Photo Contest Rules & Terms

By submitting one or more photographs to the Focal Point International Photography Competition (also known as the "Focal Point Photo Contest," "Focal Point," and the "photo contest"), you agree to the following rules and terms:

Submissions & Eligibility

• You must be the photographer.
• Your photograph may be taken with a film or digital camera, in color or black and white, and may be modified in any way through analog or digital means.
• Your photograph may portray any subject, except as follows: No full or partial nudity, libelous content, invasion of privacy, copyright or trademark infringement, or other inappropriate content is allowed. Nudity is defined as the full or partial exposure of the torso below the waist for all models, and above the waist for female models.
• You must submit your photograph as a digital file no smaller than 341 x 227 pixels. Focal Point must be able to read your digital file. In general, we can read BMP, EPS, GIF, JPEG, PDF, Photoshop, and TIFF files.
• You must pay the entry fee to enter the competition. Currently, the entry fee is $1.95 per photograph. Your photograph will be entered in the competition on the date we receive your photograph or the date your payment clears, whichever is later.
• You may submit any number of photographs, and you may submit the same photograph any number of times, but you may not submit the same photograph more than once per week.
• Employees of Focal Point, its affiliates and sponsors, and contest judges are not eligible to enter the contest.

Rights & Permissions

• You must own the copyright to your photograph.
• You must have sufficient permission from all persons, the parents or legal guardians of minors, and the owners of all private property and trademarks appearing in the photograph to take the photograph and grant to Focal Point the rights herein granted.
• Any submission that prompts a legal challenge for any cause will be disqualified. Any physical or monetary prize awarded in connection with such a submission must be returned to Focal Point at your expense.
• You grant to Focal Point the nonexclusive right to: (1) store and display the photograph indefinitely on its web site and any associated web sites, (2) use the photograph indefinitely, and in any way or medium, to promote Focal Point and any associated web sites or businesses, and (3) display your name, city, state, and country of residence along with the photograph.
• You retain ownership of copyright and all rights not herein granted to Focal Point.

Judging & Prizes

• All entries are evaluated by at least two judges, who rank each photograph independently. The judges' rankings are averaged to determine each photograph's overall ranking.
• The entry with the highest average ranking shall be the contest winner. In the event of a tie, the entry with the lowest reference number among the tied entries shall be the contest winner.
• Judges may name runners up at their discretion. Runners up may or may not receive prizes.
• The judges' decisions are final.
• Prize winners are responsible for all applicable shipping charges, duties, and taxes.

Electronic Mail Messages

• You agree to receive electronic mail messages from Focal Point Photo Contest and Andrew Slayman Photography LLC, which may consist of transactional/relationship and/or commercial electronic mail messages, as defined in the Federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Pursuant to that act, you may request not to receive further commercial electronic mail messages from us by following the "unsubscribe" instructions included in such messages. However, you explicitly waive any rights you may have to seek actual or statutory damages for the receipt of such messages, whether authorized in the CAN-SPAM Act or under any other Federal, state, or local law.

Warranties

• You warrant that your submission complies with these rules and terms. Any submission that, in Focal Point's sole discretion, violates any rule or term will be disqualified. Any physical or monetary prize awarded in connection with such a submission must be returned to Focal Point at your expense.
• You warrant that your name and contact information, as provided by you in the entry form, are accurate and complete; and that this competition, and your participation therein, are legal in any and all jurisdictions to which you are subject.
• Focal Point provides this web site and all associated services without warranty of any kind. You are responsible for ensuring that your entry is properly submitted and the entry fee paid.

Indemnification

• You agree to hold Focal Point, Andrew Slayman Photography LLC, and their owners, managers, employees, and affiliates harmless against any liability arising from your use of this web site, your participation in the photo contest, or your compliance with or breach of these terms.
• You agree to indemnify Focal Point, Andrew Slayman Photography LLC, and their owners, managers, employees, and affiliates against all claims for copyright infringement; model, property, or trademark infringement; or any other cause related to your photograph, including but not limited to actual damages, statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.

Reservation of Rights

• Focal Point reserves the right to change these rules and terms, or to discontinue the photo contest, at any time and without notice.

Focal Point International Photography Competition, Rules & Terms. Revision: February 21, 2005.