Rules

 - Acceptable photo formats are limited to .jpg, .bmp, and .png.
- All photos must be in focus and of good quality (brightness and contrast).
- Any photograph that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, or obscene, as determined by the staff of the SPCA Serving Erie County in their sole discretion, will be removed from the contest with no opportunity for a refund.
- Photographs may not be altered (other than minor color, contrast, or sharpness adjustments.)
- Photographs may not be embellished with text or art.
- Photographs must include the name of the person who took the photo. Photographs taken by a minor must be submitted by a legal guardian.
- You can enter as many photographs as you like.

- Donations (submissions) are tax-deductible by law. Please save your credit card receipts for your tax records. The SPCA Serving Erie County is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
- The donation for submitting a photo is $10.
 - Donations (votes) are tax-deductible by law. Please save your credit card receipts for your tax records. The SPCA Serving Erie County is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
- The photograph with the most votes from any of the four categories (Pets are Family, Sleepy Time, BuffaLove and Backyard Wildlife) at the end of the contest period will win the grand prize. In addition, prizes will be awarded for the photos with the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth highest total votes.

When you enter the SPCA Serving Erie County Photo Contest, you warrant that the photograph is original, that you are the sole owner and copyright holder of that photograph, and that you have not granted exclusive rights of that photograph to any other person or entity. You also warrant that the photograph does not invade the right of privacy of any individual; does not infringe any trademark, trade name, trade secret, intellectual property right, or other common law or statutory right; nor does it contain any material that otherwise violates any criminal prohibition or the personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity. 
 With regard to any image or content submitted, you agree to grant the SPCA Serving Erie County, its legal representatives, successors, and assigns, the nonexclusive right and permission to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, publish, and distribute the photograph, or any portion thereof, throughout the world, in any printed form and by any kind of mechanical or electronic or any other method or device of reproduction, publication, and distribution known or later developed, during the full term of the copyright, and without notification or payment, in connection with the SPCA Serving Erie County Photo Contest. The SPCA Serving Erie County agrees to attribute authorship and copyright ownership to you when it publishes and distributes the photograph you submitted. The SPCA Serving Erie County agrees that it will never sell the photograph or rights in the photograph to any individual or entity. 



Releasees are not responsible for printing, typographical, human or other errors of any kind in any Contest-related materials or for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or illegible entries. If, for any reason, the Contests are not capable of running as planned, or infection by computer viruses, bugs, or tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, actions of entrants, technical failures, or any other causes corrupt or infect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contests, the SPCA Serving Erie County reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any entry or entrant and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contests and at its sole discretion award a prize from among all eligible non-suspect entries validly received prior to the action requiring such modification. By entering, all Contestants agree that the Contests are governed by laws of the State of New York for the resolution of all claims and disputes (excluding any claims against or disputes involving parties other than the SPCA Serving Erie County relating to any prize awarded in the Contests). 

Eligibility: The SPCA Serving Erie County Photo Contest (the "Contest") is open to all legal U.S. residents who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulations.
 
How to enter: Visit yourspcaphotocontest.org, follow the directions to upload a photograph. To be eligible, online entries must be received between 7:00 a.m., Eastern Standard Time ("EST") on February 22, 2016 and 4:59:59 p.m. EST on March 18, 2016 (the "Contest Period"). All entries and requests become the property of the SPCA Serving Erie County and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Winners will be determined by public voting. The entrant from any of the four contest categories with the most votes when public voting ends on March 18, 2016 at 5 p.m. EST will be the Grand Prize winner. Entrants with the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth highest number of votes will be the Runner-Up Prize winners. Winners will be notified by e-mail by March 21, 2016, and will be given instructions on how to claim prize. Odds of winning depend on the number of votes each entrant receives. 


Public Voting: The voting period will begin at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Standard Time ("EST") on February 22, 2016 and conclude at 4:59:59 p.m. EST on March 18, 2016. Entrants may vote for their own entries. To vote, voter must go to yourspcaphotocontest.org and purchase a minimum of five (5) votes for a $5 donation. Those votes may then be cast for any photo entered in the contest in one vote increments. Voters do not have to use all of the votes at the time of donation. 


Release of Liability: By participating, you release Sponsor, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, employees, directors, agents, advertising agencies, and all other associated with the development and execution of this Contest, from any and against any and all injury, loss or damage caused or claimed to be caused by your participation in the Contest and/or the acceptance, awarding, receipt, use and/or misuse of the prize, and you agree that these entities are in no matter responsible for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to the promotion and/or the awarding of any prize. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the preceding release is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or void for any reason, Contest entrant agrees that by entering the Contest (i) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Contest, any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Contest, but in no event attorney's fees; and (iii) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.


Representations and Warranties: By entering, each entrant warrants and represents in connection with the photograph and 500 character description ("Submission") submitted as part of his/her entry that: (i) he/she is the owner; (ii) that the Submission is an original: (iii) he/she has all necessary rights, including model releases, to grant the rights set forth below; (iv) the Submission has not been previously published or submitted in any other contest or competitions and/or to any media, including, without limitation, any books, magazines, postcards or calendars; (v) the Submission does not defame or otherwise violate the rights of any third party, including but not limited to rights of privacy, trademark, trade secret, trade name, copyright or other intellectual property rights; and (vi) the Submission does not violate any federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
 
Entrant agrees that Sponsor, its legal representatives, successors, designees and assigns shall have the perpetual, worldwide right to distribute, publish, reproduce and use the Submission in any media (now known or hereafter developed) for trade, advertising, promotional purposes relating to the Contest, without further consideration to entrant. Winner agrees to grant to Sponsor, its legal representatives, successors, designees and assigns, the exclusive right and permission to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, publish, and distribute the Submission, or any portion thereof, throughout the world, in any media (now known or later developed), without further consideration.
 
Entrant agrees to hold harmless Sponsor, its officers, directors, employees, divisions, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, from any claim by any third party relating to a breach of the entrant's representations and warranties herein.
 
Additional Rules: Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) lost, late, misdirected, damaged, distorted or illegible entries; (ii) error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions of any kind, or inaccurate transmission of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site or any combination thereof; or (iii) any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in the Contest. By participating in the Contest, you (i) agree to be bound by these official rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. Failure to comply with these official rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to: (i) permanently disqualify from any contest it sponsors any person it believes has intentionally violated these official rules; and (ii) suspend, modify or terminate the Contest if Sponsor believes, in its sole discretion, that malfunction, error, disruption or damage is impairing or will impair the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest. If Contest is terminated before the end date, Sponsor will determine the winner from all eligible entries received as of the termination date. Entry constitutes consent to the use of prize winner's name, voice, picture and/or likeness without compensation for promotion purposes.
 
Use of Personally Identifiable Information: Personally identifiable information provided by entrants and voters will be added to the Sponsor's email list. Entrants and voters will be able to "opt out" of future such communications by following the instructions on any electronic communication we send. Sponsor does not sell, rent, trade or share its email addresses with any third parties for such party's own marketing purposes.
 
LEGAL WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER OR NOT AN ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE, DESTROY, TAMPER OR VANDALIZE THIS WEB SITE OR INTERFERE WITH THE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST, IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND DILIGENTLY PURSUE ALL REMEDIES AGAINST ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
 If you have any other questions about the SPCA Serving Erie County Photo Contest, please contact Kara Lee at 716-629-3506 or by email at karal@spcaec.com.