Entry

These public transportation open data challenge entry rules (“Entry Rules”) stipulate the eligibility requirements and entry conditions for submitting applications, web services, and IoT gadgets (including but not limited to similar items) to the public transportation open data challenge (“the Challenge”) implemented by the Public Transportation Open Data Association (“the Association”) and others.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Only those who agree to the Entry Rules (“Developers”) may enter the Challenge.
2. Anyone can enter, whether an individual, group, or corporation.
3. There are no restrictions on nationality, age, place of residence, etc.
4. A single Developer (including groups and corporations) may submit multiple works. Developers may also belong to multiple groups.
5. The organizers of the Challenge (the “Organizers”) will refuse entries from Developers whom it determines to be organized crime groups as defined in Article 2(2) of the Act on Prevention of Unjust Acts by Organized Crime Group Members (Act No. 77 of 1991), organized crime group members as defined in Article 2(6) of that Act, associate members of organized crime groups, companies affiliated with organized crime groups, stockholder-meeting extortionists, racketeers claiming to be political activists, organized crime groups specializing in intellectual crimes, other groups or individuals that pursue economic gain through violence, intimidation, fraud or other such means, or other persons equivalent thereto (collectively, “Anti-Social Forces”), or from Developers whom it determines to be cooperating with or involved in the maintenance, operation or management of Anti-Social Forces through funding or other means, or to have any interaction or involvement with Anti-Social Forces. Even if an entry is initially accepted, it will be invalidated if the Organizers determines that the Developer is an Anti-Social Force or has any interaction or involvement with Anti-Social Forces.

Entry Conditions

1. Developers shall create their submitted works after accepting these Entry Rules.
2. Developers shall create submitted works utilizing data published by the Public Transportation Open Data Center operated by the Association, or data related to railways, buses, airlines, ferries, and shared bicycles that has been published as open data by the organizers or co-organizers of the Challenge.
3. If the submitted work is an application or web service, then it shall be made available for anyone to use free of charge during the Challenge contest period.
4. When using data, Developers shall comply with the terms of use of the services providing the data and the licenses for the data.
5. Submitted works must be conceived and created by the Developer.
6. Developers shall guarantee to the Challenge Organizers, co-organizers, special cooperators, cooperators, open data partners and supporting organizations (collectively, “Implementing Entities”) that they have cleared the copyrights for their submitted works in advance so as not to hinder their entry into the Challenge.
7. Submitted works shall allow for combining their data with other data that does not give rise to copyright issues.
8. Developers agree to bear all costs related to entering the Challenge, including building the development and execution environments for submitted works and internet communication and connection fees.
9. Applicants for this challenge shall attend the first round of screening and the final judging and shall give a presentation on their submitted work.
10. Challenge prize money will be paid by bank transfer to a designated account in the name of the individual winner, the group representative's personal account (for groups), or the corporate account (for corporations).
11. For application or web service submissions, Developers shall register their information and information about their submitted work on the dedicated website and make submissions by publishing on Google Play, the App Store, the Windows Store or any website. For IoT gadget submissions, Developers shall register their information and information about their submitted work on the dedicated website and make submissions through dispatch or delivery to the specified address in order to enter the Challenge.
12. For IoT gadget submissions, Developers agree that they will lose eligibility to enter the Challenge if their submitted work arrives at the address specified by the Association after the submission deadline for the Challenge.
13. For iOS app submissions, the date of submission to Apple for review shall be considered the submission date to the Challenge for that work. (However, if Apple's review results in the work not being registered on the App Store, then it will be excluded from judging for the Challenge.)
14. Apps submitted to the Challenge will not be certified, published, or distributed as official apps or services of the Implementing Entities.
15. If any issues arise related to copyrights, moral rights of authors, adjacent rights, design rights, trademark rights, utility model rights, patent rights or other rights (“Intellectual Property”), the Developer shall resolve such issues at its own responsibility and expense. If the Implementing Entities or any third parties suffer damage due to the Developer's responsibility, then the Developer shall be liable to pay compensation.
16. The Implementing Entities make no warranty whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, etc. of the content of the data prepared by the Implementing Entities for the Challenge, and shall not be liable for any damage incurred by Developers from using or being unable to use such information.
17. Developers agree in advance that the Implementing Entities may discontinue provision of the data prepared for the Challenge or change the content of the data due to the circumstances affecting the Challenge's Implementing Entities.
18. Developers agree that the period for provision of the data prepared for the Challenge by the Implementing Entities is scheduled to last until the end of the Challenge.
19. Submitted works that the Organizers determines to be contrary to, or likely to be contrary to, public order and morals, or that do not align with the purpose of the Challenge, will be excluded from judging.
20. The Intellectual Property of submitted works belongs to the Developer.
21. Developers grant permission for the Implementing Entities or parties designated by the Implementing Entities to use the Developer's submitted work, name, Developer name, photos of face and full body at the awards ceremony, etc., free of charge and indefinitely for purposes of announcing, promoting, recording and publicizing the Challenge through publication, reproduction, distribution, public transmission or publication (including by electronic means) or other methods.
22. Developers may announce the fact that they submitted a work to the Challenge on their own websites, social media, etc. However, they must not falsely represent that the Implementing Entities developed the submitted work.
23. For application or web service submissions, Developers shall include contact information for inquiries about the content (including displayed information) and operation of the submitted work. Developers shall thereby make maximum efforts to ensure that inquiries about the content (including displayed information) and operation of the work they have created are not directed to the public transportation data providers or open data partners.
24. Developers shall not use the data prepared by the Implementing Entities for the Challenge for any purpose other than developing submitted works for the Challenge and using that data in the submitted works. If it is discovered that a Developer has used the data prepared by the Implementing Entities for the Challenge for purposes other than these, then the Developer acknowledges in advance that the Organizers may discontinue providing that data to the Developer and may take legal action against the Developer.
25. If a submitted work causes disadvantage or brings disrepute to the Implementing Entities, then the provision of information to the Developer of that submitted work will be immediately terminated and the Developer will lose eligibility to enter the Challenge.
26. Developers shall not provide the data prepared by the Implementing Entities for the Challenge to any third parties, whether for a fee or free of charge. Additionally, applications using that data must publish features that anyone can use free of charge during the Challenge period. If it is discovered that a Developer has acted contrary to these requirements, then the Developer acknowledges in advance that the Organizers may discontinue providing that data to the Developer and may take legal action against the Developer.
27. If there are false statements in a Developer's entry details, then it will lose eligibility for awards.
28. If the Organizers is unable to contact a Developer to inform it of an award for reasons such as being unable to make contact with it, then that Developer's right to receive the award may be invalidated.
29. Information provided at the time of entry such as names and contact details will only be used for contacting award winners, announcing winning submissions, and contacting Developers regarding submitted works. However, this limitation does not apply to future use of the submitted works, names, Developer names, etc., in print or electronic media for publicity, promotion and announcement purposes in Japan and overseas.
30. No inquiries regarding the selection process for the Challenge can be answered. The Challenge may be canceled without notice due to various circumstances. Even if prior to learning of the cancellation a Developer has incurred costs for entering the Challenge, the Implementing Entities shall have no obligation to pay compensation for such costs.

Established and effective July 1, 2025