ASPIRING CANADIAN WRITERS CONTESTS
2014 SINGER-SONGWRITER MENTOR EXPERIENCE
OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

2014 SINGER-SONGWRITER MENTOR EXPERIENCE CONTEST

THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY (EXCLUDING QUEBEC)
     AND IS GOVERNED BY CANADIAN LAW.


1.CONTEST PERIOD: 

The Contest begins on October 8, 2013 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET’) and ends on December 22, 2013 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET, or as soon as three hundred (300) Entries (defined below) have been received, whichever comes first (the “Contest Period”).


2.ELIGIBILITY:

Contest is open to all legal residents of Canada (excluding residents of Quebec) who: (i) have reached the age of majority in their province/territory of residence at the time of entry; (ii) have never been signed to a major or independent record label (as determined by Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests Inc. (the “Sponsor”) at its sole discretion); and (iii) are not employees, representatives or agents (and those with whom such persons are domiciled, whether related or not) of Sponsor, its prize suppliers, the Judges (defined below), the Mentor (defined below) or advertising/promotion agencies (collectively, the “Contest Parties”).  For ease of reference, the following lists the age of majority in each province (excluding Quebec) and territory:
Alberta:  age 18
British Columbia:  age 19
Manitoba:  age 18
New Brunswick:  age 19
Newfoundland and Labrador:  age 19
North West Territories:  age 19
Nova Scotia:  age 19
Nunavut:  age 19
Ontario:  age 18
Prince Edward Island:  age 18
Saskatchewan:  age 18
Yukon:  age 19


3.HOW TO ENTER:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  To enter, go to www.songwritermentorexperience.org (the “Website”), click on the Official Rules link, read the official rules and at the bottom, click on I Accept and follow the on-screen instructions to obtain and complete the official Contest entry form (the “Entry Form”), which requires you to: (i) enter your first name, last name, phone number and valid email address; (ii) indicate that you meet all of the Contest eligibility requirements (see Rule 2 above), including, without limitation, that you are over the age of majority in your province/territory of residence; (iii) indicate that you have read, accept and agree to be legally bound by the terms and conditions of these Official Contest Rules (the “Rules”);  and (iv) upload one (1) video (the “Video”) of only yourself, a vocal and instrumental performance of an original song you have composed (the “Song”). Your Video (and your Song contained therein) must be in accordance with the specific Video Requirements listed below in Rule 4. When all required fields on the Entry Form are completed (including uploading your Video), click the “Submit” button to complete your entry (your “Entry”). To be eligible, your Entry must be received by the Sponsor during the Contest Period.

There is a limit of one (1) Entry per person/email address permitted during the Contest Period.  For greater certainty, you can only use one (1) email address to enter the Contest.  If it is discovered that any person has attempted to: (i) obtain more than one (1) Entry per person/email address during the Contest Period; and/or (ii) use (or attempt to use) multiple names, identities and/or more than one (1) email address to enter the Contest; then (in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor) he/she may be disqualified from the Contest.  Your Entry will be rejected if (in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor): (i) the Entry Form is not fully completed (including uploading your Video) and submitted during the Contest Period; and/or (ii) your Video, and your Song contained therein, is not in  accordance with the specific Video Requirements listed below in Rule 4. Use (or attempted use) of multiple name, identities, email addresses and/or any automated system to enter or otherwise disrupt this Contest is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification by the Sponsor. The Releasees (defined below) are not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, delayed, incomplete or incompatible Entries.

All Entries (and each individual component thereof) are subject to verification for compliance with these Rules at any time.  The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of compliance with these Rules in a form acceptable to the Sponsor (for example, Sponsor may request proof of identity and/or eligibility in the form of government issued photo identification).  Failure to provide such proof in a timely manner may result in disqualification, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion.  The sole determinant of the time for the purposes of a valid Entry in this Contest will be the Contest server machine(s).


4.VIDEO REQUIREMENTS:
BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY, YOU AGREE THAT THE ENTRY (AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT THEREOF) COMPLIES WITH ALL CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE RULES.  THE RELEASEES (DEFINED BELOW) WILL BEAR NO LEGAL LIABILITY REGARDING THE USE OF YOUR ENTRY.  THE RELEASEES (DEFINED BELOW) SHALL BE HELD HARMLESS BY YOU IN THE EVENT IT IS SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAVE DEPARTED FROM OR NOT FULLY COMPLIED WITH ANY OF THESE RULES.

