Beard Award judges Agreement
Beard Award’s Product and Beard Competition wants to ensure a fair, even playing field for entries of all types. The Beard Awards is therefore judged by a diverse range of industry professionals where entries are voted by a judging panel composed of experienced and prominent professionals, entrepreneurs and key stylists within the haircare industry.
The Beard Award & Competition judginging panel votes entries based on the evaluation criteria defined for each product type field and discipline to ensure entries are judged correctly. Each vote is recorded, normalized and weighted. Winners are those entries that receive the highest score after the evaluation. Entries that are ranked in the top are awarded with Winner, Runner Up, Honorable Mention or Nominee accolades based on their percentile. During this procedure, entries are voted anonymously and the evaluation is blind-voted. Each entry must receive multiple votes in order to have a score assigned for them.
Furthermore, Beard Award and Competition allow entrants to upload project details and sensitive business information to support their entries which would be visible to the competition judge only. This sensitive information is attached to entries, which is only visible to judge during voting, judge members must understand that these are secrets that the entrants trust with them, and thus the role of judge is also about covering and keeping these secrets.
Event organisers have the right to submit or replace a judge member in case of injury or illness. No relative to any judge member is permitted to enter the competition.
Beard Award Product and Beard Competition accept that the results of the judges are final.
Summary of judge Agreement
Our Judge's registration agreement is a legally binding contact signed between Beard Awards and the judge Member, the Judge's Agreement ensures and binds the judge Members to not share any information regarding the voting procedure and Entrant's Intellectual Properties. This contract ensures that judge Members will be legally bound to "ethically" and "fairly" judge all the entries they vote for; conditions include for example voting fairly, not using the Entrant's Intellectual Property for benefits, and not sharing the Intellectual Properties shared by Entrants, not favouring or demoting an Entrant, or not using Entrant's work as a basis of a new work and others as written in detail as the "Judge's Agreement". The Judge's Agreement is unique to Beard Awards, and helps us to run a respected awards show, where the judge panel is composed of individuals not only are prominent, influential and famous but also are completely honorable as well as trustable, and such Beard Award participants can feel safe to trust their entries and lend their confidential information to the Beard Award for voting without being worried about leaks or misuse of their intellectual property.
We invite all judge Members to honor and agree to the Beard Award's Judge's Agreement before judging.
Judge's Agreement
As a Beard Award judge Member, you must agree to these conditions:
Beard Awards (10XL Ltd, as the Organizer of Beard Awards and as the legal representative of the Entrants’ taking part in the competition pursuant to the Membership Agreement), as the (“Disclosing Party”, ”We”, ”Beard Awards”) is intended and entitled to share certain proprietary information with the judge Member (“Receiving Party”, ”Recipient”, ”You”, ”judge Member”). Therefore, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the judge Member agrees to the terms and conditions written in this Agreement.
Protect Information of the Entrants. Core Definition of Confidential Information : Simply the Confidential Information is the Entrant’s intellectual property you vote for; i.e. it is the design entry, and any related images, the PDF, video and text etc, plus our voting mechanism itself. For the purpose of law, the following Extended (Legal) Definition of Confidential Information shall be considered: Confidential Information : (a) For purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” means any data or information that is proprietary to the Disclosing Party (or that is proprietary of the Entrants and trusted to the Disclosing Party through the Membership Agreement) and not generally known to the public, whether in tangible or intangible form, whenever and however disclosed, including, but not limited to: (i) any marketing strategies, plans, financial information, or projections, operations, sales estimates, business plans and performance results relating to the past, present or future business activities of such party, its affiliates, subsidiaries and affiliated companies; (ii) plans for products or services, and customer or supplier lists; (iii) any scientific or technical information, invention, design, process, procedure, formula, improvement, technology or method; (iv) any concepts, reports, data, know-how, works-in-progress, designs, development tools, specifications, computer software, source code, object code, flow charts, databases, inventions, information and trade secrets; and (v) any other information that should reasonably be recognized as confidential information of the Disclosing Party. Confidential Information need not be novel, unique, patentable, copyrightable or constitute a trade secret in order to be designated Confidential Information. The Receiving Party acknowledges that the Confidential Information is proprietary to the Disclosing Party, has been developed and obtained through great efforts by the Disclosing Party and that Disclosing Party regards all of its Confidential Information as trade secrets. (b) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, Confidential Information shall not include information which: (i) was known by the Receiving Party prior to receiving the Confidential Information from the Disclosing Party; (b) becomes rightfully known to the Receiving Party from a third-party source not known (after diligent inquiry) by the Receiving Party to be under an obligation to Disclosing Party to maintain confidentiality; (c) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of or failure to act by the Receiving Party in breach of this Agreement; (d) is required to be disclosed in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or is otherwise requested or required to be disclosed by law or regulation, although the requirements of section titled “Compelled Disclosure of Confidential Information.” hereof shall apply prior to any disclosure being made; and (e) is or has been independently developed by employees, consultants or agents of the Receiving Party without violation of the terms of this Agreement.
