1 December

December competitions checked by Arts Law

Arts Law has checked the terms of 3 competitions closing in December 2014 and rated each of them out of 5 stars.

These ratings are based on a review of the terms and conditions which relate to the entrant’s copyright and moral rights. 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.

We also invite competition organisers to contact Arts Law for best practice assistance on making their terms and conditions fairer for artists.

The Hal Porter Short Story Competition received 3 / 5 stars for fairness to artists. The terms and conditions of this competition only asks for a non-exclusive licence to reproduce the winning work. However, there is no time limit to how long the work will be reproduced and there is no mention of the attributing the artist as the creator of the work. To achieve a perfect rating, the licence should be limited to purposes associated with the competition, have a limited duration and clearly state they will attribute the authors.

NOT FAR OFF:

  • The Hal Porter Short Story Competition – deadline 12 December 2014

The Port Art Exhibition received 2 / 5 stars for fairness of its terms. The terms of this competition ask that all entrants grant the competition organisers a licence to reproduce the entries for broad purposes and with no restriction as to duration.  Best practice would be to limit the licence: to prize winners, to uses associated with the promotion of the competition, in duration and create a positive intention to attribute the artists.   

SOMEWORK TO DO:

  • Port Art Exhibition 2014 – deadline 12 December 2014

Arts Law was unable to rate the John Lennon Songwriting Competition – Session II.  This is because the competition’s terms and conditions do not specifically mention the licensing of winners copyright or the protection of their moral rights.  It may be that the competition provides the winners with this information, but it would be preferable for all entrants to know what rights they may be giving away in the event they do win so they can decide whether to enter the competition in the first place.  Arts Law encourages the competition organisers to clarify its terms in this regard.

  • The John Lennon Songwriting Contest – Session II – deadline 15 December 2014

Further information

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

See Arts Law's competition star rating system for further information or call Arts Law if you would like to receive best practice advice regarding your competition terms and conditions.

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