Thread: Heavensward Music Contest (NA)

FINAL FANTASY® XIV
“Heavensward Music Contest” Official Contest Rules (*UPDATED ON MARCH 11, 2016)

IMPORTANT! Please read the following rules before entering the Heavensward Music Contest (the “Contest”). By entering the Contest, you (“Entrant”) agree to be bound by the Official Contest Rules and represent that you satisfy all of the eligibility requirements for the Contest.

North America Official Contest Rules

1. ELIGIBILITY

THE CONTEST IS OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA (EXCLUDING QUEBEC) WHO HAVE AN ACTIVE NORTH AMERICA SQUARE ENIX ACCOUNT AND AN ACTIVE YOUTUBE ACCOUNT (REGISTRATION FOR BOTH IS FREE) AND ARE OVER THE AGE OF THIRTEEN (13) AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. IF YOU DO NOT SATISFY THESE REQUIREMENTS, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO WIN A PRIZE, AND SQUARE ENIX, INC. (“SQUARE ENIX”) RESERVES THE RIGHT TO NOT AWARD PRIZES TO ENTRANTS WHO DO NOT SATISFY THESE REQUIREMENTS. RESIDENTS OF JURISDICTIONS OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE CONTEST UNDER RULES APPLICABLE TO THOSE RESIDENTS’ JURISDICTIONS, IF SQUARE ENIX OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE POSTED SUCH RULES. If you are under the legal age of majority in your state, province, or country of residence (a “Minor”), your parents or legal guardians must read, understand, and agree to these Contest rules. To be eligible to win a prize, you must participate in the Contest in the manner described below. Directors, officers, and employees of Square Enix and any of their respective affiliate companies, subsidiaries, agents, vendors, professional advisors, advertising and promotional agencies, and immediate family members of each are not eligible to win any prizes. All applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply. There is a limit of one entry per person per category; multiple entries shall be excluded and disqualified. Offer void where prohibited.

2. CONTEST PERIOD

The “Contest period” begins on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 12:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) and ends on Wednesday, April 11, 2016 at 1:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) (the "Deadline"). Entries must be submitted by the Deadline to be eligible to win a prize. Square Enix will, in its sole discretion, determine the valid and official entry time should any discrepancies of time occur. Square Enix reserves, in its sole discretion, the right to extend the Contest period for whatever reason without notification.


3. HOW TO ENTER

During the Contest period, Entrant must follow the instructions posted on this webpage and take the following steps to enter:

• Step 1: Record a video of yourself performing your version of the song “Night in the Brume” (the “entry”).
  • You must save the video in one of the following accepted resolutions:
    720p (1280x720)
    1080p (1920x1080)
  • You are free to choose how you would like to perform, arrange, and conclude your arrangement of the song. (*You may collaborate with other people; however, only (1) prize will be awarded per entry, if selected.)
  • The video must include footage of you performing the song (including playing the instruments or other objects).
  • The video cannot be longer than 2 minutes 30 seconds.
• Step 2: Upload your entry to YouTube.
  • You must title the video using the format below:
    [FFXIV_HW_Music_NA] Your Character Name
    
    Example:
    [FFXIV_HW_Music_NA] Zhexos Community
• Step 3: Post a link to your video in the entry thread. Be sure to include the following information:
  • URL of the video
  • Submission title
  • Brief comment for your entry (up to 500 characters)
  • Entrant’s favorite song from FINAL FANTASY XIV (up to three)

Additional Rules:

• Entrants may not edit entries after submission.
• Entrant must, according to the FINAL FANTASY XIV Material Usage License Agreement, include a copyright notice (either in the video itself or the video description) for any use of copyrighted materials such as screenshots, gameplay video, or game audio, as follows: “FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010-2016 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved."
• If you use a Square Enix trademark in your video (such as “FINAL FANTASY” or any related logo), you must, according to the Material Usage License Agreement, include a notice (either in the video itself or the video description) stating that the mark is owned by Square Enix, such as the following: “FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.”
• Entrant must comply with YouTube’s community guidelines (http://www.youtube.com/yt/policyands...uidelines.html) as well as all of Google’s and YouTube’s other policies or terms of service.
• Physical prize will be delivered to the address registered to the entrant’s Square Enix account. Entrant must confirm that his or her registered address is correct and up to date.
• Normal forum rules apply to all posts within the contest thread.
• Square Enix reserves the right to judge whether or not material is appropriate for public display.
• Square Enix reserves the right to remove or take down any content in its sole discretion.

Entrant must not include personal information such as Entrant’s name or address in the body of Entrant’s submission entry.