Your submitted Video (and the Song contained therein) must never have been previously selected as a winner (or a finalist) in any other contest.  To be eligible for entry in this Contest, your Video and Song must meet the following specific requirements (as applicable):

  • Maximum Video Length:  6 minutes
  • Acceptable Video Formats:  3gp; flv; mov; mp4; mpeg; mpeg4; wmv; avi; vob; amc; or Sociamonials’ live streaming recording feature.
  • Song Language Requirements:  English only

By participating in the Contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Rules and by the interpretation of these Rules by the Sponsor, and further warrants and represents that his/her Video (and his/her Song contained therein):
i.is completely original to him/her and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, he/she is the sole owner of all copyright in and to the Video and Song, that the Song is not a cover of any other song, no other person co-authored or in any way contributed to the Song and no other music is permitted to accompany the performance of the Song in the Video. As the sole songwriter, the entrant shall retain copyright in and to his/her Song and Video.

ii.does not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;

iii.does not contain any reference to or likeness of any identifiable third parties, unless consent has been obtained from all such individuals and their parent/legal guardian if they are under the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence (note: if you cannot obtain the consent of an individual appearing in your Video, then his/her face must be blurred out so as to be unrecognizable);

iv.will not give rise to any claims of infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights and/or interests of any third party, or give rise to any claims for payment whatsoever; and

v.is not defamatory, trade libelous, pornographic or obscene, and further that they will not contain, depict, include, discuss or involve, without limitation, any of the following: nudity; alcohol/drug consumption or smoking; explicit or graphic sexual activity, or sexual innuendo; crude, vulgar or offensive language and/or symbols; derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual, religious or other groups (including, without limitation, any competitors of Sponsor); content that endorses, condones and/or discusses any illegal, inappropriate or risky behaviour or conduct; personal information of individuals, including, without limitation, names, telephone numbers and addresses (physical or electronic); commercial messages, comparisons or solicitations for products or services other than products of Sponsor; any identifiable third party products, trade-marks, brands and/or logos, other than those of Sponsor (e.g. any clothing worn and/or products appearing in your Video must not contain any visible logos, trade-marks or other third party materials unless the appropriate consents have been obtained); conduct or other activities in violation of these Rules; and/or any other content that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, all as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion.

The Sponsor and/or its promotional agency or designated content moderator (the “Reviewer”) will initially screen every Video (including the Song contained therein).  Any Video (or Song contained therein) that the Reviewer deems, in its sole and absolute discretion, to violate the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules will be disqualified.  The Reviewer reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and at any time during the Contest, to disqualify any Video (and the Song contained therein) if the Reviewer deems, in its sole and absolute discretion, that the Video (or the Song contained therein) violates the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules. 

By entering the Contest and submitting an Entry (including the Video and Song contained therein), each entrant: (i) grants to the Sponsor, until the Prize Winners Selection Date, a non-exclusive license to publish, display, reproduce, modify, edit or otherwise use his/her Video (and the Song contained therein), in whole or in part as required to implement and execute the Contest as contemplated herein; (ii) waives all moral rights in and to his/her Video (and the Song contained therein) in favour of the Sponsor; and (iii) agrees to release and hold harmless the Contest Parties and each of their respective agents, employees, directors, successors, and assigns, the Reviewer, the Judges (defined below), the Mentor (defined below), and any other person or entity involved in the organization, implementation and execution of this Contest (collectively, the “Releasees”) from and against any and all claims based on his/her participation in this Contest and/or the awarding and use/misuse of a Prize (if applicable) or any portion thereof, a misrepresentation by the entrant with respect to his/her Video (and/or the Song contained therein), publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trade-mark infringement or any other intellectual property related cause of action that relate in any way to the Video (and/or the Song contained therein), including, without limitation, any claim that a future work by a Judge, Mentor or any of the Releasees is substantially similar to the Video (and/or Song contained therein). 


5.THE PRIZES AND THEIR APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES:

There are three (3) Grand Prizes (collectively, the “Grand Prizes”) and twenty-five (25) finalist prizes  (collectively, the “Finalist Prizes”). Collectively, the Grand Prizes and the Finalist Prizes shall be referred to as the “Prizes”  available to be won.

The Grand Prizes consist of the following: one (1) first place prize (the “First Place Prize”); one (1) second place prize (the “Second Place Prize”); and one (1) third place prize (the “Third Place Prize”).

