Legal & Compliance

The Site uses cookies to enhance user experience, provide functionality, and maintain login sessions. No advertising or tracking cookies are used.
 
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser when you visit websites. They help sites remember your preferences, login status, and other browsing information.
 
Types of cookies we use:

• Session cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser.
  
• Functional cookies: Used to remember settings such as language preference or dark/light mode.
  

We do not use third-party advertising or analytics cookies.  
However, external services such as fonts or embeds may use cookies (e.g., Google Fonts). These are outside our control.
 
Managing cookies:
You can delete or block cookies via your browser settings. However, doing so may affect the functionality of the Site.
 
For more information about cookies, visit: www.allaboutcookies.org

Data We Collect
By using the Site, you may provide us with the following information:

• Username or real name
  
• Country
  
• Email address (used only for login and notifications)
  
• Avatar or profile image
  
• Website link (optional)
  
• IP address (for security and moderation purposes)
  
• Uploaded photos and comments
  
• Preferences such as language or theme settings
  

Why We Collect It
Your data helps us operate and improve the Site. Specifically:

• Your username and country help identify your contributions.
  
• Your email is used only to send login-related messages and important notices.
  
• Your IP address is logged to prevent abuse and ensure site security.
  
• Photos and comments are displayed publicly unless otherwise noted.
  
• Preferences help customise your experience.
  

How Long We Keep It
We retain your data as long as your account exists. You may request deletion at any time.
 
Who Has Access
Only site administrators and technical support personnel (NTEG) have access to your data for operational and maintenance needs.
 
Third Parties
We do not share your personal data with third parties unless required by law.
 
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your data, including encrypted communications and secure storage. However, no online service can guarantee 100% security.

1.3. Personal Data Rights
 
As a non-commercial, community-run photo archive, our primary goal is to document buses and coaches for historical and enthusiast purposes. We do not have the resources or infrastructure to handle formal data access, rectification or portability requests on an individual basis.

• Requests related to personal data are considered only in cases involving legal compliance (e.g., GDPR rights, court orders, or official takedown notices).
  
• If you believe there is an error in your public profile information (e.g., display name, country), you may edit it yourself in your account settings.
  
• You may request deactivation of your account via the Support Request System. Upon deactivation:
  • Your login access will be removed.
    
  • Personal details such as email address and IP logs will be deleted or anonymised.
    
  • All publicly published content (photos, comments) will remain visible, as described in Section 1.7.
    
• We do not provide copies of stored data due to limited technical capabilities and the nature of our operation.
  
• If you have legal grounds for a data-related request (e.g., GDPR right to erasure), please explain your case clearly when submitting a Support Request.
  
• Requests without a valid legal basis or submitted solely for administrative inconvenience will not be processed.
  

The Busphoto Club website is operated by various transport enthusiasts and technically maintained in cooperation with NTEG Ltd (a UK-based company). We act as the data controller for personal data collected through this website.
 
The legal basis for processing your personal data depends on the type of data and how it is used:

• Legitimate Interest: We process data to operate, maintain, and improve the Site, ensure security, and communicate with users.
  
• Consent: In cases where you actively submit photos or information, you provide consent for us to display and store such content.
  
• Legal Obligations: We may process data if required by law (e.g., responding to official requests).
  

We only collect and use the minimum amount of data necessary to fulfill these purposes.

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration.

• All communication with the site is encrypted using HTTPS.
  
• User accounts are protected by password authentication.
  
• Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel only.
  
• Backups and logs are stored securely.
  

However, no method of internet data transmission or storage can be guaranteed 100% secure. You use the site at your own risk.

Although our servers are located in Estonia, the website is operated by individuals and entities based in the United Kingdom. This means that some of your personal data may be processed outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

• Data is transferred only for the purpose of operating and maintaining the Site.
  
• No data is sold or shared with third parties for commercial purposes.
  
• All transfers are done under contractual obligations to protect user privacy.
  

If you have concerns about international data transfers, you may contact us via the Support Request System.

We retain user data and content for as long as it serves a purpose under our community rules.

• Account Deactivation:  
  You may request deactivation of your account at any time via the Support Request System.  
  Upon deactivation:
  • Your login access will be removed.
    
  • Personal details such as email address and IP logs will be deleted or anonymised.
    
  • You will no longer appear in active user lists.
    
