Rules & regulations

ARTICLE 1: DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES

1. The Women’s International Trophy hereafter called the "Competition" is a wine, beer and spirits (hereafter called « Products ») competition with previously registered Products which are eligible to be granted an award based on quality.2. The "Competition" is organised by Armonia Deutschland GmbH located at Armonia Deutschland GmbH, Im Niedergarten 10, 55124 Mainz - GERMANY, hereafter called the "Organisation" and takes place in Mainz.
2. The "Competition" is organised by Armonia Deutschland GmbH located at Armonia Deutschland GmbH, Im Niedergarten 10, 55124 Mainz - GERMANY, hereafter called the "Organisation" and takes place in Mainz.

ARTICLE 2: PRODUCTS AUTHORISED TO COMPETE

WINE COMPETITION: The following wines, from anywhere in the world, whether or not they have a geographical indication, may take part in the Competition: still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. All vintages may be entered in the Competition.
BEER COMPETITION: all drinks in the world sold as “beer” are authorised to compete.
SPIRITS COMPETITION: all spirits, brandies and liqueurs from across the world are authorised to compete.

ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS

The following professionals are eligible to participate, and this list is not necessarily exhaustive, and they are hereinafter referred to as the ‘Participant(s)’:
WINE COMPETITION: The wine industry professionals are authorised to participate: winemakers, wine cooperatives, associated wine cooperatives, groups of producers, producers, wine merchants and importers, retailers, without this list being exhaustive.
BEER COMPETITION: all professionals in the brewing sector: commercial agencies, brewers, manufacturers, importers, retailers.
SPIRITS COMPETITION: all professionals in the spirits sector: producers, producer groups, distillers, manufacturers, importers, commercial agencies, retailers.

ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES

Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot or any person duly authorised by the owner.
Each wine must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin. All these products must be destined for sale and must be from a homogeneous batch of at least 1000 litres which comes from the same container. A reduced volume, of at least 100 litres, may be admitted upon justification of a low production.
Each sample submitted must fulfil the following conditions:
- come from a uniform batch
- be identifiable
- have a sales label. Sales labels should conform to EU regulations for countries that are members of the European Union, to regulations in force in the country where made, and to importing regulations for third countries.
Regardless of the Product being submitted, Participants guarantee that their Product is safe to consume. If ever a Product is found to be in breach of current regulations and/or health and safety rules, the Participant who submitted the Product shall be solely liable for any consequences that may arise, in addition to any penalties that the Organisation reserves the right to impose (see Article 23).
Any Product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading, the Competition, or the industry concerned will be immediately excluded from the competition, without the possibility of reimbursement of registration fees or compensation from the Organisation. Furthermore, if a distinction has been awarded under another name and the name has been changed after the medal has been awarded, the medal may no longer be used.
The Competition reserves the right to refuse participation or disqualify a sample and/or a Participant in the event of non-compliance with the rules, attempted cheating, and more generally for any behaviour deemed inappropriate and/or wrongful by the Participant.
The fact that a Product meets the eligibility criteria mentioned in Article 2 does not guarantee that it will automatically be entered into the Competition.
The Organisation reserves the right to review each entry and to refuse an entry or exclude a Participant on the basis of objective criteria, relating in particular to the Product's compliance with the rules, spirit, and values of the Competition.
The Participant has a right of appeal against the Organisation's decision under the conditions set out in Article 26.

ARTICLE 5: SENDING AND SAFETY OF SAMPLES

Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the Website https://womenstrophy.com, hereafter known as the “Website”, as well as on the shipping documents. Bottles shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organisation will re-invoice Participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. If a sample is sent but has not had its shipping paid for, it will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organisation shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage to samples during shipping.
The Competition will take all necessary measures to ensure that samples are preserved (temperature, hygiene, safety).
Participants are deemed to accept these general conditions of preservation, which apply equally to all Participants.
If a Participant nevertheless believes that specific measures are essential to preserve their Product, they must inform the Organisation within 24 hours after confirmation of their registration at the latest.
Any special request will be examined on a case-by-case basis by the Organisation and, if accepted, implemented exclusively at the Participant's expense, under the supervision of the Organisation.
However, the Organisation reserves the right to refuse any request deemed manifestly excessive, inapplicable, or contrary to the smooth running of the Competition. In this case, the Participant shall have the right to withdraw their application from the Competition, without however being entitled to a refund of their registration fees.
The number of samples requested depends on the product category. It is indicated on the Website.
All appropriate HACCP measures aimed at maintaining food hygiene and ensuring the safety of Products sent to the Competition, including storage at the correct temperature prior to the Competition receiving the samples, are the responsibility of the Participant.
Any attempt to cheat, commit fraud, enter incorrect data, register under a false identity, or compromise the integrity of the Product presentation, with the aim of harming the Competition, the profession, or the production sector, or for any other reason, may result in penalties imposed by the Organisation under the conditions set out in Article 23.

