Rules

Sponsor is Humane Society of Bay County, 1600 Bay Avenue, Panama City, Florida 32405, USA ("Sponsor").


The 2018 Humane Society Photo Contest (the "Contest") begins July 15, 2018 at 08:00 a.m. US Central Savings Time ("CST") and ends October 15, 2018, 08:00 p.m. ("CST"). ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 15, 2018 AT 08:00 P.M. CST. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules ("Official Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.


Contest is open only to individuals of the United States who are 18 years of age as of July 15, 2018. Employees of Humane Society of Bay County, and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related, are not eligible.


Each entry consists of an entry form, a single photograph, and an entry fee. The entry fee is $10.00, per photograph. To enter, complete an entry form with the required information, including your name, address, telephone number, email address, and photo caption; and submit along with your photograph and fee in accordance with the instructions that follow.

The categories for entries are:
(1) Animals, (2) Sunsets, (3) Sunrises; and (4) Nature (the "Categories") photographed in Northwest Florida. The Northwest Florida counties that are eligible include: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf. All entries must be photos taken of the Categories within the approved counties. There is no limit on the number of entries per person.

Your Shot Photo Guidelines as well as the following requirements:

1. Photographs must be in digital format. Only online entries will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this Contest. All digital files must be a 300 dpi (dots per inch) high-resolution jpg or png file, and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).
2. Photographs must have been taken within one (1) year before the date of entry.
3. Only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is minor cropping. High dynamic range images (HDR) and stitched panoramas are acceptable. Any changes to the original photograph not itemized here are unacceptable and will render the photograph ineligible for a prize.
4. 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 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.
5. The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single 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.
6. The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
7. The caption must be complete and accurate, sufficient to convey the circumstances in which the photograph was taken. Disguising or misrepresenting the origin of your content is cause for disqualification.
8. Watermarks are unacceptable. Unless Sponsor receives a non-watermarked version of the entry within ten (10) days following its request, the entry will be disqualified.
9. Images cannot contain any persons, of any age. Photographs submitted with people will be disqualified.

Judging consists of voting. You may enter the contest as many times as you like and are encouraged to promote voting for your photography through various streams, including email, blogging, social networking sites, etc. To be considered a legitimate vote, a voter must visit the Contest page and click on the vote button related to the photograph they wish to vote for. Each vote costs $1.00 with a minimum purchase of $5.00.


If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. Upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed release from the owner of any material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing Sponsor reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.

Similarly, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any sculpture, artwork, or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing Sponsor to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

By submitting photographic images, you grant Sponsor a perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and otherwise exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to those photographic images at its sole discretion, including storing it on Sponsors servers and incorporating it in other works in any media now known or later developed including, without limitation, published books. If you do not wish to grant Sponsor these rights, it is suggested that you do not submit photographic images.

Finally, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Sponsor to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor's request or notification, (a) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was sent by Sponsor, or (b) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by email, on the day that the email was sent by Sponsor.


The First Place Winner in each Category, with the most votes, will receive $500.00, and his/her winning photograph will receive prominent placement within the Sponsor's photography book. Winners will be featured on Sponsor's social media and website.

One Grand Prize Winner, overall most votes, will receive, in addition to the First Place prize, $1,000.00, and the winner will be featured on the cover of all publications of the Sponsor's photography book.

Decisions of the Judges are final and binding. Photo selection for inclusion in the photography book is solely at the discretion of Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right to change these contest rules at any time.

In addition, the top twenty (20) most liked/voted photographs in each category will be selected to be included in the Sponsor's photography book. In the event there are not twenty (20) photographs in each category, Sponsor will make final determination of which photographs will be included in Sponsor's photography book. Winner is responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use.


By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide non-exclusive license to Sponsor, to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the entries in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, for no additional compensation, including, but not limited to: display at a potential exhibition of winners; publication of a book featuring select entries in the Contest; publication in marketing materials or online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest. Entrants consent to Sponsor doing or omitting to do any act that would otherwise infringe the entrant's "moral rights" in their entries. Display or publication of any entry on Sponsor's website does not indicate the entrant will be selected as a winner. Sponsor will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval. Additionally, by entering, each entrant grants to Sponsor the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Contest, and pictures or likenesses of Contest entrants, or choose not to do so, at their sole discretion, except where prohibited by law. Sponsor will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.


By entering this Contest, all entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless Sponsor and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.

Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Sponsor is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this Contest.


THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Entrants agree that this Contest shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of Florida, USA and the forum for any dispute shall be in the State of Florida, United States of America. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries are void if Sponsor determines the photograph to not be an original, or if the entries are incomplete, inaccessible or blocked, corrupted, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.

By entering, entrants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if the entrant wins that Sponsor may use the winning photographs and each winner's name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Contest or future promotions without compensation or approval (except where prohibited by law).

All federal, state/provincial/territorial, and local taxes, fees and surcharges and taxes (whether foreign or domestic, and including income, sales, and import taxes) on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prizewinners. Prizewinners will be issued an IRS Form 1099. In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize is/are ineligible, cannot be traced or does/do not respond within ten (10) days to a winner notification as required by the "Contest Prizes" rules above, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant.

Sponsor reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant's identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.


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, and will return the fees submitted with each entry.


Entrants agree that personal data, especially name and address, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Contest and any other purposes outlined in these Official Rules. The data may also be used by Sponsor in order to verify the entrant's identity, postal address, and telephone number or to otherwise verify the entrant's eligibility to participate in the Contest. Sponsor and its affiliates will use personal data exclusively for the purposes stated herein. By entering this contest entrant agrees to be added to the Sponsor's email list.