15 May

Arts Law checks terms of competitions closing in June 2013

Arts Law has checked the terms and conditions of 1 additional competition closing in late May 2013 and 12 competitions closing in June 2013.  We have rated each of them out of 5 stars!  

This month CONGRATULATIONS is again in order for the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), receiving an incredible 5 / 5 stars for their terms and conditions for The Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists competition.  WELL DONE!

6 of the competitions checked have received 4 / 5 stars for their fairness to entrants.  Generally, all entrants are providing the organisers with a non-exclusive licence to reproduce their work for the promotion of that competition ONLY.  This means entrants retain all rights in their work and can licence their copyright to third parties (to get 5 / 5 stars, these licences should be limited to finalists only and need to ensure attribution of the artists!):

  • Silk Cut Award 2013 – deadline 3.6.2013
  • Hutchins Art Prize – deadline 14.6.2013
  • Agendo Art Award – deadline 14.6.2013
  • Blake Poetry Prize – deadline 14.6.2013
  • Flanagan Art Prize – deadline 21.6.2013
  • Wilson Art Award – deadline 21.6.2013

5 of the competitions received 3 / 5 stars for their fairness to artists.  The only reason these competitions didn't get 4 / 5 stars is because either (a) the licence each entrant provides extends to use of their work BEYOND promotion of the competition or (b) the duration of the licence is “in perpetuity” which Arts Law feels is way too long and unnecessary.  Best practice would be to reduce the scope of the licence to uses concerning the competition only, limit the licence to finalists, limit the duration of the licence and ensure the protection of artists’ moral rights:

  • North Sydney Art Prize – deadline 24.5.2013
  • Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing – deadline 10.6.2013
  • Blake Prize – deadline 28.6.2013
  • Equine Art Prize – deadline 30.6.2013

The final competition we checked, the Norma Bull Portraiture Scholarship 2013, appeared to have reasonable terms about everything else, but there was no mention of copyright or moral rights.  This suggests the competition organisers, the Victorian Artists Society, either has no intention of reproducing finalists’ work for promotion of the scholarship or they have not thought about the licence they require from finalists to reproduce their work for promotional purposes.  They may wish to contact Arts Law for assistance!

For more information about what to look for when entering competitions see:

Arts Law's Copyright information sheet

Arts Law's Moral Rights information sheet

Arts Law's Competition conditions information sheet

Arts Law's Film competitions information sheet