Judge Members promises to judge the entries without any prejudice and evaluate the product, designs and models fairy, without bias towards ethnicity, gender or sexual preferences. To ensure entries are all judged based on their intrinsic qualities instead of just their presentations, we have a preliminary phase where we require all entrants to follow strict guidelines and feedback to unify the presentations along with their respective packaging design, we call this “presentation bias removal”.
Judge Members promises not to disclose any information about the entries you are voting to anyone, especially any confidendial documents uploaded as a part of the entry process, could occasionally include trade secrets or technical details, you agree not to share these secrets with anyone. You are not permitted to make a copy of entries, to distribute them in digital mediums or to send to another colleague for any reason. If you are unable to judge an entry, you cannot ask others’ opinions.
Judge Members shall not vote for people you know. You will disclose entries to us which you could identify the owner of: If you see an entry that you personally know the designer or manufacturer of, you disclose this to us by marking the item at voting section that says either “Recognized: i.e. if you I know the designer / owner / brand” or “Acquaintanced: If you personally know the designer / owner / brand”. If you state that you are Acquaintanced, “personally know the designer / owner / brand”, your vote will not be registered (for purposes of ranking and scoring) but saved in the system. If you choose “I know the designer / owner / brand “, in this case your vote will be stored (use detailed voting) but not registered and not accounted during ranking as well especially if you are the only person that identified the design, your vote will simply be discarded, but if many judge members marked “I know the designer”, your vote could be used since in some cases well-connected brands enter their works, and in such cases usually all judge members “know the designer / owner / brand”, thus if this would be the case your vote will be counted and would affect the rankings.
Judge Members cannot misuse their position as a judge. You explicitly agree not to favor any particular entry during voting. You cannot use your judge member position as a power element or to create benefits to yourself. Given this condition, we do allow all judge members to state that they are judge members; you can advertise being a Beard Award judge member.
Judge Members will be careful with disqualification requests. You cannot disqualify products by yourself automatically (of course please contact us if there is an item that needs instant attention), however we have a mechanism to disqualify designs by majority voting. If you wish to have a model, product or brand disqualified, vote it regularly; you might as well give “zero” to all aspects; and afterwards choose the option “This entry should be disqualified” from the menu that is shown during voting. To the text box, enter why it should be disqualified. If more than 3 judge members agree that the design shall be disqualified, the system will automatically disqualify it. In case the design is not disqualified, by giving “zero” score for all judging criteria (or by giving zero score to all criteria that motivates disqualification), will ensure that the design would be ranked low, decreasing any chance to get a decent award status. Before requesting disqualification please support with proof about why an entry shall be disqualified.
Judge Members promises not to misuse disqualification or voting mechanisms. The disqualification and under-voting mechanisms shall never be used to create benefits to particular designs; you cannot under-vote majority of the projects; the system will automatically disqualify you if you vote all entries expect several as “zero”. This mechanism ensures that judge members cannot use their power to decrease scores of other designs in order to increase the standing of a particular entry.
Judge Members promises not to share any scores they assigned for entries. After the judging process, you cannot let anyone know how & what you voted for any design entry (except the Beard Award support team); we put this condition especially to ensure a judge member cannot gain benefits post-voting by disclosing any non-requested favors. This condition also ensures that you would not get pressure as a judge member from any influential or important people. While you could not state your exact vote, you could of course as a judge member state your personal opinion about any designs you voted, provided that these designs are made publicly visible. I.e. this means you can never disclosure opinion about disqualified, withdrawn, eliminated or concealed entries; this condition protects designers of entries that were not awarded or that were concealed.
