This is the Entry Form and Official Rules of the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (the "Sponsor" or "MDOT MTA") Earth Day Contest (the "Contest"). The Contest provides the opportunity for individuals aged five (5) through seventeen (17) to submit original artwork for display in the Sponsor's public transit vehicles, facilities, and publications. No purchases or entry fees are required to enter.
* All fields are required.
By entering the Contest and completing the entry form, the Entrant and Parent/Guardian of the Entrant (on the Parent/Guardian's own behalf and on behalf of the minor child) agrees to the Official Rules and requirements for entry into the Contest included below. If the Entrant and Parent/Guardian agrees to these terms, the Parent/Guardian shall sign and date in the space provided.
OFFICIAL RULES
1. CONTEST PERIOD: The Contest begins on Monday, February 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time ("ET") and ends on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 11:59:59 PM ET ("Contest Period"). The Sponsor may extend this period at its discretion.
ELIGIBILITY: This Contest is open to all individuals aged five (5) through seventeen (17). Parents or legal guardians must sign the entry form in order for the minor to enter the Contest. Employees of Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and advertising and promotion agencies (collectively "Sponsor Entities"), and their immediate families and household members are not eligible to enter or win. For purposes of the Contest, "immediate families" means spouse, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, and siblings.
2. HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:
Submissions will be judged based on the criteria set out in the Judging section, including how well the artwork focuses on the role public transportation plays in protecting the planet, environmental conservation, and sustainability. Designs may also highlight Maryland's unique landmarks, ecosystems, or local plants and animals.
During the Contest Period, an eligible Entrant and Parent/Guardian may visit mta.maryland.gov/EarthDayArt to submit the Entrant's original artwork and signed Entry Form.
Entry Limit: Limit one (1) entry per person. Entrants are prohibited from using more than one (1) e-mail address or multiple identities.
Submission Guidelines and Restrictions: All submissions must comply with the following restrictions:
- Limited to any 2-dimensional artwork (such as drawings, paintings and illustrations);
- Photographs, computer-generated, or computer-enhanced artwork will not be accepted;
- Be submitted in .PDF or .JPG format and not exceed 5 MB;
- Artificial intelligence ("AI") or generative AI may not be used to create any part of the submission;
- Be submitted during the Contest Period;
- Be the Entrant's original content, created solely by the Entrant, and may not plagiarize any source;
- May not have been submitted previously in a promotion of any kind, exhibited or displayed publicly in any way, or have previously won a prize or award;
- May not contain material that violates or infringes another's rights, such as privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights (including copyrights, trade names, trademarks, third-party logos, patents, or any other legally protected rights);
- May not include personally identifiable information (e.g., name, email address);
- Be appropriate for all ages
- May not contain material that is indecent, lewd, pornographic, obscene, hateful, violent, tortious, defamatory, or libelous;
- May not contain, facilitate, reference, or use material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, political orientation, citizenship, ancestry, marital status, or age;
- May not contain any express or implied commercial endorsements;
- May not reference or promote illegal drug use, marijuana use, alcohol use, or unlawful activities;
- May not contain material or statements that promote use of firearms/weapons or unsafe/dangerous activities;
- Be related to public transportation, protecting the planet, or environmental conservation/sustainability; and
- May not contain viruses, spyware, malware, or other malicious programs in the electronic submission.
- Sponsor may disqualify any Entry that fails to comply with the Official Rules and the foregoing Submission Guidelines and Restrictions.
3. JUDGING AND WINNER SELECTION:
A panel of judges selected by Sponsor may select up to six (6) Entrants (the "Winners") from eligible submissions received during the Contest Period. The judges will divide Entrant submissions into three distinct categories, and may select two Winners from each category:
- Category 1: Ages 5-8
- Category 2: Ages 9-12
- Category 3: Ages 13-17
The judging panel will assess all entries, using the following same criteria, applicable to all age categories:
- Creativity (25%)
- Originality (25%)
- Promotion of Public Transportation as a Climate Solution (25%)
- Entrant Skill (25%)
The judging panel reserves the right to use its discretion to apply these standards to select the Winners in each category during the evaluation process.