ARTICLE 6: REGISTRATION RULES

Every Participant must provide all information required to open an account. Any incomplete registration, due to the absence of required information, will be automatically rejected without the possibility of appeal. The Participant must also fill in a registration sheet for each Product presented, known as a form.
This may be done by post or online.
Registration by post: The completed registration form and Product form should be sent to the following address: Women’s International Trophy - Armonia Deutschland GmbH, Im Niedergarten 10, 55124 Mainz - GERMANY, hereafter known as the "Competition Address". Forms are available on the site, or upon request.
Online registration:
a) The Participant must create an account on the site. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present Products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the Website for each product submitted. This form is available on the Website from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 8. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 8.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
For each wine, the following document must be sent to the address given above in order to register for the Competition:
• an analysis report done in the last year should include information to help identify the sample, along with the following analytical information:
- alcoholic strength
- sugars
- total acidity
- volatile acidity
- total sulphur dioxide content (SO2)
- excess pressure from carbon dioxide for sparkling wine
The Participant undertakes to provide accurate, complete and truthful information when registering, thereby assuming full responsibility for its content.
The Organisation cannot be held liable in the event of inaccuracy or concealment of information by the Participant.
The Participant is bound by an obligation of sincerity, good faith and loyalty, especially including the obligation to declare any direct or indirect link with a member of the jury.
Any breach of this obligation may result in the Organisation applying the penalties provided for in Article 23.
The Competition and/or the Organisation cannot be held responsible for the non-receipt of samples, forms, documents to be provided or payment of a Participant's registration fees within the prescribed time limit.

ARTICLE 7: BARREL SAMPLE / PARTIALLY FILLED BATCH (ONLY FOR WINES)

1. A wine may be submitted as barrel sample or as partially filled batch / initial batch. The samples must be clearly marked.
2. The full quantity of this wine must be available and declared at the time of registration. It is not possible to transfer the prize to any other wine.
3. For each following batch, the analysis report must be provided before the wine is offered for sale. It should include information that makes it possible to identify the sample (see article 6).
4. The corresponding lot number as well as two counter samples per lot are made to be made available to the Organisation before the goods are placed on the market.
5. The Participant bears the corresponding costs.

ARTICLE 8: REGISTRATION FEES

The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Website. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
The payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In keeping with European legislation, Participants who are in the EU with a VAT number and Participants outside the European Union will be invoiced ex-VAT. Participants located in Germany will be will be billed with VAT.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to Armonia - Women’s International Trophy.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done. 
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees are definitively acquired by the Organisation upon validation of registration and are non-refundable. In particular, and without limitation, no refund will be made if samples or files arrive after the deadline set by the Competition, if the Product submitted is disqualified, or if the Participant does not receive a prize.
This rule also applies in the event of cancellation of registration for reasons not attributable to the Organisation, including in cases of force majeure as defined in Article 11 of the rules.
If an edition of the Competition is cancelled for a reason that can be attributed to the Organisation, the latter shall only be obliged to reimburse any registration fees already paid, and shall not be responsible for returning any samples, paying for said samples or otherwise providing compensation for damages resulting from cancellation of the Competition. In such a case, the Participant must expressly request reimbursement of registration fees.
The Organisation may have to request samples again in the cases mentioned above.

ARTICLE 9: CALENDAR

Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples and other key dates are available, can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request. This information is also available on the Website.
The Organisation reserves the right to make changes to the location and/or schedule of the Competition, as indicated on the Website or in official documents.
These changes may only be made if unforeseen circumstances or logistical requirements dictate as such so that the Competition may run smoothly.
In the event of any changes, the Organisation undertakes to inform Participants by any means and as soon as possible. Tastings, where applicable, may be postponed or rescheduled to other dates, depending on the needs of the organisation.

