Sony Electronics’ The Artisan scholarshIp PROGRAM: 

Class of 2021 presented by #SONYEDU
OFFICIAL RULES 

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MUST BE AT LEAST 18+ (AL and NE, 19+) YEARS OF AGE AT TIME OF ENTRY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT ENHANCE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS INTENDED FOR CURRENT STUDENTS OF AN ACCREDITED UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES ONLY (EXCLUDING TERRITORIES) AND WILL BE GOVERNED BY APPLICABLE U.S LAW. DO NOT APPLY IF YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AND LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES (EXCLUDING TERRITORIES) AT THE TIME OF ENTRY AND/OR DO NOT AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

1. THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: Open and offered only to legal residents of the 50 United States, D.C. (excluding territories) who are at least 18+ (AL and NE, 19+)  years of age at time of entry. Sony Electronics’ The Artisan Scholarship Program: Class of 2021 presented by #SONYEDU (“Scholarship Program”) consists of five (5) Scholarships for the most compelling submissions as more fully set forth below. 

This Scholarship Program starts December 10, 2021 at 12:00:01 P.M., Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends February 13, 2022 at 11:59:59 P.M. PT (“Participation Period”). ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 11:59:59 PM PT on February 13, 2021. Sponsor’s computer is the official clock for this Scholarship Program. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law.

2. HOW TO ENTER – INTERNET ACCESS REQUIRED:

To apply for the Scholarship Program the Applicant must complete the following steps:

STEP 1: Applicant must be or become a verified #SONYEDU member on Alpha Universe located at https://www.sony.com/edu or https://www.alphauniverse.com/edu (“Website”).

STEP 2: Apply for the Scholarship Program via the “Apply Now” button at www.alphauniverse.com/artisan-scholarship 

STEP 3: Applicant must complete the entry form and submit the following information (collectively “Submissions”) on the Website during the Participation Period:

Applicant must post and submit the following with regard to a project that the Applicant wants to create, which may be any theme, thesis, topic or artistic expression that Applicant is interested in pursuing as a cause, activity, communication, or artistic expression (“Project”).

1. PROJECT ESSAY: An essay (up to 500 words) describing Applicant’s Project and how Sony gear will help Applicant complete their Project.

2. PERSONAL VIDEO: A video of up to one (1) minute of the Applicant introducing themselves and broadly conveying the passion for the Applicant’s Project which is conveyed in the Essay. Applicant must submit link to video in the application.

3. PHOTOS/VIDEOS:  

Applicant must submit in one (1) of the following categories:

• Photographers: Minimum of five (5) photos uploaded in the application.; OR

• Videographers:  One (1) sample of the Applicant’s work in video (no longer than three (3) minutes in length) uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and provide the URL in the application (the video may be uploaded unlisted, but cannot be password-protected).

Submissions created utilizing any brand of digital imaging products – including non-Sony branded products – may be submitted materials to enter this Scholarship Program.  Applicant should retain and store the original versions or formats of the Submissions.

3. SUBMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS: Submissions: (i) must be in the English language or accompanied with an English translation of the audio or visual text; (ii) must be the exclusive original work of the Applicant; (iii) may not be inappropriate, offensive, libelous or defamatory, pornographic, sexually explicit, unlawful or plagiarized, as determined by Sony in its sole discretion; (iv) must not be harassing, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, profane, obscene, excessively violent, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable or offensive in any way, as determined by Sony in its sole discretion; (v) may not violate or encourage others to violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance or regulation; (vi) may not defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights or any other third party rights; (vii) may not contain commercial or corporate advertising, other than those relating to Sony Electronics Inc.; (viii) may not include any website URLs, viruses, worms, corrupt files, Trojan horses, or other forms of corruptive code or content that may harm or compromise the proper conduct of this Scholarship Program or Sony; (ix) may not use any watermarks or distinguishing artist marks (such as signatures); and (x) if found to be in violation of these Official Rules will be disqualified and therefore removed from this Scholarship Program.  By submitting an application, Applicant represents that (i) they have the unrestricted right to submit the application; and (ii) the entry does not infringe upon any third party’s proprietary or other rights. No damaged, incomplete, forged or appropriated applications will be accepted.

Applicant may enter a maximum of one (1) entry for the Participation Period.

4. IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM:  This Scholarship Program consists of the Participation Period whereby Sponsor will judge all eligible applications received during the Participation Period according to the judging criteria set forth in Rule 6 and award five (5) Scholarships to recipients.  

Entry is via Internet only.

Participation Period		Scholarship Judging Period	Approximate Notification Date
Start Date (as of 12:00:01 A.M., PT that day)	End Date (as of 11:59:59 P.M., PT that day)
December 10, 2021	February 13, 2022	February 14 – 28, 2022	March 4, 2022

5. SELECTION OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM RECIPIENTS:  During the Scholarship Judging Period listed above, Sony will select potential Scholarship recipients based on the judging criteria in Rule 6 from among all eligible applications received during the Participation Period.  The potential Scholarship recipients will be notified by email on or about the Approximate Notification Date.  

