Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan Terms of Participation
Please carefully read and agree to the following before participating in the Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan website [ http://www.akb48plus.com/oshimen/en/ ] ( hereinafter “This Website” ) operated by the AKB New Strategy Project. If you do not agree to these Terms of Participation, please refrain from participating in or using This Website.
Furthermore, note that use of or participation in This Website will be considered to constitute subject to agreement with the terms listed below. Use of and participation in This Website requires access via a communication device. Any connection fees involved in accessing This Website are to be borne by the user.
1. This Website
This Website is a website to contribute and enjoy messages of support for your favorite AKB48 members using Google+ and is created through submissions from Google+ users. Operation of this website is conducted in accordance with the conditions set by the Terms of Participation ( hereinafter "these terms" ) described on this website.
2. Hosting Party
The hosting party of this website is the AKB New Strategy Project ( hereinafter “The Host,” with The Host, its parent company, affiliated companies, subcontractors, and the directors, officers, employees, and agents thereof hereinafter collectively referred to as “The Host, Etc.” ). The Host may contract a portion of work related to This Website to affiliated companies or other third parties. Google and YouTube services used on This Website are provided by Google Inc. and YouTube LLC, respectively, or by the affiliated companies thereof, and are provided in accordance with the applicable Terms of Service of those companies ( please see Article 10 ).
3. Participation Eligibility
All persons with a Google+ account may participate.
4. Participation Period
The participation period is from 6:00 PM, Wednesday May 23 – 12:00 AM, Thursday June 7, 2012 ( Japan Standard Time ).
*The times listed in the participation period are Japan Standard Time. Please confirm the corresponding local times for your area.
5. How to Participate
Sign in to Google+, and during the campaign period you can participate in any participating language by submitting a contribution that includes the reason you like your favorite AKB48 member and the hashtag for the respective participating language. Hashtags for all participating languages are as follows.
Japanese : #akbge_ja
English : #akbge_en
Korean : #akbge_ko
Simplified Chinese : #akbge_zh-CN
Traditional Chinese : #akbge_zh-TW
Thai : #akbge_th
Indonesian : #akbge_id
*For the hashtag for the respective participating regions, please use the language you usually speak.
*In some cases, the hashtag for the respective participating languages may not match the region in which you currently reside.
*In some cases, the hashtag for the respective participating languages may not match the nationality of the participant.
For further details, please read “How to Participate” [ http://www.akb48plus.com/oshimen/en/rule.html ] found on This Website.
6. Means of Determining Rankings
During the contest period, the user whose contribution receives the most +1’s will be ranked first, and the ranking of contributions will be determined by descending order of the number of +1’s. Rankings are conducted respectively for each language. Please note that in the case of contributions with the following content, the ranking will become invalid.
(a) Defamation of character, bullying, harassment, stalking, intimidating, or other actions that infringe upon legal rights ( including privacy rights and right of portrait )
(b) Uploading, submitting, mailing, transmitting, or making available through other means any content that contains inappropriate, defamatory, malicious, obscene, or illegal expressions
(c) Uploading, submitting, mailing, transmitting, or making available through other means any content that infringes upon patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, or other proprietary rights. Note that situations in which the user himself or herself is the holder of the rights in question, or in which the user has received permission from the rights holder to use the content in question through the above means, are exempt
(d) Uploading, submitting, mailing, transmitting, or making available through other means any pyramid schemes, chain letters, spam, advertisements, or similar messages
(e) Uploading, submitting, mailing, transmitting, or making available through other means any other content, messages, or communications that are prohibited by relevant laws, regulations, or agreements, or by applicable product policies or guidelines
(f) Downloading by the contributor of any files that were uploaded by a third party who has knowledge, or can rationally be expected to have knowledge, that the files cannot be distributed lawfully by means such as the above
(g) Impersonating another person or organization; tampering with or deleting indications of authorship pertaining to the creative source or information sources of content, software, or other materials, or indications or labels pertaining to ownership
(h) Restricting or blocking the use or enjoyment of the product or other Google services by other users
(i) Interfering with or causing disruption to Google services or to servers or networks connected to Google services; or failing to comply with the requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to Google services
(j) Acquiring or indexing a portion of Google services through the use of robots, spiders, site search or acquisition applications, or other devices; or collecting information about other users for illicit purposes
(k) Transmitting content that falsely indicates sponsorship or support of the content by Google, or creates misunderstanding to that effect
(l) Creating a user account by automated means, or through the use of information that is false or in poor faith
(m) Promoting or providing instructional information pertaining to illegal activities
(n) Promoting physical harm toward any group or individual
(o) Transmitting any virus, worm, malware, Trojan horse, or other data of a destructive nature
(p) Using This Website for any commercial purpose
7. Means of Verifying Rankings
Contributions submitted during the contest period that include the reason for liking the AKB48 member and the hashtag for the respective participating language will be ranked upon verification by the organizing office.
Rankings are conducted separately for each participating language, and users can verify the Top 50 contributions that have received the highest number of +1’s.
*Rankings for contributions that are not in the Top 50 will not be displayed.
*If your contribution is not in the Top 50, please note that you will not be able to verify your contribution’s ranking.
8. Prize
“Video message from your favorite member sent just to you!”
Persons entitled to claim prize: A total of 8 persons, including the 7 persons with the no. 1 ranking for each language and 1 person chosen by drawing from among all persons who submitted a contribution during the participation period, will receive a present of a personal video message from their favorite member via Google+ at a later date.
9. Disclaimers, etc.
The information contained in This Website is created through Google+ users, submissions by members participating in AKB48 Now on Google+ [ http://www.google.com/+/project48 ], and submissions from contributors. The host makes no warranties with respect to the accuracy, completeness, fitness, or validity of the information contained within This Website or in sites linked to by This Website. Furthermore, The Host, Etc. bears no liability for any damages or losses incurred by users or other third parties in relation to or arising from The Host or This Website. This Website may be terminated or modified, without prior notice, at the sole discretion of The Host.
10. Terms of Service, etc.
In addition to These Terms, the Google Terms of Service shall apply to the use of This Website. When YouTube is used in connection with This Website, the YouTube Terms of Service shall apply. Moreover, Google's Privacy Policy ( including privacy policies for related services ) shall apply to this project. For information on the Google Terms of Service, YouTube Terms of Service, and Google's Privacy Policy, see the web pages below.
Google Terms of Service
http://www.google.com/accounts/TOS
YouTube Terms of Service
http://www.youtube.com/t/terms
Google Privacy Policy
11. Agreement with These Terms
A user, by viewing This Website, shall be deemed to have agreed to all provisions of These Terms. Users who do not agree with the provisions of These Terms are asked to refrain from using This Website.
