New York Anime Festival Contest Rules

This Contest is over, click here to see the winner.

New York Anime Festival 2007 Mascot Contest

Official Rules: VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Contest is open only to U.S. residents physically residing in the United States and DC (residents of Guam and Puerto Rico are excluded from entry and participation), who are 18 years of age or older as of May 25, 2007 or have received permission from a parent or guardian. Contest begins at 12:00 a.m. ET on May 25, 2007 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 15, 2007 ("Contest Entry Period"). This Contest is sponsored by Reed Exhibitions. ("Sponsor").

1. ELIGIBILITY: Employees of Sponsor, Reed Exhibitions, and all their respective employees, any advertising and promotion agencies, their respective parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, or any other entity involved in the development or administration of this Contest, as well as members of such employees' immediate families and households (including children, spouses and siblings and/or other people living in the same households as such persons, whether related or not), are not eligible to participate. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the representatives of Reed Exhibitions ("Sponsor") and New York Anime Festival ("the Show") who will be judging the entries (the "Judges"), and/or any other sponsors, which are binding and final on matters relating to this Contest.

2. HOW TO ENTER: (1) Create an original character you feel represents “Anime” and “New York City” (see instructions below). You may submit images that were created before this announcement. Do not use any photos, images, or art that do not meet the Originality criteria in section 3. (2) Once you have created your character, e-mail it to [email protected]. (3) Include in the e-mail your full name, e-mail address, phone number, and your character's name. (4) All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 15, 2007.

CREATE YOUR CHARACTER: Create an original character you feel represents the words “Anime” and “New York City” using your own ORIGINAL artwork (no artwork or any other material you did not create yourself). Before you start, please read the TERMS OF SUBMISSION (below) carefully. Your character should be entertaining, exciting, compelling, engaging and unique. Your character must be in one of the following formats:

JPG file At least 300 dpi

TIFF file At least 300 dpi

No other formats will be accepted.

Your character and any material you submit in connection with your character (collectively "Submission") must be original, truthful and unpublished. See below for complete Terms of Submission.

LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Please note that this is not an application for employment.

3. TERMS OF SUBMISSION: By entering, you represent, warrant and agree that you created your character or, if you are not the person who created the character, you have the written permission of such person to enter your Submission in the Contest and to grant the rights you grant herein. By entering, you also represent, warrant and agree that you are 18 years of age or older as of May 25, 2007 or have received permission from a parent or guardian.

Originality: Your Submission must be your original work and must not contain any third-party content or other materials (such as text, graphics, artwork or logos), or any inappropriate or offensive materials. You represent, warrant and agree to Reed Exhibitions that it is your original creation, created only by you and it does not contain any pre-existing elements that would infringe on the copyrights of others.

Any Submissions containing material that is violent, pornographic or otherwise obscene, illegal, or racially or morally offensive, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may be rejected as ineligible for judging. Entries must comply with all laws, rules, and regulations including, but not limited to, those concerning copyright, plagiarism, trademark, defamation and invasion of privacy. By entering, you agree that: i) all Submissions become Sponsor's property and will not be returned, and (ii) entrant grants to Sponsor the right to alter and/or edit the Submission or any part or element thereof. Sponsor and its licensees, successors and assigns have the right to use any and all Submissions for future advertising, promotion and publicity in any manner and in any medium now known or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity.

If you send any Submission to us, you are at such time granting Sponsor, its affiliates and its licensees, successors and assigns a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, unrestricted, irrevocable and fully sub licensable right and license to consider, disclose, broadcast, use, re-use, reproduce, modify, digitize or enhance, adapt, change, edit, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, re-distribute, publicly perform and/or display your Submission (in whole or in part), and the images or likenesses that appear in your Submission (in whole or in part) and/or incorporate all or part of your Submission in other works, all in any form, format, media or technology now known or later developed or invented anywhere in the world at any time. You grant Sponsor these rights whether or not you are selected as a Finalist or Winner. YOU WILL NOT BE PAID FOR YOUR SUBMISSION or for granting Sponsor any of these rights. Sponsor, its affiliates, and its licensees successors and assigns are in no way obligated to use your Submission (and have no obligation to you or any other person or entity after your Submission is received), and you will not be given any credit if your Submission is used. Sponsor may elect to post any, all, or none of your Submission on the Show website or elsewhere as set forth in these rules. If Sponsor does elect to use your Submission or any part thereof, Sponsor may remove all or any part of it at any time for any or no reason, and Sponsor may use all or any part of it in any way that Sponsor elects, in its sole discretion. You agree to waive all claims to and shall receive no royalties of any kind now or in the future from Sponsor, its affiliates, or its licensees, successors and assigns for use of your Submission in promotion of the Show, \ the nyanimefestival.com website or otherwise, including copyright, trademark, public performance, digital sound recording, mechanical, synchronization or master use royalties, and you represent, warrant and agree that no other party is entitled to claim royalties from the use of the Submission as set forth in these Official Rules.

Please also be aware that your Submission may not be acknowledged and will not be received or held "in confidence" and your Submission does not create a confidential relationship or obligation of secrecy between you and the Contest or Sponsor, any of its affiliates or any of its licensees, successors or assigns. You may not resell, assign or transfer any of your rights under these Official Rules.