The First Place Prize consists of:
1.three (3) separate online songwriting mentoring sessions (each a “Mentoring Session”) to be conducted via a voice-over-IP program, each lasting for up to one (1) hour, with Luba, the Contest mentor (the “Mentor”);
2.one (1) discussion (a “Discussion”) with the Semi-Finalist Judge (defined below) on the topic of music industry concerns affecting up-and-coming artists, that may last up to one (1) hour, to be conducted either online via a voice-over-IP program, over the phone, or in-person in Toronto (no expenses paid for an in-person meeting), as selected by the Semi-Finalist Judge, at his sole discretion;
3.the winner’s Video (including the Song contained therein) will be posted on the Website (the “Video Post”);
4.the Mentor and each of the Judges will post a hyperlink to the Video Post on their respective Facebook pages (the “Facebook Post”);
5.the Sponsor, or one of its designated representatives, will conduct an interview (the “Interview”) with the First Place Prize winner that will be posted on the Website (the “Interview Post”) and the interviewer’s website (if any);
6.the First Place Prize winner and one (1) guest may attend one (1) performance of a Judge in Canada during 2014-2016 (the “Performance”), as selected by the First Place Prize winner subject to the Sponsor’s final approval, and the First Place Prize winner will either be permitted to perform his/her Song during the Performance (no compensation will be provided to the First Place Prize winner for such performance) or the Judge (as applicable) will announce that the First Place Prize winner is in attendance at the Performance, as selected the Judge (as applicable) at his/her sole discretion; and,
7.a one (1) year membership to the Songwriters Association of Canada (in the event the winner is already a member for the applicable year, the Sponsor will pay the following year’s membership fee) (a “SAC Membership”).

With the exception of the SAC Membership, all other First Place Prize elements have no retail value and the approximate retail value of the SAC Membership is $60 CAD.

The Second Place Prize consists of:
1.two (2) separate Mentoring Sessions;
2.a Video Post;
3.a Facebook Post; and,
4.a SAC Membership.

With the exception of the SAC Membership, all other Second Place Prize elements have no retail value and the approximate retail value of the SAC Membership is $60 CAD.

The Third Place Prize consists of:
1.one (1) Mentoring Session;
2.a Video Post;
3.a Facebook Post; and,
4.a SAC Membership.

With the exception of the SAC Membership, all other Third Place Prize elements have no retail value and the approximate retail value of the SAC Membership is $60 CAD.

Each Finalist Prize consists of:
1.a SAC Membership; and,
2.the name of the applicable Finalist will be posted on the Website as a Finalist.

With the exception of the SAC Membership, the other Finalist Prize elements have no retail value and the approximate retail value of the SAC Membership is $60 CAD.

In the event that the Mentor cannot conduct any or all of the Mentoring Sessions, the Sponsor will find a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. In the event that the Semi-Finalist Judge cannot participate in the Discussion, the Sponsor will find a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. If the Performance Prize becomes unavailable, the Sponsor will substitute with an additional hour of music industry mentoring with the Semi-Finalist Judge or another Judge, if the Semi-Finalist Judge becomes unavailable.  All costs not expressly described as included in the applicable Prize description above are the applicable Prize winner’s sole responsibility. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event the Semi-Finalist Judge selects to conduct the Discussion in person with the First Place Prize winner, the First Place Prize winner shall be solely responsible for all costs associated with attending the Discussion.  All characteristics and features of a Prize element, unless otherwise explicitly described above, are at the Sponsor’s sole discretion.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the duration and timing of a Facebook Post, Video Post and the Interview Post shall be selected by the Sponsor, Judge or Mentor (as applicable) at its/his/her sole discretion.  Each Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable or convertible to cash.  No substitutions except at Sponsor’s option.  Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to substitute a Prize or a component thereof with a prize of equal or greater value, including, without limitation, but at Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, a cash award. Each Prize will only be awarded to the person whose full name and valid email address appears on the applicable Entry Form.