ARTICLE 10: ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION

Products are placed in categories. A category includes Products that have the same characteristics and are thus comparable. Categories can be viewed on the Website. It is Participants’ responsibility to ensure that their Products are entered into the most suitable category and that they do so in good faith.
To ensure the tasting runs smoothly, the samples are categorised by juries. Within a jury, the samples are grouped into one or more sub-juries.
The Competition appoints the members of each jury and ensures the smooth running of the tastings by preparing the samples and organising and conducting the tasting. It ensures the control, evaluation, and publication of the results using an appropriate judging form given to the members of each jury.
If a Product has an organoleptic defect during tasting, the judges will not be provided with a second sample.

ARTICLE 11: FORCE MAJEURE

In the event of force majeure, i.e., any unforeseeable, external, and unavoidable event, such as, without limitation, exceptional events such as natural disasters, pandemics, strikes, armed conflicts, acts of terrorism, economic blockades, service interruptions, or any other circumstance beyond the Organisation's control that prevents the Competition from taking place, the Organisation reserves the right to modify or cancel, in whole or in part, the Competition, its dates, location, or terms and conditions.
In such a case, the Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences for the Participants, and the registration fees and samples already sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Organisation may, if necessary, ask Participants to return their samples at the Participant's expense in the event of a modification or resumption of the selection process.

ARTICLE 12: ANONYMITY OF SAMPLES

Samples are numbered upon reception, to make them anonymous. The Organisation will take all the necessary measures to ensure that submitted samples for tasting remain entirely anonymous. He or she may decide on any cutting, transfer, change of packaging, masking or other operation required to ensure the anonymity of samples.

ARTICLE 13: JUDGING MODALITIES

Products are entered in the Competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. Each sheet must likewise include the jury number. The Organisation alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a sample does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.

ARTICLE 14: COMPOSITION OF JURIES

The samples shall be evaluated by expert juries, whose numbers shall be set according to the number and the nature of products presented at the Competition.
Juries are composed of judges who are designated and called directly by the Organisation from a list of judges who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s Website.
The jury will be composed of max. 5 and at least 3 womens.
If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the Organisation may designate substitute judges.
Judges’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organisation cannot be held liable for the selection of its judges, who are professionals or knowledgeable consumers whose skills have been independently assessed and verified by the Organisation.
The judges are then themselves independent in awarding their scores, which are assigned in accordance with the scoring grid provided and the applicable scoring guidelines.
The Organisation is in no way liable to a Participant in the event that a prize is not awarded.
However, the Participant has a right of appeal in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Article 26 of these rules.
If a judge has given a score which is obviously an anomaly, whether intentional or not, the Organisation is entitled to reject his/her scores.
The Participant may not claim damages from the Organisation in the event of a proven scoring anomaly that has been rectified by the Organisation under the conditions set out in the previous paragraph.
In these rules and on the Website, the terms “taster”, "judge" and “jury member” refer indiscriminately to members of the juries.

