1. HOW TO ENTER: The 2013 FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest (“the Contest”), sponsored by T. Gray Productions and Company, Inc., organizer of the New York Television Festival (“NYTVF”), begins at 12:00 noon Eastern Time (“ET”) May 20, 2013. The Entry/Submission Period ends at 12:00 noon ET on June 3, 2013 or upon the receipt by NYTVF of a total of 1,500 entries, whichever is earlier. Entries must be received by 12:00 noon ET on June 3, 2013, unless 1,500 have already been received. To enter, go to www.nytvf.com and click on the link for “FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest.” Then click on the link labeled “Submit,” fill out the personal information form and read and agree to the “Terms of Use,” “Privacy Policy” and these Official Rules. Upload your script using the Browse and Attach links. Scripts must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF) format only. Limit one entry per person or per a team of a maximum of two (2) co-writers. Each entry must include only one (1) script.
Scripts must be: a) for a 22-minute comedy television pilot; b) written in English and be between 25 and 35 (letter-sized) pages long in a proper screen-writing format (foreign-language entries are ineligible); c) wholly original, (e.g. NOT adapted from books, plays or any other source material and NOT a “spec” of existing television programs or treatments); d) copyrighted or registered; e) not encumbered by any obligation to, or option held by, a third party; and f) submitted under the entrant’s legal name as indicated on such copyright or WGA registration, and as evidenced by entrant’s valid government-issued identification.
Scripts must not be: a) currently under development at a network, studio, or major production company; b) currently submitted to any other contest or festival; or c) previously optioned, purchased or produced.
Multiple entrants may not submit the same script; provided, however, a team of a maximum of two (2) co-writers is allowed per entry. If there are two writers with respect to any script (as set forth in registration/copyright materials), both writers must agree between themselves to designate a single individual who will be the entrant (“Designated Entrant”) with respect to that script and who will receive the Grand Prize payment. All writers (whether an individual or 2 co-writers) must be identified in the entry materials. If any finalist’s script was written by a team of two (2) co-writers, both writers must sign, and agree to be bound by, an Affidavit of Eligibility, Release and Indemnification, the Fox Broadcasting Company (“FOX”) Development Agreement and any other documents that NYTVF and/or FOX may reasonably require. Payment of the Grand Prize will be paid to the Designated Entrant only for the winning script. NYTVF and FOX are not responsible for any disputes or disagreements between co-writers with respect to any Contest entry.
There is no fee to submit. By submitting an entry to the Contest, each entrant agrees to comply with and be bound by these Official Rules and acknowledges that the decisions of the NYTVF shall be binding and final in all matters relating to the Contest.
2. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia who are age 18 and over and not a minor in his/her state of residence, who are not currently engaged in any contractual commitments or relationships preventing them from entering into an exclusive one-year development deal with FOX. The NYTVF reserves the right to verify and confirm entrants’ ages and compliance with other eligibility requirements. Any individual who has, within six (6) months prior to the start date of the Contest or thereafter, been employed by or performed services (including but not limited to as an employee, consultant, independent contractor or intern) for NYTVF, FOX or any other person or entity responsible for sponsoring, administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, or any of their respective parent, subsidiary, affiliated or successor entities, and immediate family and household members of such individuals, are not eligible to enter or win. Entries created or funded by broadcast networks, cable networks, internet entities or studios are ineligible.
3. WINNER SELECTION: Preliminary judging will take place from the time the Entry/Submission Period ends through and including August 5, 2013. The judging panel, selected by the NYTVF in its sole discretion, will determine twenty-five (25) finalists, based on the following criteria, weighted equally: (i) originality; (ii) creativity; (iii) humor; and (iv) overall impression. In the event of a tie, tied entries will be re-judged based solely on the criteria of: overall impression. Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility. The selected finalists will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail on or about August 5, 2013. Finalists (both co-writers if a team of 2 co-writers) will be required to sign and return within five (5) business days of receipt a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility, Release and Indemnification, FOX Development Agreement and any other documents that NYTVF and/or FOX may reasonably require. The FOX Development Agreement will detail terms associated with further development of the submitted script and/or additional projects and will become active and legally binding on the Grand Prize Winner. If any potential finalist (both co-writers if a team of 2 co-writers) does not reply to any notification within forty-eight (48) hours, or fails to return any required documentation within five (5) business days after delivery to the potential finalist, such potential finalist may be disqualified in the sole discretion of NYTVF and an alternate potential finalist may be selected. Potential finalists CANNOT proceed to the next round until all such properly executed and notarized documents are returned (if a team of 2 co-writers, all documents must be signed by both co-writers). NYTVF shall not be responsible in any way for any delayed, lost, stolen or misdirected notification or other communication from or to NYTVF. From among the twenty-five (25) confirmed finalists, FOX will select one Grand Prize Winner (whether a single individual or a team of 2 co-writers), applying the judging criteria specified above. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on or about October 26, 2013.