6. JUDGING CRITERIA:  All eligible applications will be judged by Sony, in its sole discretion, based on the following criteria.

• PROJECT ESSAY:  How Essay clearly describes Applicant’s Project and how Sony gear will help Applicant complete their Project.  45%

• PERSONAL VIDEO:  Ability to clearly convey in the Personal Video the passion for the Applicant’s Project which is conveyed in the Essay.  20%

• Creativity of Previous Work Samples as expressed in Photos or Video Submissions of Rule 2(C).  35%

7. SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: TOTAL OF FIVE (5) SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:   There will be  five (5) scholarship recipients. Each of the five (5) Scholarship recipients will receive:

• Sony Electronics Inc. digital imaging products selected by Sony based on Project needs valued at $5,000 (based on estimated retail value) (“Sony Products”)

• One (1) session (up to 60 minutes) with a Sony Artisan of Imagery, as selected by Sony (ARV $1,000)

• Four (4) sessions (up to 60 minutes each) with local PRO Support representative for technical support on Sony Products

(collectively, “Scholarship”).

Actual retail value (“ARV”) of Scholarship package is: USD $6,000.  Total ARV Scholarship Program package is: $30,000.

All federal, state, and local taxes and fees associated with the Scholarship receipt and/or use, if any, are solely the responsibility of recipient. The ARV represents Sponsor’s good faith determination. That determination is final and binding and cannot be appealed. Actual value of the Scholarship may vary.

IMPORTANT: Sony has no responsibility for a recipient’s inability or failure to accept or utilize a Scholarship as described herein.. All components in the Scholarship are nontransferable, non-assignable, non-redeemable for cash, and non-substitutable except that Sony may, at its sole discretion, substitute a Scholarship or any component thereof with one of equal or greater value. The potential recipients of the Scholarship will each be required to sign and return within ten (10) days of notification or attempted notification of being a potential Scholarship recipient, an Affidavit of Eligibility/Compliance (including Social Security Number/information as required for tax reporting purposes) & Publicity/Liability Release (where permitted by law), or the Scholarship will be forfeited in its entirety and, time allowing, an alternate potential recipient(s) will be selected. Additionally, the recipients will each receive a Form 1099 or other document in the amount of the actual value of the Scholarship, as required by law. Persons under the age of 18+ (AL and NE, 19+) (as of the date of entry) are not eligible to enter or receive a Scholarship. 

If a potential recipient is found to be ineligible, is not in compliance with these Official Rules, does not respond to the e-mail in a timely manner, is disqualified or forfeits Scholarship for any reason, declines to accept the Scholarship, or if the Scholarship notification or Scholarship is returned as undeliverable, Sponsor reserves the right to award the Scholarship to an alternate applicant who will also be selected per the judging criteria from all remaining non-winning entries received during the Participation Period. If after a good-faith attempt Sponsor is unable to award or deliver a Scholarship, the Scholarship will not be awarded.

8. ELIGIBILITY: This Scholarship Program is open only to persons who are legal residents of, and living within, the 50 United States and District of Columbia (excluding territories), at least 18+ (AL and NE, 19+) years of age, as of the date of entry except officers, directors, and employees (and members of their household and of their immediate families, i.e., parents, children, stepchildren, spouse, siblings, “step” of each and persons residing in the same household of such immediate family members) of Sony, its subsidiaries, affiliates, sales representatives, distributors, advertising/Grant/web design agencies and/or their affiliates, assigns or representatives (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Sony & Others”), and all other persons or entities associated with the development, administration, Scholarship, execution of, or supply to this Scholarship Program.

In the event of a dispute as to any registration, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the applicant.  The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. Each potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.

9. RELEASE: By acceptance of a Scholarship, the recipient releases Sony & Others, from and against any and all liability and claims or causes of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property with respect to all aspects of this Scholarship Program, including those arising out of participation in this Scholarship Program, any Scholarship Program related activity whether sponsored by Sony & Others or third parties, or the acceptance or possession or use/misuse of a Scholarship or any component of a Scholarship.

10. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY/INTERNET: Sony & Others are not responsible for interrupted or unavailable network server or other connections, miscommunications, failed telephone or computer transmissions or jumbled, scrambled or misdirected entries or transmissions, or for phone, electrical, network, computer hardware or software or program malfunctions, failures or difficulties or for other errors, omissions, interruptions, or deletions of any kind whether human, typographical, mechanical or electronic or for any damage to any person’s computer related to participating in this Scholarship Program. Sony & Others are not responsible for illegible, unintelligible, late, lost or stolen entries/applications or incorrect or inaccurate entry information, whether caused by Internet users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Scholarship Program or by any technical, typographical or human errors which may occur in the processing of any entries in this Scholarship Program. Any Applicant who attempts to interfere with the proper play of this Scholarship Program will be disqualified from participation in this Scholarship Program. Persons found tampering with or abusing any aspect of this Scholarship Program, as solely determined by Sony, will be disqualified and may be subject to prosecution. If in the judgment of Sony, this Scholarship Program is compromised by viruses, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes beyond the control of Sony, which corrupt the administration, security, fairness or proper play of this Scholarship Program, Sony reserves the right, in its sole discretion to discontinue, modify, suspend or terminate this Scholarship Program and proceed in a manner it deems fair and reasonable, including the selection of winners from among eligible entries received prior to such discontinuation, modification, suspension or termination. Any personally identifiable information collected during an Applicant’s participation in this Scholarship Program will be collected by Sony and used by Sony and its agents solely for purposes of the proper administration and fulfillment of this Scholarship Program as described in these Official Rules or as stated in Sony’s Privacy Policy at http://products.sel.sony.com/SEL/legal/privacy.html
ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SONY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. 

SONY MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT.

11. DISPUTES: Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Should a dispute or claim arise related to this Scholarship Program (“Dispute”), Applicant and Sony agree that the Dispute shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration. APPLICANT  UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT  BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATION, APPLICANT  IS  GIVING  UP  THE RIGHT TO LITIGATE (OR PARTICIPATE IN AS A PARTY OR CLASS MEMBER) IN ANY DISPUTES IN COURT. Applicant also agree that ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDING WILL ONLY CONSIDER Applicant’S INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS, AND SONY AND APPLICANT AGREE NOT TO HAVE ANY DISPUTE  HEARD AS A  CLASS ACTION,  REPRESENTATIVE ACTION,  CONSOLIDATED ACTION,  OR  PRIVATE  ATTORNEY  GENERAL ACTION.   

Arbitration Instructions. To begin arbitration, either Applicant or Sony must make a written demand to the other for arbitration. The arbitration will take place before a single arbitrator. The arbitration will be administered in keeping with the Expedited Procedures of the Commercial Arbitration Rules and the Supplementary Proceedings for Consumer-Related disputes (“Rules”) of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), when applicable and in effect when the claim is filed. Applicant may get a copy of AAA’s Rules by contacting AAA at (800) 778-7879 or visiting www.adr.org. The filing fees to begin and carry out arbitration will be shared between Applicant and Sony, but in no event shall Applicant fees ever exceed the amount allowable by the special rules for Consumers Disputes provided for by AAA, at which point Sony will cover all additional administrative fees and expenses. This does not prohibit the arbitrator from giving the winning party their fees and expenses of the arbitration when appropriate pursuant to the Rules. Unless Applicant and Sony agree differently, the arbitration will take place in the county and state where Applicant live, and applicable U.S. federal or state law shall govern the substance of any Dispute during the arbitration. However, the U.S. Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1, et seq., will govern the arbitration itself and not any state or other law on arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision will be binding and final, except for a limited right of appeal under the U,S. Federal Arbitration Act.  Any judgments or awards shall be limited to actual incurred out-of-pocket expenses (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Grant and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages.

12. GENERAL: By participating in the Scholarship, Applicants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of Sony, which are final and binding in all matters and all respects relating to this Scholarship. This Scholarship is void in Puerto Rico and wherever else prohibited by law.

By entering the Scholarship, Applicant agrees that their personal information may be used for the following purposes and have the following consequences: (A) to contact Applicants regarding the Scholarship; (B) to publish an Applicant’s name in a Winners/Recipients List, if they should win; and (C) if an Applicant elects to receive additional information, to send additional information to that Applicant. Applicants have the right to access, withdraw and correct their personal data. Applicants may request such action by sending a message to Sony Electronics’ The Artisan Scholarship Program: Class of 2021 Presented by #SONYEDU Official Rules, 16535 VIA ESPRILLO, SAN DIEGO, CA, 92127. For further information see Sony Electronics Inc. Privacy Policy available online at https://products.sel.sony.com/SEL/legal/privacy.html .

By participating in the Scholarship Program and providing the Submissions to the Sponsor in connection with the Scholarship, each Applicant shall retain all right, title and interest (including copyright) in and to the Submission. Applicant acknowledges that Submissions will not be returned to Applicant. Acceptance of a Scholarship constitutes the winner’s consent to the use of their name, biographical information, photograph, likeness, and/or Submissions for advertising and publicity purposes as determined by Sony or its designees without further compensation, except where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Sony & Others are not responsible for any applications and/or entries that are lost, late, undelivered, misdelivered.

13. WINNERS/RECIPIENTS LIST: For the name of the winners/recipients, no later than May 31, 2022, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Sony Electronics’ The Artisan Scholarship Program: Class of 2021 Presented by #SONYEDU Winners List, 16535 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.

Sponsor: Sony Electronics Inc., 16535 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.

Sony Electronics’ The Artisan Scholarship Program: Class of 2021 Presented by #SONYEDU Official Rules may not be reprinted or republished in whole or in part without the prior written permission of Sony Electronics Inc.
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