ARTICLE 15: OBLIGATIONS OF JUDGES

Registering as a judge in the Competition constitutes a commitment and express acceptance of the following:
- Access to the Competition is only authorised to the recipient of the invitation sent by email, text message, or given as a paper document. As the selected judge has been appointed intuitu personae, the invitation is nominative and cannot be transferred without the agreement of the General Commissioner.
- By registering and upon arrival at the event site, the judge agrees to read and comply with the safety instructions.
- No accompanying persons, adults or minors, will be allowed in the Competition room. The Organisation reserves the right to refuse access to any judge who does not comply with this rule.
- Judges are strongly advised not to ingest the alcoholic beverages they taste. In accordance with customary practice, spittoons are provided for this purpose, as well as water to rinse the mouth between tastings.
Any failure to comply with this recommendation will result in the judge being held personally liable in the event of an incident or damage caused to themselves or to third parties, without the Competition and/or the Organisation being held liable.
In addition, judges are advised to plan their travel arrangements in advance to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. To this end, the Organisation may provide breathalysers to judges who wish to use them.
- A judge may not judge their own products.
The Organisation collects a sworn statement from jury members mentioning their direct or indirect links with companies, establishments, professional organisations, or associations whose activities, products, or interests may relate to the Products presented in the Competition. Failure to comply with this provision will be considered fraud. The Organisation may reject any judge in order to prevent a competitor who is a member of the jury from judging their own Products.
Any breach of this obligation will be considered fraud and may result in penalties, including the immediate exclusion of the judge and the invalidation of their scores. The Organisation reserves the right to reject a judge at any time in order to guarantee the impartiality of the Competition.
- The Competition reserves the right to refuse the participation of a judge, in particular in the event of repeated absences or late cancellations, inappropriate behaviour, failure to comply with these rules, or for any other reason without having to justify its decision.
- The Competition recommends that judges take out cancellation insurance for any travel reservations (hotel, transport, etc.). In the event of outright cancellation of an edition of the Competition for a reason not attributable to the Organisation or due to a case of force majeure within the meaning of Article 11 of the rules, the Competition cannot be held liable in any way whatsoever to the judge for the costs incurred in traveling to the Competition. These costs will not be reimbursed.
- Participating in the tasting may require the use of sharp objects, in particular knives. Judges are strongly advised to use these objects with caution. Under no circumstances can the Competition be held liable for any injury resulting from the use of these objects.
- Participation is not recommended in the event of allergies, intolerances, food hypersensitivity or immunodeficiency. The Competition cannot guarantee the absence of allergens and cannot compose the juries taking into account food allergies, intolerances, or hypersensitivities. Some products may be tasted before they are commercially available. Consequently, their stability cannot be guaranteed (fermentation not complete, germs present, unfiltered product, traces of allergens, microbiological risks, etc.). In the event of an allergic reaction, indigestion, poisoning, or infection following the tasting of a product, the Competition cannot be held liable in any way whatsoever towards the judge.
- It is forbidden to take samples away, even if they have been opened.
- As part of the Competition, the judge expressly authorises the Organisation to photograph or film them free of charge. These images may be used exclusively for promotion and communication related to the Competition, on any type of media, including advertising, in France, Germany, United Kingdom and abroad, and without any time limit.

ARTICLE 16: PRESIDENCY OF JURIES

The commissioner general presides over juries. The jury president, with the help of one or more assessors, makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. The president of the juries, in this case the commissioner general, supervises the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.

ARTICLE 17: AWARDING MEDALS

The Competition grants the following awards:
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The score for a sample is determined by calculating the mathematical average of the scores awarded by the judges who evaluated it. Scores are rounded to the nearest whole number, with 5 being rounded up to the next whole number.
Awarding by sub-juries: A sample may be awarded a medal if and only if it cumulatively meets all of the following conditions:
1. Its score is greater than or equal to the minimum score required to qualify for a Gold (85/100) or Silver (80/100) medal;
2. The sample must be in the top third of the highest scores awarded by its sub-jury.
Awarding by juries: Once the medals have been awarded in each sub-jury, and if the number of medals does not reach one-third of the number of samples in the jury, samples may be awarded medals if and only if they meet condition “1” above and if their score is the highest among the non-medallists in the jury. This award is only permitted if the final percentage of samples awarded medals in the Competition does not reach 33%.
In the event of a tie for the award of a medal, the sample with the lowest standard deviation among all the scores awarded by the jury will be selected to receive the medal.
The standard deviation is an indicator that measures the consistency of the scores awarded by the judges. It allows us to assess whether the scores are consistent or scattered. The lower the standard deviation, the more unanimous the judges are in their evaluation of the product.
The number of awards must not surpass one-third of the number of submitted samples to the Competition.
The Organisation is the sole judge of how medals are awarded and cannot be held responsible if a sample is not given an award.
The distinction is awarded to the batch entered by the Participant. As a result, the brand name may be changed, provided that it is the same batch that was initially entered. If a brand name was not declared at the time of entry, only the owner of the batch may request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name may only be used after confirmation by email from the Competition.
The Organisation reserves the right to cancel, group or change individual categories - including main categories - and to group individual countries or form country groups, provided that such changes are necessary at its reasonable discretion and do not conflict with any legitimate interests of the participants. The Organisation further reserves the right to make changes that are necessary to comply with legal requirements.

ARTICLE 18: PUBLICATION OF RESULTS

Participants will be notified of the results by email at a later date if their Products are selected. This email will be the official document of the Competition, specifying the name of the Competition, the nature of the award, the identity of the Product, and the name and address of the Participant.
Awards obtained are represented in the form of a medal.
Information relating to the Product and provided by the Participant during registration (category, certification, etc.) may be published (in print or digital online) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in the publication, no financial compensation will be granted to the Participant.
Participants with at least one medal-winning sample, hereinafter referred to as the “Winners,” authorise the Competition to publish their results, names, contact details, and information about their medal-winning sample(s).