Judge Members' Non-Disclosure; as a judge member, you explicitly agree to not to disclose any information, secret or detail regarding an entry; you are responsible for any and all potential damages, and will be responsible for any information leaks. You must understand that the judge is the “weak link” in the security we have for the awarding process, do your best to ensure that the intellectual properties, ideas and designs submitted are kept concealed.
Judge Members are kindly invited to provide feedbacks for voting criteria. Before voting entries, for each section and award category, we will ask you to input your ideas about the judging process and evaluation criteria. We give significant value for your input regarding how entries shall be judged, please kindly take your time to fill the survey at the beginning of voting sessions so that we could improve the competition methodology and procedures. This ensures that the evaluation criteria is always contemporary and relevant.
Judge Members understand we will use their names in our communications. We must outright state that you shall agree that we use your name to market the competition. We especially choose the most prominent designers, established scholars, and influential press members as judge members of the Beard Award & Competition; this increases value to our entrants by creating prestige for the whole event. By becoming a judge member, you must understand that we will use your name and a profile image, to co-brand the event, to increase its credibility and prestige. We will include your name in Beard Award webpage and communication, including but not limited to our yearbook. Likewise, as a judge member you can use your status as an Beard Award judge member, you can of course showcase the judge certificate or any other item related to your status.
Judge Members promises not to use information gained here in a different manner. The judge Member agrees to use the Confidential Information solely in connection with the current or contemplated role as a judge panel member in the Beard Award and Competition and not for any purpose other than as authorized by this Agreement without the prior written consent of an authorized representative of the Beard Award and Competition.
Judge Members are not given license over entries. No other right or license, whether expressed or implied, in the Confidential Information is granted to the judge Member hereunder. Title to the Confidential Information will remain solely in the Beard Awards. All use of Confidential Information by the judge Member shall be for the benefit of the Disclosing Party and any modifications and improvements thereof by the judge Member shall be the sole property of the Disclosing Party.
Judge Members provide constructive feedback. judge Members are allowed and encouraged to provide feedbacks to the competition participants, as long as feedbacks are constructive and positive. In no condition a judge Member is allowed to communicate or take part-in hostile and insulting interaction, hate-speech, rudeness or use controversial / destructive tone against entrants. We expect all judge members to be calm, even in extreme situations, and we shall be contacted if there is a particular entry that is “disturbing / negative” in any sense. Should a judge take issue with an entry, this should be handled through the disqualification method.
Judge Members agree to release their Intellectual Property rights for any feedbacks they give. When judge Members provide feedbacks for improvement to the participants and their designs, judge Members could occasionally create new intellectual properties. judge members agree to release these newly generated intellectual property rights of these ideas, suggestions, incremental innovations, designs, schematics, and any other intellectual properties to Beard Awards. Beard Awards, will then be able to release the information or newly generated intellectual properties to the entrants.
Judge Members promises to keep the agreement in perpetuity. You are bound with this agreement forever, you cannot disclose any confidential information you obtained as your role as a judge member in future. Legally speaking: Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties’ duty to hold in confidence Confidential Information that was disclosed during term shall remain in effect indefinitely.
Judge Members understands they will be liable for a breach in non-disclosure agreements. If you, as a judge Member release or disseminate the Entrant’s private information, you will be held responsible. Legally speaking: Remedies : Both parties acknowledge that the Confidential Information to be disclosed hereunder is of a unique and valuable character, and that the unauthorized dissemination of the Confidential Information would destroy or diminish the value of such information. The damages to Disclosing Party that would result from the unauthorized dissemination of the Confidential Information would be impossible to calculate. Therefore, both parties hereby agree that the Disclosing Party shall be entitled to injunctive relief preventing the dissemination of any Confidential Information in violation of the terms hereof. Such injunctive relief shall be in addition to any other remedies available hereunder, whether at law or in equity. Disclosing Party shall be entitled to recover its costs and fees, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred in obtaining any such relief. Further, in the event of litigation relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses.
