Terms & Conditions

1. Eligibility: The Doodle 4 Google competition (the “Competition”) is open to all pupils from Junior Infants to 6th year attending Primary, Secondary, Youthreach or Special schools in the Republic of Ireland (“Class Groups”), excluding employees (and their families) of Google Ireland Limited (“Google”) and any of its affiliates, as well as representatives or agents of Google or other persons professionally connected with the 'Doodle 4 Google' competition (the “Entrants”). Persons who are (1) residents of US embargoed countries, (2) ordinarily resident in such countries, or (3) otherwise prohibited by applicable export controls and sanctions programmes may not participate in the Competition. The national winner and national finalists from previous years are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive the overall winner or Class Group winner prizes. In order to enter the Competition, Entrants agree to these Official Competition Rules (“Rules”). For the avoidance of doubt, the Rules for the Competition consist of these Rules and the Entry Form, defined below (together, the “Competition Materials”).

2. Competition Period: The Competition begins at 06.00am (GMT) on October 4th, 2016 and ends at midnight (GMT) on November 26th, 2016.

3. How to Enter: Entrants will submit their doodles which reflects the Entrant’s creative interpretation of the Google logo on the theme “If I could create anything it would be…” to their schools, who will then select six entries to be sent to Google (“Doodle(s)”). The school's decision is final in this matter and Google will not accept entries by any other route. Competition materials and instructions on how to participate in the Competition are on the Competition site: https://doodles.google.ie/d4g/ (“Competition Site”) during the Competition period. Entrants will be requested to download and complete an official entry form (“Entry Form”) with the following components (a) an entry Doodle ; (b) completed Entry Form (including parent’s consent); and (c) a supporting statement of fifty (50) words or less. The Doodle and supporting statements must meet the “Doodle Requirements”, defined below.

Once the Entry Form is fully completed, it should be printed on a light coloured A4 sheet of paper and signed by a parent/legal guardian. The completed Entry Form can be submitted via the upload tool on the Competition Site - please follow the instructions under the “Submit” tab. Google is not responsible for illegible or incorrectly submitted entries made via the upload tool.

To submit a Doodle entry in hard-copy form, the Entry Form must be sent by physical mail to the Competition submission address indicated on the Competition Site (Doodle 4 Google, Google Ireland Ltd, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4). Only submissions received by post to this address will be accepted as valid. No entries will be accepted once judging starts. Entries received after judging starts will not be eligible for entry into the Competition. Entries submitted in the wrong Class Group will be disqualified.

4. Doodle Requirements: The Doodle and supporting statement must meet the following criteria (“Doodle Requirements”):

1. They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Competition (as determined by Google, in its sole discretion).
2. They must not contain any content, material or element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to all applicable laws and regulations.
3. They must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Competition, as determined by Google, in its sole discretion.
4. They must be original, unpublished works that do not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity.
5. They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party’s publicity, privacy or intellectual property rights.
6. The Doodle is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim.
7. The Doodle is two-dimensional and scannable.

During the Competition Period, Google, its agents and/or the Judges (defined below) will be evaluating the Doodles and supporting statements to ensure that they meet the Doodle Requirements. Google reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who submits a Doodle and supporting statement that does not meet the Doodle Requirements. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification.

5. Judging and Selection of Winners: Doodles will be judged in the following Class Groups: (1) Junior Infants, Senior Infants, (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd class, (3) 4th, 5th, 6th class, (4) 1st, 2nd, 3rd year, (5) Transition Year, 5th, 6th year. All entries will be judged by a panel of independent judges and Google employees (the “Judges”) based on the following judging criteria: (a) artistic merit, (b) creativity, (c) theme communication and (d) appropriateness of the supporting statement. 300 semi-finalists will be selected by the Judges. The Judges will then select the best 15 Doodles from each of the five Class Groups, across the four regions in the Republic of Ireland. Google’s regions are the four provinces: Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Connaught. The 75 finalist Doodles will then be posted on the Competition Site and one final winner from each Class Group will be selected based on a public vote of which Doodles the public considers best represent the theme “If I could create anything it would be…”. Google will then select one overall winner from the five Class Group winners.

6. Prizes: The overall winner will win a €5,000 college scholarship (issued in the form of a cheque) to be used at the school/college of his or her choice. The overall winner's school will win a €10,000 technology grant from Google (Google will gross up the technology grant to a maximum of €12,300 to cover possible taxes). The overall winning Doodle will also be displayed on the Google homepage in Ireland for 24 hours. All five Class Group winners will receive a Chromebook of Google’s choice. The five teachers of the Class Group winners will also receive a Chromebook of Google’s choice for personal use. The 75 finalists will each receive a framed reproduction of their Doodle, a t-shirt with their Doodle printed on it and a goody bag. The 300 semi-finalists will each receive a ‘Doodle 4 Google’ certificate which will be posted to their school. Google intends to provide the prizes as soon as reasonably practical after selection of the overall winner.

7. Privacy Notice: Any personal data (such as pupil’s name, pupil’s age, pupil’s gender, pupil’s school/class information, parent/guardian's name, parent/guardian's address and contact information, teacher’s name, teacher’s job title, and teacher’s contact and school information) collected during the course of the Competition by Google will only be used and disclosed for purposes reasonably connected with administering and promoting this and future Doodle 4 Google competitions - this includes certain internal and external Google communications related to Doodles or Doodle 4 Google competitions. Any personal data will be processed in line with Google’s Privacy Policy at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/. Any personal data may be shared with service providers Google uses for the Competition. The pupil’s name (first name and surname initial) & class or year and school name & county will be shared with the public for public voting. Google may also share personal data of the overall winner and the finalists with the press for publicity purposes. Subject to parental consent (if required), the overall winner and the finalists may be required to participate in publicity such as press interviews or other promotion on the Google services connected with the Competition which Google may reasonably arrange. Entrants are entitled to access their personal data by writing to Google at Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow St, Dublin 4, Ireland or by emailing doodleireland@google.com to have any inaccuracies in their data amended, blocked or erased free of charge.

8. Media Activity: Google reserves the right to use the Doodles in any manner it sees fit (including with or without attribution) within future internal or external Google communications. The Doodles may also be used for press and media purposes and Entrants agree to waive any moral rights and to not assert any other intellectual property rights that Entrants have or may have in the Doodle. Google reserves the right to publish the name and likeness of winners and their school information on its Competition Site or through other media for publicity purposes. On entering into the Competition, Entrants agree to be involved in media activity or other promotional activity regarding the Competition. Google will contact Entrants in advance to seek their permission if any media request interviews with the winner or his/her class. When entering the Competition Entrants will be asked to tick a box informing Google that they have received consent from the parents/guardian of each pupil (and in the case of pupils 12 years of age and above, also from the pupil him/herself) to the use and disclosure of personal data as outlined in these Rules.

9. Intellectual Property: In submitting a Doodle each entering pupil (and their parent/guardian, if necessary) and teacher warrants that he/she is the owner of the Doodle and the intellectual property in it and that all components of their artwork and supporting statement are indeed original creations. Any intellectual property infringement, misuse or plagiarism of another person’s work in any form or state in Google’s opinion will result in immediate disqualification and forfeiture of eligibility to receive all awards, recognition and prizes. Each pupil (and their parent/guardian, if necessary) and teacher also consents to his/her Doodle being used in the manner set out in these Rules, or (where the entrant is not the owner) that he/she has obtained the consent of the owner(s) to use it in the manner set out in these Rules without any further compensation.

10. No Recourse to judicial or other procedures: To the extent permitted by law, the rights to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Competition are hereby excluded, and Entrants acknowledge and agree, and expressly waive any and all such rights.

11. Limitation of liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrants agree to indemnify and keep indemnified Google at all times from and against all liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any act, default or omissions by them and/or a breach of any warranty by them detailed herein to the maximum extent permitted by law. Entrants indemnify and agree to keep indemnified Google at all times from and against any liability, actions, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses for or in respect of which Google will or may become liable by reason of or related or incidental to any act, default or omission by them under these Rules including without limitation resulting from or in relation to any breach, non-observance, act or omission whether negligent or otherwise, pursuant to those rules by Entrants. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrants agree to hold Google, its respective Directors, Officers, Employees and assigns harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Competition and/or use or acceptance of any prize won.

12. General Conditions:

1. Google is not responsible for any typographical or other error in printing of the offer, administration of the Competition, or in the announcement of the prizes.
2. Google accepts no responsibility for entries lost, delayed, damaged, defaced, or mislaid, howsoever caused.
3. Google is not responsible for the policies, actions, or inactions of others, including from Schools that might prevent Entrants from entering, participating, and/or claiming a prize in this Competition.
4. Entries will not be returned. Only one entry per person and six entries per school.
5. Google's and/or any Judges’ decision is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to such decision./li>
6. Google reserves the right to disqualify any entry or entrant that violates the Rules or that adversely affects the fairness or the legitimate operation of the Competition.
7. There is no cash alternative and the prizes must be taken as offered. Google reserves the right to substitute prize(s) of an equivalent value should the prizes become unavailable for any reason. If any winner is not able for whatever reason to accept their prize then Google reserves the right to award the prize to another Entrant.
8. Potential prize winners may be required to sign, notarise, and return an Affidavit or Declaration of Eligibility, a Liability/Publicity Release and provide any additional information that may be required by Google. Failure to comply may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.
9. The Competition is governed by the laws of Ireland and the Irish courts shall have jurisdiction over any dispute arising in relation thereto.
10. In the event of an inconsistency in interpretation between the English language and Irish language versions of the Rules, the English language version shall prevail.

13. Internet: Google is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission. Google is not responsible for theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of Competition materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind. Google is not responsible for inaccurate transmissions of or failure to display Competition materials on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet portion of the Competition is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Competition, Google reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition.

14. Promoter and Data Controller: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow St, Dublin 4, Ireland.