Square Enix shall not accept and may delete submissions that: (a) deviate from the established theme; (b) violate or infringe any laws, regulations, or rights, including any intellectual property, publicity, or privacy rights; (c) are missing required information; (d) are obscene, vulgar, discriminate, or contain any other offensive subject matter; (e) are counter to public order and/or morals; (f) Square Enix judges, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate for any reason; (g) contain false or misleading information; (h) make unauthorized or fraudulent use of a third party’s name, email address, character name, or likeness; (i) are potentially defamatory; (j) that are of low resolution or otherwise difficult to see, hear, or evaluate; (k) violate any other rule or condition in these terms or on this webpage; and (l) are otherwise damaging or detrimental to Square Enix or any third party. Square Enix reserves the right to reject and/or delete any submissions for any other reason.

4. PRIZES
After the Deadline, the FINAL FANTASY XIV development and operations teams will select the top nineteen (19) entries based on the overall execution and quality of the performance (each Entrant of such entries, a “Contest Winner”).

The one (1) Entrant who submitted the best entry (i.e., the grand prize winner) will receive each of the following items (total approximate retail value of twenty United States dollars ($20.00 US)):

• One (1) decorative plaque signed by FINAL FANTASY XIV Sound Director Masayoshi Soken (approximate retail value of twenty United States dollars ($20.00)).
• One (1) in-game item package that includes one (1) Noble Barding chocobo barding, one (1) Ahriman Choker, one (1) Mandragora Choker, and one (1) Bluebird Earring (in-game virtual items with no monetary value).
• One (1) video message from FINAL FANTASY XIV Sound Director Masayoshi Soken to the winner (no monetary value).

The three (3) Entrants who submitted the three (3) next-best entries (i.e., the runners-up) will each receive each of the following items (total approximate retail value of ten United States dollars ($10.00)).

• One (1) “Heavensward: FINAL FANTASY XIV Original Soundtrack” poster signed by Sound Director Masayoshi Soken (approximate retail value of ten United States dollars ($10.00)).
• One in-game item package that includes one (1) Noble Barding chocobo barding, one (1) Ahriman Choker, one (1) Mandragora Choker, and one (1) Bluebird Earring (in-game virtual items with no monetary value).

The fifteen (15) Entrants who submitted the fifteen (15) next-best entries (i.e., honorable mention) will each receive the following item (an in-game virtual item with no monetary value):

• One in-game item package which includes one (1) Ahriman Choker, one (1) Mandragora Choker, and one (1) Bluebird Earring (in-game virtual items with no monetary value).

All in-game items are virtual items and have no real-world monetary value.
All prizes will be delivered to the character listed on the Entrant's Forum account.
Prizes are transferable only to characters under the same service account of the player who enters the contest.

Only eligible Entrants will be eligible to win the prizes described above.

The number of winners of each prize is subject to change at Square Enix's sole discretion.

In-game items are transferable only to the characters linked to the Entrant’s service account. No substitutions or exchanges (including for cash) of any prizes will be permitted, except that Square Enix reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value for any prize listed above. Retail value of prizes is listed in United States dollars. Actual retail value of prizes may vary due to market conditions at the time prizes are awarded. Prizes won by a Minor (as determined by the laws of the Entrant's country, state, or province of residence) will be awarded to a parent or legal guardian on the Minor's behalf. All prizes are awarded "AS IS" and WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

Square Enix shall ship the prizes to Contest Winners within approximately one (1) month of the selection of winners. Prize delivery timing is subject to change.

5. GENERAL CONTEST RULES

Contest Winners will be announced within one (1) month of the Deadline. Square Enix shall notify Contest Winners via the email account or Forum account associated with the winning entry at or about the same time (the “Notification Package”). Return of any prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected.

To be eligible to receive a prize, each Contest Winner must follow the instructions contained in the Notification Package and respond with the information or documents requested prior to the date specified in the Notification Package. Such requested information may be necessary for purposes of filing a 1099 form with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). If a Minor is selected (as determined by the state, province, or country of residence), a parent or legal guardian must sign any required or requested documents. The requested documents must be sent to Square Enix at the address specified in the Notification Package and must be received by Square Enix by the date specified. If the Contest Winner fails to provide the requested information or documents according to the instructions provided in the Notification Package, or if the requested documents are not signed by an appropriate party (e.g., by a parent or legal guardian, if a Minor is selected) or are not received by Square Enix by the specified date, the
Contest Winner shall be deemed disqualified and will forfeit his or her eligibility.

If disqualified for any reason, the Contest Winner will not receive any prize. In the event that the Contest Winner forfeits or is disqualified, Square Enix will select an alternate Entrant as a replacement for the disqualified or forfeited winner.

Entrant must submit their own name, birth date, email address, cell phone number, and/or other information as requested. Entrant may not impersonate any other person, or entity, or submit false or misleading information; Square Enix reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant that does so. If a Minor is selected (as determined by the laws of state, province, or country of residence), such Minor needs to obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

In the event of a dispute about the identity of the participant, entries shall be declared made by the authorized account holder of the Forum account submitted at time of entry. An authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned a Forum account by and Forum service provider. The potential winner may be required to provide Square Enix with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the Forum account associated with the winning entry.