6.PRIZE WINNER SELECTION PROCESS:

Stage 1: Preliminary Judging to Select 75 Semi-Finalists

Three (3) preliminary judges (each a “Preliminary Judge”) will judge eligible Entries on the basis of the following weighted criteria:

CriteriaWeighting
Composition/song  50%
Vocal and instrumental performance     50%

Each Entry will be ranked relative to all other eligible Entries and the top seventy-five (75) Entries will be deemed a semi-finalist Entry (each a “Semi-Finalist”).  Odds of being selected as a Semi-Finalist will depend on the number and calibre of Entries received, but shall be no worse than one in four.  Preliminary judging is scheduled to be completed on or about January 24, 2014 (the “Semi-Finalist Selection Date”). 


Stage 2: Semi-Finalist Judging to Select 25 Finalists

The Contest semi-finalist judge (the “Semi-Finalist Judge”) will judge each Semi-Finalist on the basis of the following weighted criteria:

CriteriaWeighting
Composition/song  50%
Vocal and instrumental performance     50%

Each Semi-Finalist will be ranked relative to all other Semi-Finalist and the top twenty-five (25) Semi-Finalists will be deemed a finalist Entry (each a “Finalist”).  Odds of a Semi-Finalist being selected as a Finalist will depend on the number and calibre of Semi-Finalists, but will be no worse than one in three.  Semi-Finalist judging is scheduled to be completed on or about February 14, 2014 (the “Finalist Selection Date”). 


Stage 3: Finalist Judging to Select 3 Grand Prize Winners

The Contest finalist judge (the “Finalist Judge”) (collectively, the Finalist Judge, Semi-Finalist Judge and Preliminary Judges shall be referred to as the “Judges”) will judge each Finalist on the basis of the following weighted criteria:

CriteriaWeighting
Composition/song  50%
Vocal and instrumental performance     50%

Each Finalist will be ranked relative to all other Finalists: (i) the Finalist that is ranked the highest will be deemed the potential First Place Prize winner; (ii) the Finalist that is ranked the second highest will be deemed the potential Second Place Prize winner; (iii) the Finalist that is ranked the third highest will be deemed the potential Third Place Prize winner; and (iv) all other Finalists that were not deemed a potential Grand Prize winner will be deemed a potential Finalist Prize winner.  The odds of a Finalist being selected as a Grand Prize winner will depend on the number and calibre of Finalists, but will be no worse than three in twenty-five.  The odds of being selected as a Finalist Prize winner will depend on the number and calibre of Finalists, but will be no worse than twenty-two in twenty-five.  Finalist judging is scheduled to be completed on or about March 7, 2014 (the “Prize Winners Selection Date”).

The Sponsor, or its designated representative(s) will make a maximum of three (3) attempts to contact each potential Prize winner by telephone or email (using the information provided on the applicable Entry Form) within ten (10) business days of the end of the Prize Winners Selection Date.  If a potential Finalist Prize winner cannot be contacted within three (3) attempts or ten (10) business days of the end of the Prize Winners Selection Date as outlined above (whichever occurs first), or if there is a return of any notification as undeliverable; then he/she will be disqualified (and will forfeit all rights to a Finalist Prize) and such Finalist Prize will not be awarded.  If a potential Grand Prize winner cannot be contacted within three (3) attempts or ten (10) business days of the end of the Prize Winners Selection Date as outlined above (whichever occurs first), or if there is a return of any notification as undeliverable; then he/she will be disqualified (and will forfeit all rights to the applicable Grand Prize) and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to bump up each Finalist by one position in the relative Finalist Score rankings and to award the Grand Prizes and Finalist Prizes as described above, with the necessary amendments.

BEFORE BEING DECLARED A CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER, each potential Prize winner must sign and return within ten (10) business days of notification a declaration and release prepared by the Sponsor, which, among other things: (i) confirms compliance with these Rules; (ii) acknowledges acceptance of the applicable Prize as awarded; (iii) agrees to release the Releasees from any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from any liability in connection with this Contest, his/her participation therein and/or the awarding and use/misuse of the applicable Prize or any portion thereof; (iv) agrees to the publication, reproduction and/or other use of his/her name, address, title of his/her Song, voice, statements about the Contest and/or photograph or other likeness without further notice or compensation, in any publicity or advertisement carried out by or on behalf of the Sponsor in any manner whatsoever, including print, broadcast or the internet; (iv) with respect to the Grand Prize winners, grants to the Sponsor, in perpetuity , a non-exclusive license to publish, display, reproduce, modify, edit or otherwise use his/her Video (and the Song contained therein) as required to give effect to the Facebook Post and Video Post; and (vi) with respect to the First Place Prize winner, grants to the Sponsor, in perpetuity, a non-exclusive license to publish, display, reproduce, modify, edit or otherwise use the content of the Interview as required to give effect to the Interview Post.  If a potential Prize winner: (a) fails to return the properly executed Contest documents within the specified time; and/or (b) cannot accept the applicable Prize for any reason, then: (i) in the event of a disqualified potential Finalist Prize winner, he/she will forfeit all rights to a Finalist Prize and such Finalist Prize will not be awarded; or (ii) in the event of disqualified Grand Prize winner, he/she will forfeit all rights to the applicable Grand Prize and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to bump up each Finalist by one position in the relative Finalist Score rankings and to award the Grand Prizes and Finalist Prizes as described above, with the necessary amendments.


