1. CONTEST PRIZES

Prizes are non-transferable. In addition, each FIRST PLACE WINNER OF each monthly contest will automatically be entered into the annual Shoot Out for the GRAND PRIZE.

All contest winners shall be required to sign and return within ten (10) days following an attempted notification, an Affidavit, Declaration or Certificate of Eligibility, Liability Release, and where legally permissible, a Publicity Release and Warranty of Ownership and License in which the entrant warrants that he or she is the owner of the photograph (and all the intellectual property rights in the photograph submitted) and grants to Sponsor and its licensees the irrevocable perpetual non-exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, display the entry (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest without additional compensation. Failure to execute and deliver any required documents to Sponsor by the specified deadline may result in disqualification from the Contest, and selection of an alternate potential winner.

No prize transfer, assignment or substitution by winners permitted. If a prize (or part of a prize) is unavailable, the Sponsor, in its discretion, reserves the right to substitute the original prize (or that part of the prize) with an alternative prize to the equal monetary value and/or specification, unless to do so would be prohibited by law.

2. WHO MAY ENTER

The PPSOP Perfect Picture Photography Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to any photographer except where prohibited by law. Employees of PPSOP/Adorama (the “Sponsor”), and their subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible. Contest is void where prohibited.

3. HOW TO ENTER

THIS IS A FREE PHOTO CONTEST! No purchase is necessary. To enter, complete an entry form with the required information, including your name, address, e-mail address, and photo title and submit along with this information your photograph in accordance with the instructions below.

The monthly categories for the contest year 2009 are:

• JANUARY-“SMILES”
• FEBRUARY-“PATTERN”
• MARCH-“JUMP”
• APRIL-“NATURE”
• MAY-“WATER”
• JUNE-“CREATIVITY WITH PHOTOSHOP”
• JULY-“RED, WHITE OR BLUE”
• AUGUST-“TRAVEL”
• SEPTEMBER-“PEOPLE”
• OCTOBER-THE GRAND SHOOT OUT OF MONTHLY FIRST PLACE WINNERS.
  (GRAND PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2009.)

These categories are hereby referred to as the "Categories".

Each photographer may submit a single entry per month(one and only entry) in that month's category, but no photographer may submit in total more than one (1) entry in each monthly category. If a photographer exceeds the limit of a single monthly entry, Sponsor will disqualify that photographer from participating in that month’s contest. Each entry must comply with the following requirements (the "Photograph Requirements"):

1. Photographs must be in digital format. The original camera image must be submitted with the on-line entry form. Only online entries will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this Contest. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies or photographic prints are acceptable. All entries must be less than 2 megabytes, must be in JPEG or .jpg format at 72 or 96 dpi resolution, and must be no more than 800 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 800 pixels tall (if a vertical image). Image file name must be alphanumeric only, like "pic123.jpg", and it must NOT contain space and special characters like underscore, bracket, question mark, etc.
2. Photographs must have been taken within two (2) years before the date of entry, and must not have been previously published or been judged a winner in another photographic contest. Other than the JUNE Category, CREATIVITY WITH PHOTOSHOP, any image that combines the elements of more than one photograph or has major elements removed will be disqualified. Minor burning, dodging, cloning, healing and/or color correction is acceptable.
3. Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud; provided that entrants must be prepared to provide a release form as described below in "Release". When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close up of another person's art.
4. The photograph, in its entirety, must be the work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph.
5. In the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, any photograph that is deemed provocative, obscene, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or have/contain inappropriate content otherwise will be disqualified.
6. All uploaded images are final. Once the contest photo has been uploaded, it can not be replaced or modified by the contestant.

Entries in each Category will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined below.

All entries must be submitted and received by the last Tuesday of each calendar month i.e. January entry due by January 27th. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt. All winners will be announced during the first week of the following month.