6. SQUARE ENIX OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES

Except for material posted on YouTube, all entries and other materials (the “Entry Materials”) (including all copyright, trademark, and other proprietary rights associated therewith) submitted by you become the property of Square Enix upon submission, and Entry Materials will not be returned to any Entrant. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge that Square Enix will own all rights to use, modify, and make derivative works of the Entry Materials, without separate compensation to you or any other person or entity. You agree to take, at Square Enix’s expense, any further action (including, without limitation, execution of affidavits and other documents) reasonably requested by Square Enix to effect, perfect, or confirm Square Enix’s ownership rights as set forth above in this paragraph. Entry Materials received by Square Enix may be destroyed by Square Enix at any time following the Contest.

With respect to any Entry Materials that Entrant posts on YouTube (including all copyright, trademark, and other proprietary rights associated therewith), Entrant grants Square Enix an exclusive, perpetual, royalty free, transferrable, sublicensable, worldwide, fully-paid up license to make any and all uses of the video. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge that Square Enix will have an exclusive, perpetual, royalty free, transferrable, sublicensable, worldwide, fully-paid up license to use, modify, and make derivative works of the Entry Materials that Entrant posts on YouTube, without separate compensation to you or any other person or entity. You agree to take, at Square Enix’s expense, any further action (including, without limitation, execution of affidavits and other documents) reasonably requested by Square Enix to effect, perfect, or confirm Square Enix’s rights as set forth above in this paragraph.

7. ORIGINAL WORK OF AUTHORSHIP

You hereby warrant and represent that (a) as between you and parties other than Square Enix, you own all rights to all Entry Materials submitted by you; and (b) all such Entry Materials are original works of authorship on your part and have not been copied, in whole or in part, from any other work and do not violate, misappropriate, or infringe any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right of any other person or entity.

8. SQUARE ENIX INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

You acknowledge that the products related to, and the trademark rights in, the SQUARE ENIX® marks are exclusive to Square Enix and include, but are not limited to, the rights to use, reproduce, sell, distribute, broadcast, display, and make derivative works of, without compensation to the Contest Winner.

9. GENERAL RELEASE.

By entering the Contest, you (and, if you are a Minor, your parents or legal guardians) release and indemnify Square Enix, other participating sponsors, Google, YouTube, and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, vendors, and agencies (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or acceptance, possession, misdelivery, use of, or inability to use any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses, and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, misappropriation or infringement of intellectual property, whether intentional or unintentional) whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty, or other theory.

IF YOU ARE A MINOR, YOUR PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS FURTHER AGREE TO RELEASE AND INDEMNIFY EACH OF THE RELEASED PARTIES FROM ANY CLAIMS, COSTS, INJURIES, LOSSES, OR DAMAGES DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH THAT MAY BE SUFFERED BY YOU.

10. SELECTION OF PRIZE

Actual model, color, accessories, and features of the items awarded as prizes shall be selected by Square Enix in its sole discretion and may vary from photos or images, if any, shown in the Contest materials and advertising including the Square Enix web site.

11. USE OF ENTRANT’S AND CONTEST WINNER’S NAME, LIKENESS, ETC.

Except where prohibited by law, entry into the Contest constitutes permission to use the Entrants’ and Contest Winners’ names, account names, avatars, profile images, likenesses, prize information, submissions, and/or other information in connection with the Contest or for promotional purposes without further permission or compensation. As a condition of being awarded any prize, except where prohibited by law, Contest Winners may be required to execute a further consent to the use of their names, account names, addresses, likenesses, and/or prize information, without limitation, for promotional purposes without further permission or compensation. You hereby warrant and represent that you own all rights to your name, account name, avatar, profile image, and likeness connected with your entry and your Final Fantasy XIV or Square Enix account, and that all such materials are original works of authorship on your part and have not been copied, in whole or in part, from any other work and do not violate, misappropriate, or infringe any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right of any other person or entity.

12. AFFIDAVIT AND RELEASE.

As a condition of being awarded any prize, Contest Winners (and if Contest Winner is a Minor, winner’s parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute and deliver to Square Enix a signed Affidavit of Eligibility, an acceptance of these Official Contest Rules, a release of liability, and/or other agreements or releases. Square Enix may require, in its sole discretion, to have any requested documents notarized by the Contest Winner (or his or her parent or legal guardian, in the case of a Minor).

13. WINNERS’ LIST; RULES REQUEST

For a copy of the winners’ list, send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope within three (3) months of the deadline to Square Enix at the address listed below (Attention: Heavensward Music Contest Winners’ List). To obtain a copy of these rules, send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope to Square Enix at the address listed below (Attention: Heavensward Music Contest Rules Request).