4. GRAND PRIZE: One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a single, lump-sum payment of $25,000 from FOX (if a team of 2 co-writers, the Grand Prize will be payable to the Designated Entrant pursuant to Paragraph 1) and the FOX Development Agreement signed by the Grand Prize Winner (whether a single individual or a team of 2 co-writers) will become enforceable and binding. The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $25,000. Grand Prize will be awarded if properly claimed. No substitution, cash redemption or transfer of right to receive the prize permitted, except in the sole discretion of NYTVF, which reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Prize consists only of items expressly specified in these Official Rules. All expenses or costs associated with the acceptance or use of the prize, or any component thereof, that are not expressly listed in these Official Rules are the responsibility of the Grand Prize Winner.
5. GRANT OF RIGHTS: By entering the Contest, each entrant acknowledges and agrees that NYTVF shall have the exclusive, irrevocable, and royalty-free right to use, reproduce, edit, display, transmit, modify, publish and otherwise make use of the submitted script for judging purposes and otherwise, solely in connection with the execution of the Contest; and such further rights as set forth in the FOX Development Agreement, if and when applicable. Each entrant agrees not to exhibit, disseminate, produce, broadcast or otherwise exploit, or authorize any third party to exhibit, disseminate, produce, broadcast or otherwise exploit, in any manner, media, or format, the script submitted as part of his or her entry (or portions thereof), for a period of one (1) month following the conclusion of the Contest, currently on or about October 26, 2013. Some or all of the entrants whose entries are chosen may be required to participate in a reasonable number of customary promotional and publicity activities (including public appearances, press junkets, interviews, and the like) to promote The New York Television Festival and the Contest.
6. ENTRANT REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND INDEMNIFICATION: By entering, each entrant represents and warrants to the NYTVF that his/her entry is (i) completely the original work of the entrant and was written solely by the entrant, (ii) not copied from any other source or previously broadcast or otherwise distributed or disseminated in any media or format, (iii) not in the public domain, and (iv) not in violation of or conflict with the trademark, copyright, rights of privacy, rights of publicity or any other rights, of any kind or nature, of any other person or entity. If the NYTVF, in its sole discretion, has reason to believe that any entry contains any material that may infringe or violate any law or any rights of a third party, or that the use or other exploitation or such entry in the manner described herein may infringe or violate any law or any rights of a third party, then the NYTVF may immediately disqualify such entry and take any other measures the NYTVF may deem appropriate. Entries should not include any language or other content that is indecent, inappropriate, morally objectionable or otherwise unfit for dissemination or broadcast, as determined by the NYTVF in its sole discretion. The NYTVF hereby reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any such entries. Entries not meeting stated length requirements will be disqualified. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules in any respect will be disqualified. Each entrant further agrees to sign, and to obtain (at the entrant’s expense) from all necessary third parties, all releases, permissions and other written documents, in a form acceptable to NYTVF, as may be required by the NYTVF and any of its affiliates or sponsors upon request so as to confirm, record and/or perfect their rights in the entry as set forth herein and in the FOX Development Agreement.
7. RELEASE OF CLAIMS: Each entrant acknowledges that the NYTVF and FOX and each of their parent, subsidiary and affiliated entities, network affiliates, and each of their employees, officers, directors, licensees, assigns and sponsors (collectively, the “Designated Entities”) engage and have engaged in the developing, writing, acquiring, producing, publishing, disseminating, broadcasting and other exploitation of literary, artistic, and other material, including stories, ideas, themes, plots, titles, screenplays, teleplays, treatments, formats, and concepts (collectively, the “Materials”). By submitting an entry in the Contest, each entrant acknowledges and agrees that any Materials that the Designated Entities may hereinafter use or otherwise exploit may have originated with the Designated Entities themselves or may have been acquired from the Designated Entities’ employees or other parties, and that such Materials may duplicate, parallel or resemble the script submitted in the Contest by the entrant. By submitting an entry, each entrant acknowledges that he or she understands and agrees that the Designated Entities’ use of Materials containing features, ideas, material and/or elements similar to or identical with those contained in their entry shall not entitle the entrant to any compensation whatsoever. As an inducement to NYTVF to accept the entrant’s entry into the Contest, each entrant hereby waives any claim or right of action against any of the Designated Entities or their successors in connection with the Designated Entities’ use of any Materials (or any portions thereof) whether or not such Materials contain any features, ideas, material and/or elements similar or identical to those contained in an entrant’s entry. Finally, each entrant acknowledges that, with respect to any claim by entrant relating to or arising out of a Designated Entities actual or alleged use or other exploitation of any entry or other material submitted in connection with the Contest, the damage, if any, thereby caused to the applicable entrant will not be irreparable or otherwise sufficient to entitle such entrant to seek injunctive or other equitable relief or in any way enjoin the production, distribution, exhibition or other exploitation of the entry or any other production based on or allegedly based on the entry, and the entrant’s rights and remedies in any such event shall be strictly limited to the right to recover damages, if any, in an action at law.
8. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By submitting an entry, entrants agree to indemnify, defend, release, discharge and hold harmless the Designated Entities and all others associated with the development and execution of this Contest from any and all claims and liabilities arising from or in connection with participation in this Contest, including without limitation (a) claims for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from participation in this Contest or acceptance or use of any prize and (b) claims based on rights of privacy, rights of publicity, false light, intrusion of public disclosure of private facts, defamation, copyright and/or trademark infringement relating to the submission or exploitation of the entrant’s script. By entering the Contest all entrants grant permission to the NYTVF to use their respective names, photographs, likenesses, voices, and/or biographical information for NYTVF programming, publication, publicity, advertising and all other promotional purposes without compensation, review or approval unless prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. NYTVF reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and/or to cancel, modify or suspend this Contest should entrant fraud or misconduct or other causes beyond the control of the NYTVF corrupt the administration, integrity, security or proper operation of the Contest. Without limitation of the foregoing, the NYTVF reserves the right to terminate, modify or suspend this Contest due to any of the following reasons: act of God; unavoidable accident; epidemic; fire; blackout; act of public enemy; war, riot or civil commotion; enactment, rule, order or act of government or governmental instrumentality or tribunal; strike, lockout or other labor dispute; inclement weather; failure of technical facilities; failure of essential production, or technical personnel to appear or be available for production or exhibition; or other cause beyond its control. By entering, each entrant agrees that should this Contest be terminated for any reason, such entrant irrevocably waives any right to seek and/or obtain rescission and/or equitable and/or injunctive relief. NYTVF is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, damaged, mutilated, misdirected, misdelivered, or delayed entries, or for technical or human errors or failures of any kind in connection with the submission, transmission, processing or judging of entries, including, without limitation, any malfunctions or failures of computer hardware, computer software, networks or telephone equipment or any technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or any combination thereof. NYTVF’s clock will be the official time clock for the Contest. Caution: Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any Contest website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, NYTVF reserves the right to seek damages from any such entrant to the fullest extent of the law. NYTVF is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest, or in the announcement of the prize.
9. DISPUTES: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the Contest, or the rights and obligations of entrants and the Designated Entities in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. In the event of a claim or dispute, entrants’ sole remedy shall be limited to their remedy at law for damages, if any, and entrants shall not have the right to in any way enjoin or restrain the distribution, advertising, publicizing or other exploitation (in any form of media) of the Contest website, the Contest, and/or any intellectual property owned or licensed by the Designated Entities or their respective parent companies and affiliated entities. The entrant and the Designated Entities agree that any and all disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to the Contest (which shall be deemed to include the Official Rules), including the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity thereof (“Disputes”), and the scope or applicability of the Contest, including, but not limited to, the arbitrability of any and all Disputes, shall be determined by binding arbitration in New York, New York before a single, neutral arbitrator who is a former or retired judge of any New York state or federal court. The arbitration shall be initiated and administered by JAMS according to its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures, including Rules 16.1 and 16.2 (the “JAMS Rules”). In conducting the arbitration and in making any award, the arbitrator shall follow New York substantive law (without regard to choice of law or conflict of law rules) and New York arbitration procedure, except as otherwise provided for in the JAMS Rules or the Contest. Except as provided for in the Contest, the arbitrator shall have the authority to award any remedy or relief that a state or federal court of New York could order or grant, and no other remedy or relief. The arbitrator has no authority to award punitive, exemplary, multiplied or consequential damages, and such damages shall not be recoverable by any other process or in any other proceeding. Judgment on any award may be entered in any court of appropriate jurisdiction. The Contest shall not preclude the entrant and the Designated Entities from seeking provisional remedies in aid of arbitration not otherwise prohibited by the Contest from a court of appropriate jurisdiction. The entrant and Designated Entities agree to maintain the confidential nature of the arbitration proceeding and the award, including the arbitration hearing, except as may be necessary to prepare for or conduct the arbitration hearing on the merits, or except as may be necessary in connection with a court application for a provisional remedy, a judicial challenge to an award or its enforcement, or unless otherwise required by law or judicial decision.
10. PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information supplied by you to NYTVF will be subject to the Contest website privacy policy posted at https:///www.nytvf.com/privacy_policy.html. By entering the Contest, each entrant grants NYTVF permission to share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other Designated Entities for the purpose of prize fulfillment. Additionally, by opting-in to specific offers from any of the Designated Entities, entrant’s entry information will be subject to their respective privacy policies and terms of service and entrant agrees to receive additional email communication from those entities. NYTVF will not sell, rent, transfer or otherwise disclose each entrant’s personal data to any third party other than as explicitly described herein.
11. WINNER/OFFICIAL RULES: To obtain a copy of the Winner’s List or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to
The 2013 FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest
New York Television Festival
Attn: Script Contest Winners
121 West 27th St. Suite 901
New York, NY 10001
Requests for the names of the Grand Prize Winner must be received no later than December 1, 2013. Vermont residents may omit return postage.
Questions: For additional information, please contact: scriptcontest@nytvf.com