ARTICLE 19: USING AWARDS

WINE COMPETITION: Medals representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be available for award-winning Wines. The number of medals will be provided based on the volume declared at the time of registration, to which a maximum tolerance of 5% may be added to compensate for any losses or damage that may occur during labelling. This tolerance may not under any circumstances be used to award medals to a volume greater than that declared and awarded during the competition.
OTHER COMPETITIONS: Medals representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be permitted for award-winning Products, whose characteristics correspond entirely to those of the product for which the distinction was awarded. Medals may be displayed on Products for two years from the date of the announcement of the results.
The adhesive material used to manufacture the medals may contain metal compounds as well as non-food compounds. When placing an order, the Participant must inform the Competition of any manufacturing constraints relating to its packaging lines.
In the event of a problem when using adhesive medals delivered by the Competition or the service provider, the latter cannot be held liable for any loss of productivity or commercial damage, given the many parameters involved in packaging and putting the medals on products.
However, the Competition or the service provider will take all necessary steps to replace any rolls of medals with manufacturing defects.
Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo.

ARTICLE 20: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Representation of the medal and the « Women’s International Trophy » inscription are trademarks; they are protected by copyright and may be used only by Competition winners and according to the provisions of these rules and regulations.
Any other use of the medal representation, the « Women’s International Trophy » inscription or other trademarks, or of any other copyrighted signs or works belonging to the Organisation, and in particular any treatment or transformation, shall be authorised if and only if the Organisation has given express prior written consent (handwritten or other textual form).
To this end, Winners must submit a final proof at least 48 hours before production to the Competition's email address. Any use must strictly comply with the graphic charter provided by the Organisation, without modification or addition, unless expressly authorised in writing by the latter.
The Winner may purchase advertising materials offered by the Competition. The Winner may create their own advertising materials, provided they have obtained the written consent of the Competition and the approval of the final proof prior to any production.
The use of the medal and logo is strictly regulated. It is authorised exclusively:
- By affixing self-adhesive medals purchased from the Organisation.
- By printing the medals on the packaging of the award-winning Product (label, collar, bottle, primary packaging, secondary packaging, cardboard box), after first acquiring the corresponding printing rights from the Organisation.
The reproduction rights and self-adhesive medals acquired are not transferable to other products. Failure to pay the printing rights excludes any right to use the brand or logo.
Any printing of the medal on packaging must be carried out exclusively by printers approved by the Organisation. Any printing or use outside the conditions defined by these regulations, the graphic charter, or any other applicable document will be considered fraud.
The producer(s) of the award-winning Product(s) also undertake to inform the Organisation of any fraudulent use of the Medal by a third party of which they become aware.
Participants undertake to inform the Organisation of any infringement proceedings brought against them or any infringements against them in relation to their award-winning samples.
In any event, any breach of any of the provisions of this article by the Winner or a Participant shall result in the penalties provided for in Article 23 of these rules, as imposed by the Organisation.

ARTICLE 21: AUDITS

The Organisation shall establish an internal auditing system under its responsibility to ensure strict compliance with these regulations.
As such, it shall ensure, without this list being exhaustive, the conformity of the documents provided at the time of registration, the anonymity of the Products during the tasting, the selection of judges in accordance with the criteria defined in Article 14, and the awarding of distinctions in accordance with the provisions of Article 17.
Depending on the findings of the audit, the Organisation reserves the right to cancel any entry that is incomplete or contains incorrect information, to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the rules, the submitted analysis report and/or the entry details, and/or to temporarily or permanently exclude a Participant from the Competition, and more generally to implement the penalties provided for in Article 23 of these Rules.
In addition, the Organisation reserves the right to have analytical checks carried out on the submitted samples by an independent analysis laboratory of its choice. It may take random samples at the points of sale of the Products and verify that the samples tasted correspond to those marketed or offered for sale at the property.
To this end, all Winners/Participants undertake to provide the Organisation with any information required to exercise its right to audit without delay. 
If a sample is eliminated for breaching the rules, the Participant must collect it at their own expense from the Organisation's headquarters within one week of notification of non-compliance. After this period, the Organisation may destroy the samples, without the Participant being entitled to any compensation.

ARTICLE 22: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE REGULATIONS

Participants in the Competition must fully and completely accept these Rules and Regulations, legal information and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request.

