2023 BoatUS Magazine Photo Contest Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE TO PARTICIPATE IN OR WIN THIS CONTEST.

Eligibility: The 2023 BoatUS Magazine Photo Contest (“Photo Contest”) is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, who are at least eighteen (18) years old as of the date on which that photographer submits an entry. Employees, officers, or directors of Boat Owners Association of the United States (“BoatUS”), Boat America Corporation, BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, or Government Employees Insurance Company, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter.

Sponsor: The Photo Contest is sponsored by BoatUS, 5323 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22151 (“Sponsor”).

Entry Period: The Photo Contest submission period begins 12:00 a.m. ET on June 7, 2022, and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 24, 2022 (“Entry Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest. Winner will be announced on or about November 30, 2022.

Entries: Send us your best boating shots! Weather, fishing, family, local color, close-ups of boating gear, glorious seascapes, boat chores, and seasonal fun. Each photo must contain a boat or be set on a boat. Photos must fall into one of five (5) categories as outlined in the “Judging” section below.

Entries may originate in any format but must be submitted online at https://woobox.com/hygaqz. Photo entries in all categories EXCEPT Cover Photo must be a minimum of 5x7 inches at 300 dpi (print resolution). Cover Photo entries must be photographed or cropped in vertical orientation and be a minimum of 9x12 inches at 300 dpi. Photos not meeting minimum criteria may be disqualified.

The following information must be included with each submission for it to be eligible for judging:

Photographer’s full name (first and last)
Photographer’s mailing address
Photographer’s phone number
Photographer’s email address
Judging category entered
Title for your entry
Short description of the photo, including who is in it, where and approximately when it was taken, and any other details you’d like to include, such as your inspiration for the photo.

Photo(s) may only be submitted by the original photographer, and all copyrights must be held by the person submitting the photo(s). Photographer does not need to be a current BoatUS member to submit. Entries are limited to two (2) photos per photographer in each judging category, up to a maximum of ten (10) photos total. Photos may not be entered in more than one category, with the exception of Cover Photo, provided it meets the criteria. In the event more than two entries are received from the same photographer in a single category, only the first two entries received will be considered.

Photographs previously submitted to BoatUS are not eligible.

Previously published material for which nonexclusive rights were granted may be entered as long as you maintain the right to grant us a license (see “Your Rights” below). You must disclose when and where the photo appeared previously to BoatUS on request.

If you choose to include people in your submission(s), you are responsible for obtaining necessary model releases from the individuals depicted and must be able to provide copies of those releases to BoatUS on request.

BoatUS shall determine entry eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.

How to Enter: Entries must be made online at https://woobox.com/hygaqz. Each entry must include the photographer’s full name, address, email, category entered, and all other required information requested at the entry website. Incomplete entries will not be accepted.

Sponsor reserves the right to reject any entries that do not comply with these Official Rules. By entering, you indicate your unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding. You cannot win a prize unless you comply with all requirements in these Official Rules. Entrants may be asked to supplement their submissions (such as with additional information or the highest resolution version of their photo) any time on or after the beginning of the Entry Period.

Judging: Entries will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit, and subject matter relevance. Judging will be conducted by a panel of BoatUS employees and/or by persons chosen as judges by BoatUS (“Panel”). The Panel will evaluate all valid entries and pick one winner in each the following five (5) categories:

Categories

Scenic Boating Shots (boats as part of a landscape or of a landscape taken from a boat)
Boating Lifestyle (people in & around boats, including portraits)
Action/Watersports (depicting action happening on or around boats)
Art Photography (image may be manipulated)
Cover Photo (images must be photographed or cropped vertically; may include manipulated/multiple images)

For all categories EXCEPT Art Photography and Cover Photo, photo submissions may not be manipulated in any way, except for basic adjustments to exposure, lightness, color correction; no elements may be added or removed. Art Photography and Cover Photo submissions may be manipulated and/or contain multiple images within the final image.

Winners will be notified no later than November 30, 2022, and the winning photos along with those of finalists will appear in the February/March 2023 issue of BoatUS Magazine. All judging decisions are final. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging. BoatUS will notify winners via the contact information provided at the time of entry.

Potential Winner Requirements: Except where prohibited, a potential winner may be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, including proof of age, and liability/publicity release within seven (7) days of notification. If a potential winner fails to return these documents on time, an alternate potential winner may be selected in his/her place.

Prizes: BoatUS will award the following prizes to the first-place winner in each category:

ACR Survival Kit (AVR: $399.95)
One-year BoatUS Unlimited Towing Membership (AVR: $165)
BoatUS swag (AVR: $25)

Winners are responsible for paying any income taxes on prizes. A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded. A winner may not request cash or a substitute prize. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the published prize is not available for any reason, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.

Your Rights:

1. You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit — including ownership, if applicable.

If you submit a photograph to enter the Photo Contest, you grant BoatUS and its affiliates a perpetual, royalty-free, nonexclusive right to:

Display the photograph (and descriptive information that was submitted) on current or future Photo Contest submission web pages
Share the photo (and descriptive information that was submitted) on BoatUS social media platforms, on the BoatUS website, and/or in e-newsletters to BoatUS Members, on both existing and any future platforms
Make prints of the photo in any size for internal use only (will not be distributed or sold without further permission)

If your photograph is honored by the competition as a category winner or finalist, you grant BoatUS the royalty-free, nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to:

Publish the photo in BoatUS Magazine.
Ue the photograph on the internet and in social media, both in relation to the Photo Contest and for other purposes.
Use the photograph in BoatUS internal and external communications materials, including but not limited to websites and web publications, fact sheets, fundraising publications, advertising, multimedia, presentations, and membership services, annual report, press releases, and BoatUS Magazine.
Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for BoatUS-related use in news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, videos, membership premiums, and similar.
Use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name, city, state, and country of residence in promotions and other publications.
Retain a digital copy of your photograph that will be archived in the BoatUS photo library and accessible to BoatUS staff via the BoatUS internal online photo archive.

BoatUS will endeavor to credit all photographs with the photographer’s name when possible.

General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Photo Contest is impaired in any way, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Photo Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Photo Contest; or (b) award the prize(s) from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the operation of the Photo Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike manner. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an online entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the owner. The Photo Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

Release and Limitations of Liability: By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (“Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Photo Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Photo Contest; (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) late or undelivered mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Photo Contest; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property. You waive the right to claim any attorney fees and any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

Privacy and Publicity: Any information you submit as part of the Photo Contest will be used in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. The information you provide when you enter is provided to Sponsor only. Except where prohibited, you consent to Sponsor’s use of your name in any list of winners (if applicable) and for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

Disputes: You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Photo Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the Eastern District of Virginia. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with the Photo Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Virginia or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Virginia.

Results: To request a list of winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request to BoatUS Magazine Photo Contest, 5323 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22151.

Questions: Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to Magazine@BoatUS.com. Please do not submit photos to this email address.