Compelled Disclosure of Confidential Information: Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, the judge Member may disclose Confidential Information pursuant to any governmental, judicial, or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, regulatory request or similar method, provided that the judge Member promptly notifies, to the extent practicable, the Disclosing Party in writing of such demand for disclosure so that the Disclosing Party, at its sole expense, may seek to make such disclosure subject to a protective order or other appropriate remedy to preserve the confidentiality of the Confidential Information; provided in the case of a broad regulatory request with respect to the judge Member’s business (not targeted at Disclosing Party), the judge Member may promptly comply with such request provided the judge Member give (if permitted by such regulator) the Disclosing Party prompt notice of such disclosure. The judge Member agrees that it shall not oppose and shall cooperate with efforts by, to the extent practicable, the Disclosing Party with respect to any such request for a protective order or other relief. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Disclosing Party is unable to obtain or does not seek a protective order and the judge Member is legally requested or required to disclose such Confidential Information, disclosure of such Confidential Information may be made without liability.
Notice of Breach: judge Member shall notify the Beard Awards immediately upon discovery of any unauthorized use or disclosure of Confidential Information by judge Member or any other breach of this Agreement by judge Member and will cooperate with efforts by the Beard Awards to help the Beard Awards regain possession of Confidential Information and prevent its further unauthorized use.
Judge Members agrees to hold Beard Awards harmless. judge Member agrees to hold the Beard Awards free from the responsibility for any liability or damage that might arise out of the role of being a judge Member of Beard Awards. This also includes for example if the judge Member uses the Confidential Information in any way or if the judge Member Breaches the Confidential Information or the Agreement.
Judge Members agree to be honest about their capacity to judge entries. If you feel you lack the experience or know how to fairly judge a particular product or model, please pass on that entry. You will be given an option to select "I am unable to judge this entry". This ensures that you do not over-vote or under-vote entries.
Section 2: Extra Details
This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties and supersedes any and all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between the parties, with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement can only be modified by a written amendment signed by the party against whom enforcement of such modification is sought.
Although the restrictions contained in this Agreement are considered by the parties to be reasonable for the purpose of protecting the Confidential Information, if any such restriction is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable, such provision will be modified, rewritten or interpreted to include as much of its nature and scope as will render it enforceable. If it cannot be so modified, rewritten or interpreted to be enforceable in any respect, it will not be given effect, and the remainder of the Agreement will be enforced as if such provision was not included.Any failure by either party to enforce the other party’s strict performance of any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of its right to subsequently enforce such provision or any other provision of this Agreement
By registering as a judge, you agree that you have the authority to enter into this agreement on behalf of your brand and your nominated judge. Neither party may directly or indirectly assign or transfer it by operation of law or otherwise without the prior written consent of the other party, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. All obligations contained in this Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties to this Agreement and their respective successors, assigns and designees.Any notices or communications required or permitted to be given hereunder may be delivered by hand, deposited with a nationally recognized overnight carrier, electronic-mail, or mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, in each case, to the address of the other party first indicated above (or such other addressee as may be furnished by a party in accordance with this paragraph). All such notices or communications shall be deemed to have been given and received (a) in the case of personal delivery or electronic-mail, on the date of such delivery, (b) in the case of delivery by a nationally recognized overnight carrier, on the third business day following dispatch and (c) in the case of mailing, on the seventh business day following such mailing.
The receipt of Confidential Information pursuant to this Agreement will not prevent or in any way limit the judge Member from: (i) developing, making or marketing products or services that are or may be competitive with the products or services they vote for; or (ii) providing products or services to others who compete with the voted entries as long as the newly developed products do not use the Confidential Information as a basis of “strong inspiration”; i.e. judge Members can develop competitive products in the category they vote for (and of course in other categories they do not vote for), but they cannot for example take any product design they vote and make (or improve) a product based on any design they voted for. The decision whether a judge Member did such an action “strong inspiration” shall be made by Beard Awards’ Advisory Board in case of any conflicts. judge Members agree that Beard Awards have capacity to fairly judge if such action was taken or not by themselves in case of any issues.
Paragraph headings used in this Agreement are for reference only and shall not be used or relied upon in the interpretation of this Agreement.