Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of These Terms

By creating an account, signing in, registering for an event, or otherwise using CreativeChaosWrite.com or a Creative Chaos portal, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

2. Purpose of the Website

CreativeChaosWrite.com supports the Creative Chaos Writing Competition and related educational activities. Features may include registration, writer, judge, coach, team, author, volunteer, and administrator portals; resources; announcements; surveys; judging functions; email communications; and account management.

3. Eligibility and Minors

You may use Creative Chaos services only when legally permitted to do so. Because the competition includes school-age participants, some users may be minors. Minor users must have any consent required from a parent, guardian, school, or other authorized person. Participating schools and organizations are responsible for obtaining permissions they are legally required to obtain.

4. User Accounts

Certain features require an account. You agree to provide accurate information, keep your account information reasonably current, protect your login credentials, and promptly notify Creative Chaos if you believe your account has been accessed without authorization.

5. Google Sign-In

Creative Chaos may allow you to create or access an account through Google Sign-In. Google authenticates your Google account and may provide basic account information you authorize, such as your name, email address, Google account identifier, and profile image. Creative Chaos does not receive your Google password.

Google Sign-In does not provide access to unrelated Google services unless a separate feature specifically requests additional permission and you authorize it. Your use of Google services is also subject to Google's applicable terms and privacy policies.

6. Appropriate Use

You agree not to:

• Violate applicable law or another person's rights.
• Access another person's account or administrative functions without authorization.
• Circumvent permissions, authentication, or security controls.
• Introduce malicious code or intentionally disrupt the website or its services.
• Impersonate another person or submit knowingly false or fraudulent information.
• Harass, threaten, or abuse participants, volunteers, judges, staff, or other users.
• Manipulate judging, results, registrations, surveys, or competition processes.
• Use information obtained through the service for unauthorized commercial solicitation.

Creative Chaos may restrict or terminate access when these rules are violated.

7. Competition Rules

Participation may also be governed by event-specific competition rules, eligibility requirements, writing requirements, judging procedures, deadlines, school requirements, and conduct standards. Those requirements are incorporated into these Terms when they apply to your participation.

8. Judges and Competition Decisions

Judging necessarily involves professional and subjective evaluation. Judges may evaluate submissions according to established rubrics and procedures, and different judges may reasonably evaluate the same work differently. Creative Chaos may correct clerical, technical, eligibility, scoring, or tabulation errors when discovered. Final competition determinations remain subject to the rules established for the applicable event.

9. User-Submitted Content

Users may submit writing, registration information, survey responses, comments, and other material. You retain ownership of original intellectual property you submit unless separate competition rules or an express agreement states otherwise.

By submitting material, you permit Creative Chaos to store, process, reproduce, and display it as reasonably necessary to administer the competition, conduct judging, provide feedback, maintain event records, present awards, and provide related services. Creative Chaos does not acquire ownership of a student's original written work merely because it is submitted to the competition.

10. Intellectual Property

Creative Chaos branding, website design, competition materials, graphics, administrative systems, and original resources may be protected by copyright, trademark, or other laws. Competition resources may be used for their intended educational or competition purpose but may not be commercially reproduced or redistributed without permission except where applicable law allows.

11. Privacy

Our collection and use of personal information is described in the Creative Chaos Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

12. Communications

By registering for or participating in Creative Chaos, you understand that we may send communications reasonably necessary for account operation and competition administration, including registration confirmations, reminders, schedules, judging information, survey requests, and important event updates.

13. Availability and Third-Party Services

We work to keep Creative Chaos services available, but uninterrupted operation cannot be guaranteed. Maintenance, hosting issues, software updates, internet failures, security incidents, or third-party service failures may occasionally affect availability. Creative Chaos may modify, suspend, or discontinue website features when reasonably necessary.

14. Disclaimer

CreativeChaosWrite.com and related online services are provided on an "as available" basis. To the extent permitted by law, Creative Chaos does not guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free operation, immediate correction of every technical issue, or any particular competition outcome. Nothing in these Terms excludes rights that cannot legally be excluded.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Creative Chaos and persons assisting with the competition will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or similar damages resulting solely from use of or inability to use the website. Nothing in these Terms limits liability where doing so would be prohibited by law.

16. Suspension or Termination

Creative Chaos may temporarily restrict or terminate an account when reasonably necessary because of security concerns, unauthorized access, abuse, violation of these Terms, competition misconduct, fraudulent activity, or legal requirements.

17. Account Deletion

Users may request deletion of a Creative Chaos account by contacting [email protected]. Limited information may be retained when reasonably necessary for competition records, security, legal compliance, or dispute resolution. Revoking Google authorization and deleting a Creative Chaos account are separate actions.

18. Changes to These Terms

Creative Chaos may update these Terms as the website, competition, or applicable requirements change. The current version will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

19. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by applicable laws of the State of Ohio and the United States, except where another law is required to apply.

20. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms may be sent to [email protected].

Creative Chaos Writing Competition
CreativeChaosWrite.com