  
  
• Published Content:  
  All photos and comments you have submitted remain visible on the Site:
  • This includes your username and any associated contributions.
    
  • Content removal is not possible unless required by law or in exceptional legal circumstances.
    
  • This ensures transparency, prevents misuse, and maintains historical accuracy.
    
  
  
• Why We Don't Delete Content:  
  The Busphoto Club is a long-term archival project run by transport enthusiasts. Published content forms a public record of vehicles and community contributions. Removing photos or comments would compromise the integrity of the database and open the door to abuse through multiple accounts.
   
  
• Legal Removal Requests:  
  In exceptional cases involving legal issues (e.g., GDPR rights, court orders, or valid takedown requests), we may consider full or partial removal. Such requests must be submitted via the Support Request System and reviewed individually.
   
  
• Operational Records:  
  Some technical logs and moderation records may be retained for internal review, dispute resolution, or compliance purposes, even after account deactivation.
  

Busphoto Club is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. By using the Site, we assume that you are at least 13 years old or have parental permission to access and contribute.

• No Age Verification:  
  We do not collect or verify users' ages. We do not ask for date of birth during registration, nor do we actively screen for underage users.
   
  
• Parental Responsibility:  
  It is the responsibility of parents or legal guardians to monitor and restrict access to the Site if a child is under the age of 13.
   
  
• Photographs with Minors:  
  Photos submitted to the Site may contain incidental images of minors in public spaces (e.g., as passengers or bystanders). These photos are published solely for the purpose of documenting buses and coaches, not individuals.
   
  
• No Removal Based on Background Individuals:  
  We do not remove or obscure photographs based on the presence of individuals in the background, including minors, unless required by law.  
  If a photo contains identifiable content involving a minor that raises legal concerns, please contact us via the Support Request System, and we will review it individually.
   
  
• Legal Compliance:  
  While we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, we cannot always determine the age of individuals visible in submitted photos. If you believe a photo should be removed due to privacy concerns involving a minor, please provide a valid legal basis for removal, such as a formal request from a legal guardian or court order.
  

Our website uses certain third-party services for functionality, performance, and usability. These may include:

• Fonts (e.g., Google Fonts)
  
• Analytics tools (if used)
  
• Embedded content (e.g., maps or videos)
  

These services may collect data about your visits, including IP address and browsing behavior. We do not control such services and recommend that you review their privacy policies:

• Google Privacy Policy (for fonts and analytics)
  
• Other third-party providers (please check their websites)
  

We encourage users to stay informed about how their data is handled by external services.

We may update this page from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements.
 
When updates are made:

• They will be posted here,
  
• The "last updated" date will be revised accordingly,
  
• Continued use of the Site after changes means acceptance of the new version.
  

We recommend reviewing this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

When you upload a photo to Busphoto Club:

• The photo remains your exclusive property.
  
• You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display and archive the photo on our Site for educational and non-commercial purposes.
  
• We may use your photo to illustrate vehicle conditions, build historical records, or generate previews when links are shared on social media or via third-party platforms.
  
• You retain the right to request removal of your photo in specific cases (e.g., if you switch to a commercial license or due to legal reasons).
  
• You may not upload photos that you do not own or have explicit permission to share.
  

We assume that every photo uploaded to Busphoto Club is original content created by the submitting user.
We do not knowingly host or publish stolen content and take copyright violations seriously — whether they involve photos uploaded to us, or our photos being used elsewhere without permission.

• Author Rights
  Uploaded photos remain your exclusive property. By publishing a photo here, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display and archive it for educational and non-commercial purposes only.
   
  
• Stolen Content on Our Site
  • All new users’ first 5 uploads are manually reviewed for quality and authorship.
    
  • Moderators and administrators regularly check for signs of stolen content.
    
  • If we suspect a photo was uploaded without permission from the original author, it may be removed and the account warned or suspended.
    
  • We do not accept reports like "this photo exists elsewhere" without proof. If you believe a photo was stolen, please provide clear evidence:
    • A link to the original source with matching image and date
      
    • Camera EXIF data proving ownership
      
    • Other verifiable proof of authorship
      
  • In verified cases of stolen content, the uploader will be warned or banned, and the photo removed.
    
  • If the real author comes forward, we encourage them to register and re-upload their photo officially.
    
  • We may notify suspected infringers and give them a chance to respond before taking action.
    
