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Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

thelogofactory.com

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Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#2
Illegal? How is it different from Verizon putting out an RFP saying "We have $250,000 to spend on advertising in the social media space, show me what you've got". It's the same thing but on a smaller level. The Wikipedia page describes it accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Request_for_Proposal

Bad for business? I have to call BS on that too. It's only bad for those catering to < $500 price point. If you can't handle pricing pressure on the bottom end, don't compete on price.

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#5
post #2

Illegal? How is it different from Verizon putting out an RFP saying "We have $250,000 to spend on advertising in the social media space, show me what you've got". It's the same thing but on a smaller level. The Wikipedia page describes it accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Request_for_Proposal Bad for business? I have to call BS on that too. It's only bad for those catering to < $500 price point. If you can't h…

Thanks for the reply. However, I fail to see how you could have read the article, or even your own link to Wikipedia, before posting and submitting a reply.

This is not a request for proposal, by the definition on the page you linked to. This is a request for a finished artwork, thus a contest, and thus subject to laws of 50 states as well as international laws, as the article explains.

http://www.no-spec.com is another resource regarding such contests.

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#6
There is a comment from a lawyer at the end that just laughs at the whole post. There are design competitions all over the place, just not on the web. My GF regularly enters painting competitions. All the laws were set up to protect consumers from unscrupulous marketers, "Buy my cereal and maybe you will win something."

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#7
post #5
post #2

Illegal? How is it different from Verizon putting out an RFP saying "We have $250,000 to spend on advertising in the social media space, show me what you've got". It's the same thing but on a smaller level. The Wikipedia page describes it accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Request_for_Proposal Bad for business? I have to call BS on that too. It's only bad for those catering to < $500 price point. If you can't h…

Thanks for the reply. However, I fail to see how you could have read the article, or even your own link to Wikipedia, before posting and submitting a reply. This is not a request for proposal, by the definition on the page you linked to. This is a request for a finished artwork, thus a contest, and thus subject to laws of 50 states as well as international laws, as the article explains. http://www.no-spec.com is anot…

But are those laws actively enforced? There's plenty of laws for almost anything you can think of, but that doesn't mean they matter.

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#8

Didn't Google just do this?

Are you talking about this?: http://www.project10tothe100.com/faq.html

If so, note that they do not mention the word "contest". Also note that there are no "winning entrants", only "winning ideas" -- entrants receive nothing at all if their entries are chosen.

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#9
post #5
post #2

Illegal? How is it different from Verizon putting out an RFP saying "We have $250,000 to spend on advertising in the social media space, show me what you've got". It's the same thing but on a smaller level. The Wikipedia page describes it accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Request_for_Proposal Bad for business? I have to call BS on that too. It's only bad for those catering to < $500 price point. If you can't h…

Thanks for the reply. However, I fail to see how you could have read the article, or even your own link to Wikipedia, before posting and submitting a reply. This is not a request for proposal, by the definition on the page you linked to. This is a request for a finished artwork, thus a contest, and thus subject to laws of 50 states as well as international laws, as the article explains. http://www.no-spec.com is anot…

So do creative professionals have a process similar to an RFP? I'd like to see a few options before I select a designer and pay for a full design...

Re: Are Logo Design Contests Even Legal?

#10
post #5
post #2

Illegal? How is it different from Verizon putting out an RFP saying "We have $250,000 to spend on advertising in the social media space, show me what you've got". It's the same thing but on a smaller level. The Wikipedia page describes it accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Request_for_Proposal Bad for business? I have to call BS on that too. It's only bad for those catering to < $500 price point. If you can't h…

Thanks for the reply. However, I fail to see how you could have read the article, or even your own link to Wikipedia, before posting and submitting a reply. This is not a request for proposal, by the definition on the page you linked to. This is a request for a finished artwork, thus a contest, and thus subject to laws of 50 states as well as international laws, as the article explains. http://www.no-spec.com is anot…

The only "contest" that is regulated by law is legally called a "Sweepstake". A sweepstake is quite clearly defined as "free entries into drawings of chance". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweepstakes

Comparing a design contest to a sweepstake is incorrect. They are not the same thing.

And links to sites with a clear, stated, and extreme bias doesn't help you convince me "design contests are bad". It only drives home the points "designers -think- design contests are bad".

Welcome to the free market.

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