14. COPYRIGHT NOTICE.

The Contest and all accompanying Contest materials are Copyright © 2016 by Square Enix, Inc. unless otherwise indicated. All Rights Reserved.

15. MISCELLANEOUS

The Contest and these Official Contest Rules will be governed, construed, and interpreted under the laws of the United States of America. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules and by the decisions of Square Enix, which are final and binding in all respects. Square Enix reserves the right to change these Official Contest Rules at any time, in its sole discretion, and to suspend or cancel the Contest or any Entrant’s participation in the Contest should viruses, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond Square Enix’s control affect the administration, security, or proper play of the Contest or Square Enix otherwise becomes, as determined in its sole discretion, incapable of running the Contest as planned at any time without any notice. Entrants who violate these Official Contest Rules, violate the terms of service of Square Enix or Final Fantasy XIV, tamper with the operation of the Contest, or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to Square Enix, the Contest, any other Entrant, or any other person in each case as determined in Square Enix’s sole discretion, are subject to disqualification from entry into the Contest. Square Enix reserves the right to disqualify persons whose eligibility is in question or who have been disqualified or are otherwise ineligible to enter the Contest. If you have any questions about these Official Contest Rules or the Contest, please send written questions to Square Enix at the address set forth below.

16. FORCE MAJEURE

Square Enix reserves the right to change, suspend, or cancel the Contest if, in Square Enix’s sole discretion, intervening circumstances warrant such change, suspension, or cancellation. Intervening circumstances include, but are not limited to, strikes, labor disputes, war, insurrections, revolutions, terrorism, riots or other civil disturbances, earthquakes, fires, floods or other natural disasters, governmental restrictions, embargoes or other exercises of governmental authority, unavailability of supplies, components, or material, or any other cause beyond Square Enix’s control.

17. DISCLAIMER

Square Enix, all participating sponsors, Google, YouTube, and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, agents, vendors, and agencies will not be responsible for any of the following: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled, or distorted or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) any telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer or communications related malfunctions or failures; (c) any Contest disruptions, injuries, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Square Enix or other participating sponsors; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest.

18. AMENDMENT

Square Enix reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions set forth herein without notice; however, the remaining terms in this Official Contest Rules remain in full force and effect, and all rights and obligations set forth herein and any amendments shall be binding upon Square Enix and the Contest Winner, should such change take place.

19. TAXES, COSTS, AND FEES

It is each Contest Winner’s sole responsibility to file winning prizes with the IRS or other governmental entities, should it be required by law to do so. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, PROVINCIAL, AND LOCAL TAXES, OR OTHER COSTS OR FEES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONTEST WINNERS. Each Contest Winner shall consult with a professional, if necessary.

20. NO ENTITLEMENT TO FEES

IN NO EVENT WILL THE CONTEST ENTRANTS OR CONTEST WINNERS BE ENTITLED TO ANY FEE, ROYALTY, OR OTHER COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND AS A RESULT OF THE CONTEST. BY ENTERING, EACH ENTRANT (AND, IF A MINOR, HIS OR HER PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN) IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO COMPENSATION FOR SQUARE ENIX’S USE OF SUCH ENTRANT’S ENTRY MATERIALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE RULES.

21. LEGAL COMPLIANCE

Each Entrant and Contest Winner shall comply with all applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations at all times.

22. SQUARE ENIX’S TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY.

By participating in the Contest, you agree to be bound and abide by Square Enix, Inc.’s Mobile and Online Terms of Service (available at http://na.square-enix.com/us/documents/tnc), Square Enix Inc.’s Privacy Policy (available at http://na.square-enix.com/us/documents/privacy), the Final Fantasy XIV user agreement (http://support.na.square-enix.com/ru...2&tag=users_en), the Final Fantasy XIV Material Usage License Agreement (http://support.na.square-enix.com/ru...la=1&tag=authc), and all other applicable policies and terms of use.

23. USE OF YOUTUBE

By participating in the Contest, you agree to be abide by and consent to Google’s and YouTube’s applicable terms of service, privacy policy, rules of conduct, cookie policy, and all other policies and terms of use, including YouTube’s community guidelines (http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines). If you do not agree to abide by and consent to YouTube’s or Google’s applicable terms and policies, you must immediately discontinue participation in the Contest. You agree to only use one YouTube or Google account to enter the Contest.

24. CONTEST SPONSOR.

The sponsor of the Contest is Square Enix, Inc. Square Enix is a leading developer and publisher of digital entertainment content. Correspondence regarding the Contest or these Official Contest Rules may be directed to the following address:

Square Enix, Inc.
Attention: Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Music Contest
999 North Sepulveda Blvd., Third Floor
El Segundo, California 90245

The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Google or YouTube.


After you have read over and agreed to all of the above rules and regulations, please submit your entries in the Entry Thread.