1. Agreement to the Terms of Service

a)

By entering this competition, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, do not enter the competition.

b)

By accepting these Terms of Service, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old or have reached the age of legal capacity in your jurisdiction, or that your parent/legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms of Service on your behalf. Your parent/legal guardian accepts full responsibility for your compliance.

c)

You are not permitted to accept or enter under these Terms of Service if:
i) You do not agree to the Terms of Service.
ii) You have previously been banned or disqualified for non-compliance.
iii) You are not legally entitled to enter agreements in your jurisdiction.
iv) You are below the legal age of participation.

d) Underage Entries

If it is discovered that an entrant is below the legal age to participate, or has provided false information regarding their age, the organisers reserve the right to:

• Immediately withdraw or disqualify the entry
  
  
• Void any prizes, recognition, or awards associated with the entry
  
  
• Retain any fees paid, in accordance with the no-refund policy
  
  
• Ban the individual from participating in future competitions
  
  

By submitting an entry, participants acknowledge and accept that age verification may be required at the organiser’s discretion and that entries found to be submitted by underage participants will be withdrawn without notice or refund.

e) Acknowledgment of Terms

By submitting an entry, you acknowledge that you have had a reasonable opportunity to read, understand, and accept these Terms of Service. You agree that even if you did not read them in full, your submission constitutes acceptance of all terms, rules, and conditions contained herein.

You further acknowledge that these Terms are a binding legal agreement between you and the organisers, and that you will not later claim that you were unaware of or did not understand the Terms.

 

2. Disclaimers

a)

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the organisers disclaim all liability for loss of data or any other losses resulting from participation in the competition. No guarantee is made that the competition or related services will meet your expectations or operate without interruption.

b)

The organisers are not liable for delays, interruptions, or failures caused by events beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of authorities, fires, floods, accidents, infrastructure failures, strikes, shortages, or similar events.

c)

The organisers do not warrant that:
i) The services will meet your expectations or requirements.
ii) The quality of services will meet your expectations.
iii) The services will be timely, secure, uninterrupted, or error-free.
iv) Defects will be corrected.
v) The services will be free from viruses, malware, or harmful components.

d)

No oral, written, digital, or informal communication from any organiser, staff member, representative, volunteer, or affiliate shall create any warranty or liability. Use of the services is entirely at your own risk.

e)

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the organisers shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages arising from participation in the competition.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools means any system capable of automated text generation, editing, rewriting, prompting, or creative assistance, including but not limited to ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Copilot, and similar tools.
  
  
• Ghostwriting means any situation where material is written, edited, or significantly improved by another person who is not the named author.
  
  
• Significant Editing or Assistance means any alteration that affects structure, themes, tone, creative choices, or substantial content. Basic proofreading (e.g., fixing typos or spelling) is permitted.
  
  
• Publication means making the work accessible to any third party, whether online or offline, including social media, websites, private groups, print publications, or any platform where it can be viewed, downloaded, or shared.
  
  
• Identifying Information includes names, pseudonyms, email addresses, device IDs, IP addresses, user accounts, social media profiles, payment details, or any other information that can reasonably be used to identify an entrant.
  
  

4. Contest Rules and Regulations

By submitting an entry, you agree to comply with the rules below. The organisers may ban, withdraw, or disqualify any entry or entrant at their sole discretion, without obligation to provide notice, explanation, or evidence. All decisions are final.

i) Use of Artificial Intelligence

Entrants must not use AI tools for any part of their submission, including generating, rewriting, editing, prompting, ideation, or creative influence.

If the organisers determine, at their sole discretion, that AI was used or likely used, the entry may be withdrawn or disqualified without notice.
Entrants agree not to bring any claim or legal action regarding such determinations.

ii) Plagiarism

Plagiarism of any kind—whether partial, whole, published, or unpublished—is strictly prohibited. The organisers reserve sole discretion to determine whether a submission constitutes plagiarism or impermissible imitation.

Entries suspected of plagiarism may be withdrawn or disqualified without notice.

iii) Banned Entrants and Repeat Entry Attempts

Any entrant who violates these Terms or the Competition Rules may be permanently banned. A banned individual may not re-enter under any identity.

If the organisers determine that a banned individual has attempted to re-enter, they may:

• Reject or remove entries without notice
  
  
• Void any awards or recognition
  
  
• Reinforce or extend the ban
  
  

iv) Outside Assistance / Ghostwriting

Entrants must submit only their own original work. Ghostwriting or significant assistance from another person is prohibited.

If the organisers suspect that a submission was ghostwritten or significantly edited, it may be disqualified at their sole discretion.

v) Previously Published Works

Previously published works—whether fully or partially—may not be submitted, regardless of authorship. “Published” includes any form of public or semi-public availability.

vi) Thematic Relevance

Entries must align with the stated theme of the competition. The organisers reserve sole discretion to determine thematic relevance.

vii) Inappropriate Content

Entries deemed inappropriate—including content that is offensive, harmful, discriminatory, explicit, violent, threatening, defamatory, or otherwise unsuitable—may be disqualified.

