Rules – The Fine Print

Here is the fine print that I think makes the best sense for the Site.  I’m open to suggestions.

CONTEST PRIZES

If you are one of the lucky to be selected for a prize :

1. Winners must be active users of the site at time of selection, and a member of the associated Facebook Group running the Contest.
2. We will contact you via email, and hope you reply within 10 days to claim your stuff.
3. You may be asked to show proof of model/location releases and other proof of full ownership of the photo.
4. If for some lame reason we do not have the prize we stated, we reserve the right to give you an alternative of similar value to the best of our ability.

WHO MAY ENTER

Contests supported on ThirstyPhoto (“Sponsor”)  is open only to any photographer except where prohibited by law.  Eligibility to submit photographs may be further defined by Groups on ThirstyPhoto executing the Contest.

HOW TO ENTER

To enter, create an account on ThirstyPhoto,  join the relevant Facebook Group executing the Contest, then submit your photo to the Contest Album. Provide a title and description of the submission to the new album item. Ensure you are in accordance with the instructions below. These categories are hereby referred to as the “Categories”. Each photographer may submit more than one entry per Contest, provided the submissions conform to the Contest Assignment criteria. If a photographer abuses the open limits by spamming a Contest, the Sponsor will disqualify that photographer from participating in the contest, remove current submissions, and block the photographer from further access. Each entry must comply with the following requirements (the “Photograph Requirements”):

1. Photographs must be in digital format. Only online entries submitted to the Contest Album will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this Contest. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies or photographic prints are acceptable. All entries must be less than 6 megabytes, must be in a format that can be uploaded to the site. Image file name must not contain special characters like  bracket, question mark, etc.
2. Photographs must have been taken within two (2) years before the date of entry for Category Assignments, and must not have been previously published or been judged a winner in another photographic contest.
3. Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud; provided that entrants must be prepared to provide a release form as described below in “Release”. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close up of another person’s art.
4. The photograph, in its entirety, must be the work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph.
5. In the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, any photograph that is deemed provocative, obscene, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or have/contain inappropriate content otherwise will be disqualified.
6. All uploaded images are final. Once the contest photo has been uploaded, it can not be replaced or modified by the contestant.

Entries in each Category will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined below. All entries must be submitted and received by the end of the designated Submission Window. All winners will be announced no later than 5 days after the Contest Voting Window closes,. Entries must be made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

RELEASES

We insist you submit your own work of art, and not someone else’s.  Failure to do so will result in being banned from the site.

We also recommend if you submit photos with people in it – especially if they are the main subject of the photo – you use a release form and keep it on file  (Download.Get free PDF Reader.).  This covers other people’s works of art as well.  As for photography of 3rd-party private property use this release for and keep it on file (Download. Acrobat Reader is required to view the download. Get free PDF Reader.).

As mentioned previously we may ask for these releases if your photgraph may risk 3rd-party privacy rights.

JUDGING

Contests may be judged by either Peers, a Judging Panel, or both. Judging by Peers will be open to all members of the Group, including other Entrants through the Rating System supported in the online Contest Album.  Peers may only vote once, but can change their vote while the Voting Window is still open. Judging by Panel will be open to a short-list of Group members, and at least two independent Judges who is not a member of the Group.  Members of the Judging Panel may not participate in the Contest as an Entrant. Decisions of the Judges are final and binding.

LICENSE

You retain 100% ownership at all times.  However, we would love to promote your skills on this site as much as possible.

ThirstyPhoto will require rights to publish the images solely and exclusively to promote the contest on our website and in contest publicity material in any other media to promote the site and its contests.  This right expires after five years of the image being submitted to a contest. Any use beyond this time limit will only take place with the photographers written permission.  The entrant will be credited every time the image is published.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Do not blame us for technical hiccups that may result in your photos on this site being lost or corrupted.  We will try our best not to screw up – but no one is perfect.

CONDITIONS

You can only participate on this site as defined by law. Most laws of which we would like to be informed of.

RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsor elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsor will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs.

DATA PRIVACY

We wont share any of your information to others – especially since Facebook has all of your information anyway.  If you really want all record of your activity removed – just email admin@thirstyphoto.com.