29 April

May competitions checked by Arts Law

May competitions checked by Arts Law

Each month Arts Law reviews a number of competitions for their terms and conditions dealing with copyright and moral rights, and rates those terms and conditions out of 5 stars. As such, it is a limited review and not a broad review of all terms and conditions including the prize. Entrants should always weigh up Arts Law’s ratings against the prize and possible profile raising which may result from being a finalist or winner; it may be that a competition with a low star rating awards a wonderful prize! Artists are welcome to contact Arts Law for legal advice on the terms of a competition. We also invite competition organisers to contact Arts Law for best practice assistance on making their terms and conditions fairer for artists.

Read more about the rating system here.

By accepting the terms and conditions of a competition, artists should be aware that they are entering a legally binding contract. For more information on competition conditions see our free information sheet here.

Read on for our ratings of 18 competitions closing in May 2015.

The Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award received an outstanding 5 / 5 stars! This competition asks only shortlisted entrants for permission to reproduce their work for the limited purposes of promoting the award and for a limited period of 5 years. Further, the competition organisers will credit the artist when the artwork is reproduced.

CONGRATULATIONS!

  • Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award – deadline 22 May 2015

5 competitions this month received 4 / 5 stars.  Under the terms of these competitions, finalists or winners are required to grant a limited licence for their works to be reproduced. If the terms were to limit the licence to a certain timeframe and to provide for attribution of the creators, 5 / 5 stars would have been awarded.

WELL DONE:

  • Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2D – deadline 4 May 2015
  • Hidden Rookwood Cemetery Sculpture Walk – deadline 5 May 2015
  • 2015 Jolley Prize – deadline 10 May 2015
  • The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize – deadline 22 May 2015
  • Windmill Trust Scholarship for Regional NSW Artists – deadline 23 May 2015

9 competitions received 3 / 5 stars.  Under the terms of the Eureka Prize for Science Photography, the Kogarah Art Prize, the Lethbridge 10000 Small Scale Art Award, the Yen Female Art Awards, the Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Award and the Camberwell Art Show, all entrants grant a licence to reproduce their work for a limited purpose but without limitation as to the duration of the licence. The Sculpture in the Glen competition provides for a similar licence, however it should make it clearer whether it is all entrants or just finalists who are giving the licence.

Similarly, the terms of the 2015 Northern Territory Literary Art Awards and the City of City Albany Art Prize both require a limited licence to be granted, but again without restriction on the duration of the licence. Noticeably, the terms of both of these competitions do not specify whether the licence is to be given by finalists, winners or all entrants. If the organisers will only be reproducing the entries of finalists or winners then this should be expressly stated in the terms.

Perfect ratings would have been given if all of these competitions had limited the licences to a certain duration, limited to being given by finalists/winners and had included a term that there would be attribution of the artists. A special mention does however go to the Eureka Prize for Science Photography and the Kogarah Art for recognising the moral rights of creators by including a term to attribute the creators.

NOT FAR OFF

  • Eureka Prize for Science Photography  – deadline 1 May 2015
  • Lethbridge 10000 Small Scale Art Award – deadline 1 May 2015
  • Sculpture in the Glen – deadline 4 May 2015
  • Yen Female Art Awards – deadline 8 May 2015
  • 2015 Northern Territory Literary Art Awards – deadline 8 May 2015
  • Kogarah Art Prize – deadline 11 May 2015
  • Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Award – Deadline 25 May 2015
  • City of Albany Art Prize 2015 – deadline 25 May 2015
  • Camberwell Art Show – deadline 28 May 2015

1 competition received 2 / 5 stars.  Under the terms of the 2015 Fanfare Competition all entrants are required to grant a licence without any limit on the scope and duration of the licence.  Best practice would be for this licence to be only required from winners/finalists, that it be limited in duration and to uses of the works associated with the promotion of the competition, and that there be attribution of the musicians.    

SOME WORK TO DO

  • 2015 Fanfare Competition – deadline 7 May 2015

1 competition deserved no stars.  Entrants should be aware that the International Proverse Prize for Unpublished Non-Fiction, Fiction or Poetry requires all entrants to grant a very wide exclusive licence including to produce, print and distribute their entered manuscripts as well as to handle all subsidiary rights. Further, the licence is not limited in duration. Aside from the licence being so broad and not limited in duration, it is concerning that this licence is not limited to just finalists/winners.

  • The International Proverse Prize for Unpublished Non-Fiction, Fiction or Poetry – deadline 31 May 2015

Arts Law was unable to rate the John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize because there were no terms and conditions relating to copyright licensing or protection of moral rights. If the organisers wish to reproduce works, including on their website, the terms should provide for a licence limited in scope and duration, applicable to winners or finalists only and providing for attribution of the artists.

  • John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize – deadline 15 May 2015

 

Further information

Please email us at [email protected] to tell us about any competitions or prizes you think we should check. 

See more about Arts Law's campaign to improve competition terms and conditions in the Prizes and Competitions section.