4. WINNING SUBMISSION AND NOTIFICATION:
A. Winning Submission: The winning submissions may be featured on buses, marketing materials and retail items. In addition, Sponsor may publicize the winning submissions by posting the artwork on its website, social media accounts or other publications. Winning submissions must mail, or hand deliver, original artwork, and a wet signature on a hardcopy of the entry form to:
The Maryland Transit Administration
6 Saint Paul Street, Room 202
Baltimore, MD 21202
Attn: OCM, Earth Day Art
B. Notification: The Winners are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. After judging the submissions, Sponsor will notify the Winners via e-mail at the e-mail address provided at the time of registration. If MTA is unable to reach the Winner by email, it may attempt to contact the Winner by telephone at the number provided.
5. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION: The Contest is void where prohibited. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal and state laws. Any dispute arising out of the Contest shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its choice law principles, and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the State of Maryland. Entrants consent to the personal jurisdiction of said courts.
6. WAIVER OF DAMAGES: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH ENTRANT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES OTHER THAN DIRECT DAMAGES, AND ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR OTHERWISE INCREASED. FURTHER, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE ENTRANT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO HAVE HIS OR HER CLAIMS RESOLVED THROUGH A CLASS ACTION INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUAL RESOLUTION OF CLAIMS.
7. PRIVACY: Entrants and Parents/Guardians agree that their personal data, including name, e-mail address, phone number, and physical address, may be processed, stored, and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Contest and for any of the purposes set forth in Sponsor's Privacy Policy at https://www.mta.maryland.gov/terms-conditions. By participating in the Contest, Entrants and Parents/Guardians are agreeing to Sponsor's Privacy Policy. Without limiting the foregoing, such data may also be used by the Sponsor in order to contact the Winners, check an Entrant's identity and contact information, or otherwise verify an Entrant's eligibility to participate in the Contest.
8. PUBLICITY RIGHTS: By participating in this Contest, each Entrant and Parent/Guardian agrees to allow the Sponsor and Sponsor's designee the right to use the Entrant's name, address (city and state), biographical information, likeness, picture and other information and content provided in connection with the Contest for promotion, trade, commercial, advertising and publicity purposes in all media worldwide including, but not limited to, television and Internet, without notice, review or approval and without compensation.
9. LICENSE GRANT BY ENTRANT: Entrant and Parent/Guardian agrees to grant to Sponsor an exclusive license for commercial rights to the submission. By participating in this Contest, each Entrant and Parent/Guardian hereby grants to the Sponsor, and any of Sponsor's designees, a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable, royalty-free right and license to use, reproduce, publicly display, distribute, modify and create derivative works of the submission for promotion, trade, commercial, advertising and publicity purposes in all media worldwide including, but not limited to, television and Internet, without notice, review or approval and without compensation.
10. INDEMNIFICATION: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST AND SIGNING THE ENTRY FORM, THE ENTRANT AND PARENT/GUARDIAN AGREES TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS MDOT MTA, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AND ALL OF ITS EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR OTHER AGENTS FROM ANY CLAIMS, DEMANDS, OR LIABILITIES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CLAIMS AND OTHER DEMANDS FOR COMPENSATION) ARISING OUT OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO THE SUBMISSION OF AND USE OF THE ARTWORK, AND USE OF THE LIKENESS, NAME AND PERSONAL INFORMATION OF THE ARTIST, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS RELEASE.
11. CONFLICTS: In the event of any conflict with any Contest details contained in these Official Rules and Contest details contained in any Contest promotional materials (including point of sale, television and print advertising, promotional packaging and other promotional media), the details of the Contest as set forth in these Official Rules shall prevail.