By entering your Submission, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Official Rules, and you accept these Official Rules together and agree to abide by its terms and conditions, as they may be amended from time to time, and all other applicable rules and regulations. Additionally, you agree that you have all rights, approvals and/or consents necessary to submit the Submission on the terms provided in these Official Rules and your Submission does not violate the rights of any other person or entity or any Law.

4. SELECTION OF FINALISTS: Beginning on June 16, 2007, each eligible Submission will be reviewed by the staff of Anime News Network and employees of Reed Exhibitions ("Judges") who will review until up to 10 Finalists are selected (but no later than 11:59 PM ET, June 22, 2007). Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to select fewer than ten, or no, Finalists, if an insufficient number of eligible, complete, tasteful, appropriate or generally qualified entries are received. The decisions of the Judges are final and not subject to challenge or appeal.

During the selection process, material about each Finalists and their Submission may, at Sponsor's sole discretion, be posted on animenewsnetwork.com and nyanimefestival.com.

Animenewsnetwork.com will post the 10 Finalists no later than 11:59 PM ET on June 22, 2007 and allow online visitors to cast ballots (one per person) for their favorite until 11:59 PM ET on June 29, 2007. The mascot receiving the highest number of ballots will receive one vote. Reed Exhibitions will simultaneously consult with a panel of anime industry experts (“NY Anime Festival Advisory Board”). Each member of the NY Anime Festival Advisory Board will cast one vote for the character they feel best represents “Anime” and “New York City.” No later than June 30, all votes will be counted. The character receiving the most total ballots will be named the New York Anime Festival 2007 Mascot. The winning character will be announced on July 6, 2007 on animenewsnetwork.com.

The selection of the winner shall be subject to eligibility verification, as well as the Finalists' compliance with the Terms of Submission and the optional background check. If the winner is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to have the Judges pick an alternate winner from among the remaining Finalists, selected by the Judges in their sole discretion.

Each entrant agrees that if selected as a Finalist, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, conduct a background check on entrant, including, but not limited to, civil, financial, driver-history, any drug or alcohol abuse, criminal convictions and Law suits - either settled or still pending. Finalists agree to cooperate with Sponsor in order to conduct such a background check if requested. Sponsor reserves the right (at its sole discretion) to disqualify a Finalist based on the background check results or a Finalist's unwillingness to cooperate with the background check process, and select an alternate.

5. PRIZE: The Finalist selected as the winner of the Grand Prize (the "Winner") will have his/her character featured prominently at the 2007 New York Anime Festival. The Winner will also receive 10 New York Anime Festival and 10 New York Comic Con weekend passes and copy of all merchandise created featuring the Winner's character. The Winner's prizes have a total retail value of $1200. Sponsor may modify the winning promo, including editing, adding or subtracting elements at its sole discretion. No additional payment or compensation will be awarded for such exposure. If the Winner does not make himself/herself available as directed by Sponsor or is otherwise not eligible in light of a background check or otherwise, Sponsor reserves the right to select an alternate Winner.

All prize details not specified herein are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Limit one winner per household. Winner will be notified by e-mail or phone and must return all required documents within the indicated time period. The Winner of the grand prize will be required to execute an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release, to be returned within seven (7) days of date notice sent. In the event of noncompliance with the foregoing requirements or if any prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, the prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor's discretion, an alternate winner will be selected. In the event that insufficient qualified entries are received, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to not award all prizes.

The 9 Finalists not selected as Winner will each receive 1 Weekend Pass to the New York Anime Festival. All entrants will receive an electronic coupon code for $5 off the price of a ticket to the Anime Festival. This code will remain active until July 31, 2007.

6. GENERAL RULES: Anime News Network Inc., the Sponsor, their parents, subsidiaries and affiliates, their licensees, successor and assigns, and its marketing agencies, Inc. (collectively, "Released Parties") are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, misdirected, damaged, incorrect, misrouted, undelivered, garbled, illegible or postage-due mail, entries or e-mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunication or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines or technical failures or difficulties, or other errors of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prizes or any Contest-related materials; or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of any entry or other such information or the failure to capture any such information. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Released parties are not responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in the Contest or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Contest or website, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW (AND TO DISQUALIFY SUCH PERSON FROM THE CONTEST, IF APPLICABLE).

Should any portion of the Contest be, in Sponsor's sole discretion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole discretion of Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, Sponsor reserves the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the online portion of the Contest and accept entries solely via mail-in entry method, or to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest in any manner, in Sponsor's sole discretion, and conduct judging from amongst all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to action taken. Entrants, by participating, agree that Released Parties and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, dealerships, advertising and promotion agencies, and website providers/web masters, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents will have no liability whatsoever for, and shall be held harmless by entrants against, any liability, for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including death, to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize or participation in this Contest. Each winner, by acceptance of a prize, except where legally prohibited, grants permission to Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, voice, and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide, and on the Internet and world wide web, in perpetuity, without notice or review or approval. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having used the same e-mail account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail account at the time of entry will be deemed to be the entrant and must comply with these rules. Authorized account subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses.