BANJO BISCUIT PHOTO AWARDS

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO JOIN THE FREE BANJO BISCUIT NEWSLETTER. PAID CONTEST ENTRY IS OPTIONAL. THIS IS A SKILL-BASED CONTEST, NOT A SWEEPSTAKES OR LOTTERY. WINNERS ARE SELECTED BY A JUDGING PANEL BASED ON PUBLISHED CRITERIA. NO ELEMENT OF CHANCE IS INVOLVED IN WINNER SELECTION.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. VOID IN VERMONT, MARYLAND, ARIZONA, AND HAWAII. OPEN TO LEGAL U.S. RESIDENTS, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, IN ALL OTHER 46 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

By submitting a paid entry to the Banjo Biscuit Photo Awards (the "Contest"), you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and Judges, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest.

1. SPONSOR

Studio 6453, LLC ("Sponsor") 1065 SW 8th St #2079 Miami, FL 33130 contact@banjobiscuit.com

The Banjo Biscuit Photo Awards is owned and operated by Studio 6453, LLC. The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Google, Apple, or any other platform or service.

2. CONTEST OVERVIEW

The Banjo Biscuit Photo Awards is a monthly skill-based pet photography contest. Each monthly Contest begins on the first calendar day of the month at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time and ends on the last calendar day of the month at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time (the "Entry Period"). Specific Entry Period dates and prize details for the current Contest are posted at banjobiscuit.com/contest.

The Contest is administered as a series of separate, monthly skill-based contests. Each monthly Contest is a standalone promotion with its own Entry Period, Eligible Entries, judging, and Prize.

3. ELIGIBILITY

The Contest is open only to:

Legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, excluding residents of Vermont, Maryland, Arizona, and Hawaii, who are
18 years of age or older at the time of entry, and
Possess all legal rights to the pet depicted in any submitted photograph.

Employees, officers, directors, contractors, and immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, children) of Studio 6453, LLC, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, and Judges are not eligible to enter or win.

The Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Entrants are responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, including any local restrictions in their jurisdiction.

4. HOW TO PARTICIPATE

There are two separate methods of engaging with Banjo Biscuit. Newsletter subscription is free and is never a condition of contest entry. Contest entry is optional and requires payment of an entry fee. The free newsletter and the paid Contest are separate offerings.

A. Free Newsletter Subscription (No Cost, No Contest Entry)

Visit banjobiscuit.com and submit your email address through the newsletter signup form. Newsletter subscription does not constitute entry into the Contest and does not provide any opportunity to win the Prize. Newsletter subscribers may unsubscribe at any time.

B. Paid Contest Entry (Optional)

To enter the Contest, an eligible entrant must, during the Entry Period:

Visit banjobiscuit.com/contest
Complete the entry form, providing: first name, last name, email address, state of residence, pet's name, pet type, photograph of the pet, and an optional caption of up to 250 characters
Pay the non-refundable entry fee of $15 USD via the Sponsor's payment processor
Acknowledge agreement to these Official Rules and confirm 18+ status

Each entrant may submit up to three (3) entries per monthly Contest. Each entry must be a separate, original photograph and requires a separate entry fee. Multiple entries from the same entrant are judged independently.

Entries become the property of the Sponsor for purposes set forth in Section 12. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are late, lost, misdirected, illegible, incomplete, or fail to transmit due to technical failure.

5. PHOTO REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible, a submitted photograph must:

Be an original work created by the entrant
Depict a pet that is owned by the entrant or to which the entrant has lawful access and the right to photograph
Be in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format
Be a minimum of 1,500 pixels on the longest side
Not exceed 25 MB
Not contain nudity, violence, sexual content, hate symbols, drug or alcohol content, profanity, or other inappropriate material
Not contain copyrighted characters, trademarked logos, or other protected intellectual property in a dominant or featured manner
Not contain identifiable third parties unless the entrant has obtained signed releases from those individuals

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry that, in Sponsor's sole discretion, fails to meet these requirements or is otherwise inappropriate.

6. ENTRY FEE AND REFUND POLICY

The entry fee is fifteen U.S. dollars ($15 USD) per entry. All entry fees are non-refundable under any circumstances, including but not limited to disqualification, withdrawal, technical issues, or cancellation of an individual entry by the entrant.

Entry fees are paid to Studio 6453, LLC as general business revenue and are commingled with the Sponsor's general operating funds. Entry fees do not constitute, fund, or otherwise contribute to the source of the Prize. The Prize is paid from the Sponsor's general business assets, independent of any entry fees collected. The amount of the Prize is fixed and is not contingent upon, increased by, decreased by, or otherwise affected by the number of entries received in any monthly Contest.

Entry fees are processed by Sponsor's third-party payment processor. Sponsor does not store entrant credit card or payment information.

7. PRIZE

Grand Prize: One Thousand U.S. Dollars ($1,000 USD), paid by check or ACH transfer within thirty (30) days of winner verification and receipt of all required documentation.

Approximate Retail Value (ARV): $1,000.00

Total prize value of each monthly Contest: $1,000.00

The Prize is awarded to one (1) Grand Prize Winner per monthly Contest. Each monthly Contest is a separate promotion with its own Prize. Prizes are not aggregated across monthly Contests.

The Prize is paid from the Sponsor's general business funds. No portion of any Prize is funded from, derived from, or contingent upon the pool of entry fees collected for any monthly Contest. The Prize amount is fixed and announced in advance. Sponsor's obligation to pay the Prize is unconditional regardless of the number of entries received.

The Prize is non-transferable. No substitution, cash equivalent, or alternative prize is permitted except at the Sponsor's sole discretion (for example, if the Prize is unavailable for reasons beyond Sponsor's control). Winner is solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes (see Section 11).

8. JUDGING AND WINNER SELECTION

Winners are selected by a panel of three (3) qualified Judges appointed by Sponsor. The current Judges' Panel consists of Mike [LAST NAME] (Sponsor principal), Camille [LAST NAME], and Robin [LAST NAME]. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute Judges at any time. Winner selection is based entirely on skill, as evaluated by Judges against the published criteria below. No element of chance is involved in the selection of the Grand Prize Winner.

Judging Criteria (Total: 100 points)

Criterion	Weight
Photo quality and composition (lighting, focus, framing)	35%
Personality and expressiveness of subject	25%
Creativity and originality	20%
Caption and story	10%
Community engagement (tiebreaker use only)	10%

Each Judge independently scores each Eligible Entry on a 0–100 scale across the criteria above. Final scores are the average of all Judges' scores. The entrant with the highest final score is declared the Grand Prize Winner.

Tiebreaker: In the event of a tie, the entrant with the highest score on "Personality and expressiveness of subject" wins. If still tied, the highest score on "Photo quality and composition" wins. If still tied, Sponsor convenes an additional Judging round limited to tied entries.

Community engagement (e.g., public votes, social engagement) may be used to identify finalists but is not the sole basis for selecting the Grand Prize Winner. Public voting is informational and weighted at no more than 10% of the final score, used as described above.

The decisions of the Judges and Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest.

9. WINNER NOTIFICATION

The Grand Prize Winner will be notified by email at the address provided on the entry form within fourteen (14) days following the close of the Entry Period.

The potential Winner must respond to the notification email and submit the following within seven (7) calendar days of notification:

A completed and signed IRS Form W-9
A signed Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release
Verification of identity and age (government-issued ID)
Prize delivery details (mailing address or ACH information)

If the potential Winner does not respond within seven (7) days, fails to provide required documentation, is found to be ineligible, or declines the Prize, the Prize will be forfeited and Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, select an alternate Winner from the next-highest-scoring eligible entries.

10. ENTRANT REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

By entering the Contest, each entrant represents and warrants that:

They are the sole creator and owner of the submitted photograph
They have full right and authority to grant the license set forth in Section 12
The photograph does not violate any third party's copyright, trademark, right of publicity, right of privacy, or any other right
The pet depicted is owned by the entrant or the entrant has lawful authority to submit photographs of the pet
Any identifiable individuals appearing in the photograph have provided written consent for the photograph to be submitted, used, and licensed under these Official Rules
The photograph was not created by, generated by, or substantially manipulated using artificial intelligence tools (see Section 13)
All information provided in the entry form is true and accurate

11. TAXES

The Winner is solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes (including income tax) on the Prize. Sponsor will issue IRS Form 1099-MISC for any Prize valued at $600 USD or more. The Winner must provide a completed IRS Form W-9 (or Form W-8BEN, if applicable) prior to receiving the Prize. Failure to provide required tax documentation will result in forfeiture of the Prize.

12. GRANT OF RIGHTS; PHOTO LICENSE

By entering the Contest, each entrant grants Studio 6453, LLC and its successors, assigns, licensees, and designees a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sublicensable, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, edit, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display the submitted photograph, the entrant's first name, pet's name, state of residence, and any submitted caption, in whole or in part, in any and all media now known or hereafter developed, including without limitation:

Banjo Biscuit and Studio 6453 websites, newsletters, and social media accounts
Marketing, editorial, advertising, and promotional materials
Print, digital, broadcast, and outdoor advertising
Third-party media partnerships and licensed publications
Future Banjo Biscuit branded merchandise and products

This license is granted regardless of whether the entrant is selected as a finalist or Winner. Entrant retains copyright ownership of the photograph but agrees the license granted to Sponsor is irrevocable.

By accepting the Prize, the Winner agrees to additionally allow Sponsor to use the Winner's full name, likeness, photograph, biographical information, and Prize information for advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes in all media without further notice or compensation, except where prohibited by law.

13. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PHOTO MANIPULATION POLICY

Permitted: Standard photo editing including cropping, rotation, exposure correction, color correction, contrast adjustment, sharpening, light spot removal, light blemish removal, and similar minor enhancements consistent with conventional photographic practice.

Prohibited:

Photographs generated in whole or in part by artificial intelligence image generation tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Sora, etc.)
AI-substituted, AI-replaced, or AI-altered subjects
Composite images created by combining multiple separate photographs
Significant retouching, addition, or removal of subjects, backgrounds, or major elements
Photographs not personally taken by the entrant

Sponsor reserves the right to request the original camera file (RAW or original JPG with EXIF data) from any entrant. Failure to provide the original file within seven (7) days of request results in disqualification. Sponsor may disqualify any entry suspected of significant manipulation or AI generation in its sole discretion.

14. PUBLICITY

Except where prohibited by law, by accepting the Prize, the Winner grants Sponsor and its designees the right to use the Winner's name, voice, likeness, photograph, biographical information, statements, hometown, and Prize information for advertising, trade, and promotional purposes worldwide and in perpetuity, without further notice, review, approval, or compensation.

15. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By entering the Contest, each entrant releases and holds harmless Studio 6453, LLC, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, Judges, and representatives (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:

Participation in the Contest
Acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of the Prize
Travel to or from any Contest-related activity
Any technical malfunction, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission
Any communication failures or theft, destruction, or unauthorized access to entries
Any printing, typographical, or human errors in any Contest-related materials
Any injury or damage to persons or property caused by the Prize

Released Parties are not liable for any damages, including without limitation direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, arising from or in connection with the Contest. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so portions of this section may not apply to all entrants.

Total liability of Sponsor under any circumstance, regardless of cause, shall not exceed the amount of the entry fee paid by the entrant.

16. INDEMNIFICATION

Each entrant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all third-party claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to the entrant's breach of any representation, warranty, or obligation under these Official Rules, including without limitation any claim that a submitted photograph infringes the rights of any third party.

17. DISPUTES; GOVERNING LAW

These Official Rules and any disputes arising out of or relating to the Contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Any legal action, suit, or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Official Rules or the Contest shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Collier County, Florida. Each entrant consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waives any objection based on inconvenient forum.

Entrants agree that any and all disputes shall be resolved on an individual basis only. Class actions, class arbitrations, and consolidated or representative proceedings are prohibited. Entrants waive any right to participate in a class action against Sponsor.

18. PRIVACY

Information collected from entrants is used by Sponsor in accordance with the Banjo Biscuit Privacy Policy, available at banjobiscuit.com/privacy. By entering, entrants consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information as described in the Privacy Policy and these Official Rules.

19. PLATFORM DISCLAIMER

This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Google, Apple, or any other social media platform, search engine, app store, or third-party service. By entering, participants release these platforms and services from any and all liability arising out of or related to the Contest.

20. GENERAL CONDITIONS

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to:

Cancel, suspend, modify, or terminate the Contest, in whole or in part, at any time and for any reason, including without limitation if fraud, technical failure, or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest
Disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process, violates these Official Rules, or acts in an unsportsmanlike, fraudulent, or disruptive manner
Refund entry fees on a pro-rata basis if the Contest is canceled prior to winner selection (this is the sole exception to the non-refundable entry fee policy in Section 6)
Amend these Official Rules at any time prior to the start of any Entry Period

If any provision of these Official Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE CONTEST OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW. SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

21. WINNER LIST

For a list of Winners for any monthly Contest, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Studio 6453, LLC Attn: Banjo Biscuit Winner List — [Month/Year] 1065 SW 8th St #2079 Miami, FL 33130

Requests must be received within ninety (90) days of the close of the relevant Entry Period.

These Official Rules are effective as of [EFFECTIVE DATE]. Last updated: [LAST UPDATED DATE].