ARTICLE 23: PENALTIES

1. If a Participant breaches the rules and regulations concerning indication of the distinction, the Organisation may:
(i) require that the participant cease the practice not in conformity with the provisions of the rules and regulations, and provide information on the type and extent of the practice;
(ii) prohibit the participant from using other distinctions temporarily or for an extended period;
(iii) claim compensation for damages from the participant, including legal fees.
2. For all cases of non-compliance with the provisions of Article 24 paragraphs 1 and 2 on the indication of distinctions, the participant agrees to pay the Organisation a contractual penalty, the amount of which shall be determined equitably by the Organisation and verified by the competent court in case of disagreement. The ‘continuous relationship’ requirement is excluded in cases of deliberate breach of contract. Should the participant continue to commit an infraction, each week of non-compliance with rules and regulations is considered a distinct infraction. Claims for additional damages and interest remain unchanged. A contractual penalty that has been paid is applied to any claims for damages and interest. The contractual penalty represents the minimum threshold for damages. The contractual penalty must not exceed 50,000.00 euros.
3. If the Participant indicates the distinction without paying the associated fees levied by the Organisation (for example by non-authorised printing of medals), the Organisation may also require that the Participant pay the applicable fees for the corresponding authorisation to print medals.
4. If the Organisation discovers that the rules have been infringed upon as a result of its own investigations (for example analysis of product samples or inquiries into the unauthorised printing of distinctions), the Organisation shall have the right to demand that the Participant reimburse the cost of these investigations.
5. The Organisation reserves the right to make any statutory claims and in particular to claim damages and interest if the distinction has been indicated irregularly.
6. Participants are required to inform the Organisation of any irregular indication of the distinction, representation of medals or of the  « Women’s International Trophy » inscription that comes to their attention.

ARTICLE 24: AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS

The Organisation reserves the right to amend these Regulations if unforeseen circumstances, including force majeure as defined in Article 11, or regulatory changes require compliance with applicable legislation.
Participants will be informed of any amendments by any appropriate means, including publication on the Competition Website.
The Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences of such amendments, provided that they are made in accordance with the conditions set out in this article.

ARTICLE 25: LIABILITY

The liability of the Organisation, as well as that of its employees, agents, and operators, regardless of the legal basis, is governed by the following provisions:
a) The Organisation shall be liable without limitation only in the event of intentional misconduct and particularly serious misconduct, and in particular in the event of a breach of essential contractual obligations, i.e., obligations whose performance is essential to the proper conduct of the Competition.
b) In all other cases, the Organisation's liability is strictly limited to direct and foreseeable damages at the time of acceptance of these rules, in particular in the event of breaches resulting from minor negligence. Under no circumstances shall the Organisation be held liable for indirect, immaterial, or consequential damages, such as loss of opportunity, revenue, profits, image, or any other economic consequence suffered by the Participant.
c) The Organisation shall not be held liable for the non-performance or poor performance of its obligations when this results from a case of force majeure, as defined in Article 11, or any other circumstance beyond its control.
d) The Organisation shall not be held liable for any faults, omissions, or breaches attributable to third parties, in particular service providers, subcontractors, or partners involved in the organisation of the Competition.
e) The above limitations of liability shall not apply in the event of a claim for damages resulting from injury to life, physical integrity, or health.
The limitations and exclusions of liability provided for in this article also apply to:
- the Organisation's affiliates or partners,
- the members of its management bodies,
- its employees, agents, representatives, and auxiliary personnel,
- as well as service providers acting on its behalf in connection with the Competition.

ARTICLE 26: APPLICABLE LAW – LEGAL DISPUTES

1. The Participant’s general conditions of sale do not apply.
2. Should the individual provisions of these rules and regulations be or become completely or partially invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unchanged.
3. With regard to these rules and regulations and the contractual relationship between the Organisation and the Participant, the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply, to the exclusion of uniform international law, and in particular exclusion of the United Nations Convention of April 11, 1980, on contracts for the international sale of goods (Vienna Convention). The language of the rules and regulations is German.
4. If the Participant is a merchant as defined by the German Commercial Code, a legal entity under public law or an estate under public law, Mainz is the competent jurisdiction for all disputes resulting from the contractual relationship, including international disputes. The Organisation is, however, also and in any case authorised to pursue participants in their own general jurisdictions. The principal legal provisions, particularly those concerning exclusive competences, remain unchanged.