5. Payment Terms

a) Payment Requirement

All required fees must be paid in full at the time of entry. An entry is not considered valid or accepted until payment has been successfully received and processed.

b) No Refund Policy

All payments are strictly non-refundable, including but not limited to situations where:
i) An entrant breaches the Terms of Service or Competition Rules.
ii) An entry is withdrawn, rejected, or disqualified.
iii) The entrant is banned.
iv) The entrant voluntarily withdraws.
v) The entrant submits duplicate, incorrect, or incomplete submissions.
vi) Technical issues prevent submission.
vii) The entrant fails to meet eligibility or age requirements.

c) Payment Verification

The organisers may verify payments and request additional information if necessary. If a payment is disputed, reversed, or charged back, all associated entries will be withdrawn and invalidated.

d) Chargebacks and Disputes

If you initiate a payment dispute or chargeback:

• All entries will be disqualified
  
  
• You may be permanently banned
  
  
• Evidence of your acceptance of these Terms may be provided to your financial institution
  
  
• You remain responsible for any fees or costs incurred by the organisers
  
  

e) Currency and Transaction Fees

All payments must be made in the specified currency. Any conversion fees, bank charges, or processing fees are the responsibility of the entrant.

f) Fraudulent or Unauthorised Payments

If a payment is fraudulent, unauthorised, or linked to illegal activity, the organisers may reject all associated entries, ban the entrant, and notify relevant authorities if appropriate.

g) Proof of Payment

Entrants must retain proof of payment. The organisers are not responsible for lost or unverified payment documentation.

6. Policy for Banned, Withdrawn, or Disqualified Entries

1. i) Entrants agree not to challenge or dispute any decision to withdraw, disqualify, or ban an entry or participant.
2. ii) Any breach of these Terms or Competition Rules results in forfeiture of all fees. No refunds will be issued.

iii) If any one of your entries is withdrawn or disqualified, all entries associated with you will be withdrawn and/or disqualified.

1. iv) If banned or disqualified, you may not re-enter under any identity or identifying information.

7. Privacy & Data Use

a) Data Collection

By entering the competition, you agree that the organisers may collect and process personal information including, but not limited to:

• Name, email address, postal address, phone number
  
  
• Payment information
  
  
• Submitted work, including any text, images, or media
  
  
• Device information, IP address, or other identifying data
  
  

b) Purpose of Collection

Your data will be used solely for:

• Administering the competition
  
  
• Verifying eligibility and identity
  
  
• Judging and awarding prizes
  
  
• Communicating with participants regarding the competition
  
  
• Marketing or promotional purposes only if you have given explicit consent
  
  

c) Data Sharing

Your personal data may be shared with:

• Competition judges or panel members
  
  
• Payment processors or technical service providers
  
  
• Legal authorities if required by law
  
  

Data will not be sold or otherwise transferred for commercial purposes without your consent.

d) Data Retention

The organisers will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to administer the competition, comply with legal obligations, or as otherwise permitted by law.

e) Participant Rights

You have the right to:

• Access and correct your personal information
  
  
• Request deletion of your data where legally permissible
  
  
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
  
  

To exercise these rights, contact the organisers at the email or contact address provided in the competition materials.

f) Data Security

The organisers take reasonable steps to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse; however, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Finality of Decisions

All decisions made by the organisers regarding eligibility, rule interpretation, disqualification, bans, judging, payment issues, or any competition-related matter are final, binding, and not subject to appeal.

9. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the organisers are legally established. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in that jurisdiction.

10. Intellectual Property Rights

1. Ownership by Entrant
   All entries remain the intellectual property of the entrant. By submitting an entry, you confirm that you are the sole author and own all rights to the submitted work, and that the work does not infringe on any third-party rights.
   
   
2. License to Organisers
   By entering the competition, you grant the organisers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:
   
   

• Use, reproduce, display, distribute, and publish your entry in any medium or format for the purposes of administering, promoting, or marketing the competition, including but not limited to social media, websites, and promotional materials.
  
  

1. No Transfer of Ownership
   This license does not transfer ownership of your entry to the organisers. You retain full copyright and other intellectual property rights.
   
   
2. Third-Party Materials
   Entries must not contain third-party content for which you do not have permission to use. Any violation may result in disqualification, and you agree to indemnify the organisers for any claims arising from infringement.
   
   
3. Moral Rights
   You waive, to the extent permitted by law, any moral rights (e.g., the right to be attributed or to object to modifications) in relation to the use of your entry by the organisers as described above.

 

DO NOT WRITE MORE THAN 40 LINES - ANY MORE CAN CONSTITUTE A DISQUALIFICATION