannot be released under applicable law or Illinois public policy. You agree not to sue any Released Party for released claims, and you agree that this Release may be raised as a complete defense to any such claim.
7. medical emergency consent
If you are injured or become ill at an Event and are unable to communicate, you authorize Event staff to summon emergency medical services and to permit first aid, emergency treatment, and transport on your behalf. You are responsible for your own medical costs; the Released Parties do not assume any obligation to provide medical care beyond summoning emergency services. If you have a medical condition or allergy relevant to your safety at the Event, you are encouraged (not required) to inform staff at check-in.
8. general
- You represent that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to agree to this Release.
- This Release is governed by Illinois law and is subject to the dispute-resolution provisions (arbitration, Cook County, class-action waiver, 30-day opt-out) of the Terms of Service.
- Severability: if any provision of this Release is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible or severed, and the remainder will remain in full force. The photo/video license (sections 1–3) and the waiver provisions (sections 4–7) are independent; the invalidity of one does not affect the other.
- You have read this Release, understand that it affects your legal rights, and agree to it voluntarily.
9. contact
Digital Chair, Inc. d/b/a Hacking Hours — hello@hackinghours.com.
This document was prepared with automated assistance and is not legal advice. Review by a licensed attorney (Illinois) is recommended before relying on it — in particular the enforceability of the liability waiver.