Kid, you got a killer video game you want to share?

Trade your video game idea for a chance to win $10,000 or a chance to have Electronic Arts (EA) build your game! As cool as this contest sounds, great care should be taken before entering any contest with an idea, artwork, manuscript, poem or other intellectual property. Why? Most contest rules will claim ownership or broad license of anything submitted to the contest. In other words, your only payment for use of the idea is the chance to with the prize. So, if you have a killer video game idea, be sure to read the rules of the contest. These rules are more complex than most. There are four documents:

1. Competition Rules
2. Code of Conduct
3. Privacy Policy
4. Terms and Conditions

If you keep reading through to the "Submitted Materials" you will see that you grant BKFK a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and fully sub-licensable license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such materials (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such materials into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed. This is not unusual, most contests either claim ownership or provide for broad licensing rights. So if you think up a killer video game, think twice before you submit it to a contest. Or, at least, carefully read the rules so you can know what to expect. Good luck with your video game idea for kids 13 to 19.  Legally Inclined Weblogs
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