7.GENERAL CONDITIONS:
The Releasees will not be liable for: (i) any failure of the Website during the Contest; (ii) any technical malfunction or other problems relating to the telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment or software; (iii) the failure of any Entry Form, Video (and the Song contained therein) or Entry to be received by the Contest Parties for any reason including, but not limited to, technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website; (iv) any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer or other device related to or resulting from participating or downloading any material in the Contest; and/or (v) any combination of the above.

Entrants are forbidden from attempting to contact a Judge or Mentor in any way whatsoever and, in the event an entrant attempts to contact a Judge or Mentor, he/she may be disqualified, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion.  Aside from the information provided herein, no further details regarding the Prize winner selection process will be provided, including, without limitation, the relative rankings of Entries, Semi-Finalists and Finalists.

Subject to the licences provided herein, each entrant shall retain copyright in and to his/her Song and Video.  The Releasees will not be liable if any event (including, without limitation, the Performance) cannot take place or any of the Releasees’ obligations cannot be performed if due to fire, embargo, strike, Act of God, war, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, failure of public utilities, or any other extraordinary circumstance reasonably beyond the Releasees control.

In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an Entry, Entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry.  “Authorized account holder” is defined as the person who is assigned an email address by an internet provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institute, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. An entrant or voter may be required to provide proof that he/she is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the Entry at issue and, if applicable, that he/she has all necessary consents, permissions and/or licenses as required by these Rules. 

The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withdraw, suspend or amend this Contest in any way, in the event of an error, technical problem, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failure or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor that interferes with the proper conduct of this Contest as contemplated by these Rules.  The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a Judge and/or the Mentor with a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion in the event the Judge and/or Mentor (as applicable) cannot or will not perform any of his/her obligations as contemplated in these Rules and the Releasees will bear no responsibility for such a substitution.  Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.  The Sponsor, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel, amend or suspend this Contest, or to amend these Rules, without prior notice or obligation, in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error or any kind, or for any other reason.

This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. The decisions of the Sponsor, Reviewer, Judges and Mentor with respect to all aspects of this Contest are final and binding on all entrants without right of appeal, including, without limitation, any decisions regarding the ranking/eligibility/disqualification of entrants, Videos, Songs, Entry Forms and/or Entries.

The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, and without prior notice, to adjust any of the dates and/or timeframes stipulated in these Rules, to the extent necessary, for purposes of verifying compliance by any entrant, Video, Song, Entry Form and/or Entry with these Rules, or as a result of technical problems, or in light of any other circumstances which, in the opinion of the Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, affect the proper administration of the Contest as contemplated in these Rules.
The Sponsor respects your right to privacy. By entering this Contest, each entrant expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with his/her Entry only for the purpose of administering the Contest. Any inquiry concerning the personal information held by the Sponsor should be addressed to Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests Inc. at press@songwritermentorexperience.org.

In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including, but not limited to: the Entry Form, Website and/or point of sale, television, print or online advertising; the terms and conditions of these Rules shall prevail, govern and control.

If you accept these Official Rules, click on the following link, which will lead to the contest entry form (where you will record or upload your video and then provide your first and last name, e-mail address, and phone number):
I read, accept, and agree to be legally bound by the terms and conditions of these Official Contest Rules
ABOVE LINK NOT ACTIVE -- CONTEST CLOSED DECEMBER 22, 2013.
All entries are date & time stamped and should only be submitted during the contest entry period of October 8, 2013 at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time to December 22, 2013 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time or until 300 eligible entries are received, whichever comes first.
ENTRIES SUBMITTED OUTSIDE THE CONTEST ENTRY PERIOD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
If you experience any technical difficulties, you may contact support@sociamonials.com for assistance.