Entries must be made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

If you have any questions/comments about PPSOP photo contest, please send email to jill@ppsop.net

4. RELEASES

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these “Official Rules” without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release. If you don’t have a model and/or property release, where necessary, your entry will be rejected. For any and all future contest entries where you anticipate the need for releases please read the following two paragraphs below and download the necessary releases.

Upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph submitted, and/or from the owner of any material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing Sponsor and its licensees ("Authorized Parties") to reproduce, distribute, display in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to publication online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner. (Download the Personal Release. Acrobat Reader is required to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.).

Similarly, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any artwork or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to publication online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

Finally, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to publication online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. (Download the Location Release. Acrobat Reader is required to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.)

For the purposes of these Official Rules, the photographer will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor's request or notification by email on the day that the e-mail was sent by Sponsor.

5. JUDGING

Contest consists of two (2) rounds of evaluation for each monthly Category. In Round One, each judge in a panel of photographic experts (at least one of whom will be independent of Sponsor) ("Judges") will select the winners in each monthly Category from among all eligible entries based on the following criteria ("Judging Criteria"):

a. Creativity                            50%
b. Photographic quality           50%

Entries selected in Round One will proceed to Round Two. In Round Two, the Judges will collectively select a First , Second and Third Place Winner, along with seven honorable mentions in each Monthly Category based on the Judging Criteria.

Winners will be chosen and announced publicly on the PPSOP website/CONTEST WINNERS during the first week of each following month. Winners will be notified by e-mail before the public announcement.

Decisions of the Judges are final and binding.

6. LICENSE

By entering the Contest, all photographers grant an irrevocable perpetual non-exclusive license to Authorized Parties, (solely PPSOP/Adorama) to reproduce, distribute, (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to publication online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest. Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party's website does not indicate the entrant will be selected as a winner. Additionally, by entering, each entrant grants to Authorized Parties the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Contest, and pictures or likenesses of Contest entrants, or choose not to do so, at their sole discretion. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By entering this Contest, all entrants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.

Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Sponsor is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this Contest.

8. CONDITIONS

This Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants agree that this Contest shall be subject to and governed by and subject to the laws of Florida USA. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or on connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries void if the Sponsor determines the photograph to not be an original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.

By entering, entrants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if the entrant wins that Sponsor may use the winning photographs and each winner's name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Contest or future promotions without compensation or approval (except where prohibited by law). All federal, state/provincial/territorial and local taxes, fees and surcharges and taxes (whether foreign or domestic, and including income, sales, and import taxes) on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prize winners. In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize are/is ineligible, cannot be traced or do not respond within ten (10) days to a winner notification as required by the "Contest Prizes" Rules above, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant.

Sponsor reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant's identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.

9.RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsor elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsor will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs.

10. WINNERS LIST

Entrants are responsible for complying with these Official Rules. The names of the Monthly Winners' names will be available online at www.ppsop.net/contest during the first week of each month, beginning with the month of February 2009.

11. MONTHLY WINNERS and the GRAND PRIZE COMPETITION

The month of October, 2009 will be set aside for the “Grand Prize Competition”. The Grand Prize Competition is for the 1st place winners of the previous nine, (9) months competition, January through September 2009. The Category for this Grand Prize Competition will be announced on Monday October 12th, both publicly on PPSOP’s website and by email to the NINE MONTHLY, (9) first place winners. These Nine (9) First Place winners will have until November 1st to finish and submit their entrie(s) to PPSOP. Following the review by the judges, the GRAND PRIZE WINNER, will be announced during the second week of November, 2009 and made public during that same week on PPSOP’s web site. The GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be notified, via email, ahead of the public announcement.

12. DATA PRIVACY

Photographer agrees that personal data, especially name and address, may be processed, shared and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Contest and any other purposes outlined in these Official Rules. The data may also be used by the Sponsor in order to verify the participant's identity, postal address and telephone number or to otherwise verify the participant's eligibility to participate in the Contest. Participants have the right to access, review, rectify or cancel any personal data held by Sponsor by writing to Sponsor at www.ppsop.net.