  
  
• Our Stance on Theft of Our Content
  We treat any unauthorised use of photos originally published on Busphoto Club as a serious violation of author rights.
  
  • If a user reports that their photo has appeared on another website without permission, we will investigate.
    
  • If confirmed, we will:
    • Contact the infringing site’s owner or hosting provider.
      
    • File DMCA takedown notices where applicable.
      
    • Involve our legal contacts and experts among our members.
      
    • Publicly name and shame sites or individuals who steal content.
      
    • Take further action to have stolen content removed — up to and including coordinated reporting, domain abuse complaints, or technical actions if legal channels fail.
      
  
  
• What We Will Not Tolerate
  • Reposting of our content without credit or author consent.
    
  • Scraping our database or stealing photos for use on competing platforms.
    
  • Misrepresentation of Busphoto Club content as someone else's work.
    
  
  
• How You Can Help
  • Report suspected theft of Busphoto Club-published content via the Support Request System.
    
  • Provide proof: link to the original photo on our Site + link to the infringing copy.
    
  • Do not report general vehicle photos taken by others — only cases where your photo or someone else’s was copied without permission.
    
  
  
• No Tolerance for Theft Claims Against Us
  • We take all copyright claims seriously, but also protect ourselves against false accusations.
    
  • If a third party claims content on our Site is stolen, we will ask for proof.
    
  • We will not remove content based solely on unsupported allegations.
    
  • We will defend our authors and our archive against unjustified takedown requests or false copyright claims.
    

As a non-commercial, community-run site, we operate under principles of good faith and transparency. However, we respect intellectual property rights and comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) where applicable.

• If you believe your copyrighted work has been posted without permission, please contact us via the Support Request System.
  
• Include the following:
  • Identification of the original work (e.g., link to your version)
    
  • Link to the allegedly infringing version on our Site
    
  • Your contact information
    
  • A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is unauthorised
    
  • A statement that the information provided is accurate and under penalty of perjury, you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on their behalf
    
• We will review the claim and may remove the content while investigating.
  
• We may also notify the user who submitted the content and give them an opportunity to respond.
  
• If the user claims legitimate authorship, we may ask both parties to provide proof.
  
• We reserve the right to restore content if no valid claim or proof of theft is presented.
  

This website, Busphoto Club, is a non-commercial photo archive and community platform operated by private individuals for transport enthusiasts.

• Operator: AndrejsB (UK-based individual)
  
• Technical Support & Maintenance: NTEG Ltd (UK registered company)
  
• Location: Site operates worldwide for EU and Non-EU users from shared server located in Estonia.
  
• Contacts: All communication must be conducted via the Support Request System on the Site.
  
• Commercial Activity: This project does not generate revenue or collect sensitive personal data.
  
• Legal entity: The site is run as a community initiative without incorporation of the interest club.
  
• Addresses: – all operations of the club are remote.
  

The Busphoto Club website is built using a combination of commercially adapted software and open-source CMS technologies, running on PHP with MySQL.  
Developed since 2019, it was fully reworked in 2024 with technical assistance from NTEG Ltd.

• The current version uses modern web standards and secure protocols to ensure stability and long-term operation.
  
• Security updates and maintenance are performed regularly by community members and technical partners.
  
• All user-submitted content is moderated and stored securely.
  
• We do not use third-party advertising or tracking scripts.
  
• The site is hosted on shared infrastructure in Estonia but managed remotely by UK-based operators.
   
  
• Our software stack includes:
  • PHP
    
  • MySQL database engine
    
  • HTML5 / CSS3 / JavaScript (ES6+)
    
  • Custom-built CMS tailored for vehicle documentation and enthusiast archiving
    
  
  
• Forking and Code Licensing
   
  We may consider commercial licensing of the codebase under the following terms:
  • Only minimal documentation will be provided.
    
  • No setup, installation, or configuration support will be given.
    
  • The code is sold "as-is", without guarantees or future updates.
    
  • You must be technically capable of understanding and maintaining the system independently.
    
  
  While the platform has evolved through years of community contributions, some parts of the system contain complex or non-standard solutions that may be difficult to understand for non skilled developers.  
   
  Due to the the custom nature of the codebase, we do not provide support for any forked versions of the platform.
   
  If you're interested in exploring a commercial license or reuse of the codebase, please contact us via the Support Request System to discuss options.