Read the full competition rules and regulations.

CANADIAN IDOL COMPETITION RULES – 2006
(THE "COMPETITION RULES")

1. Entry Procedures to the Competition
1.1. The procedures for entry and participation in the Competition are subject to the Competition Rules.

1.2. Since the Competition is designed to showcase and judge the talent of Canadian Competitors who have roughly the same level of experience and maturity, the Competition is open to individuals aged between 16 and 28 on February 1, 2006, who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or Aboriginals who permanently reside within the territorial boundaries of Canada.  All Competitors must be legally able to work in Canada.  Competitors must bring valid proof of age and photo identification (such as a birth certificate and driver's license or a passport) to the Regional Auditions. Competitors cannot have a criminal record or pending criminal charges that may interfere with their ability to travel freely around the world. 

1.3. Individuals who are employees of, or live with an employee of, or are a parent,  sibling or child of an employee of, the following entities are not eligible to participate in the Competition: the Producer; Bell Globemedia Inc.; CTV Television Inc.; 19 TV Limited; 19 Recordings Ltd.; 19 Merchandising Ltd.; and 19 Management Ltd.; the FremantleMedia group of companies; Sony BMG Music (Canada) Inc.; the Judges; their respective advertising and promotional agencies; any person or entity connected with the production, administration or judging of the auditions or the Program, including any potential affiliated auditions or competitions held by radio stations; the sponsors and advertisers of the Program; and the parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents or representatives of any of the above entities.

1.4. No Competitor will be permitted to audition without submitting to the Producer a validly signed Competitor's Release Form at the Regional Auditions.

1.5. Competitors under the Age of Majority, in either their province of residence or the province in which they audition, must download the Competitor's Release Form from the website and have their parent or legal guardian review, approve, sign it and have it witnessed before attending the Regional Auditions (unless the parent/legal guardian accompanies the Competitor to the Regional Audition, in which case the parent or legal guardian can sign the Competitor's Release Form at the audition).  Competitors under the Age of Majority who do not have a valid parent/legal guardian signature on the Competitor's Release Form will not be permitted to audition. 

1.6. No weapons, alcohol or non-prescription controlled substances will be permitted at any audition or during any part of the Competition.

1.7. Competitors should refrain from wearing any clothing items bearing designer or sports logos or bearing the name or likeness of a celebrity, living or dead, to any of the auditions.

2. The Regional Auditions

2.1. Regional Auditions will include Competitors who attend open auditions. Each Regional Audition is scheduled for a specified amount of time.  As a result, all individuals who want to audition may not get a chance to do so, and the Producer is in no way liable for this loss of opportunity.  The dates and locations of the Regional Auditions for each city will be listed on the Program website at idol.ctv.ca.

2.2. Selected Competitors will be invited to perform the whole or part of a song in front of designated representatives of the Producer following which they will be told whether they have been called back to perform in front of the Judges or other designated representatives of the Producer.  This decision shall be made at the absolute discretion of the Producer.  Competitors should have two songs prepared and will be asked to sing a cappella (without music).  No musical accompaniment (either recorded or live) will be permitted.

2.3. In certain audition cities, Competitors may be invited to perform again in front of the Judges in another city as part of the Regional Auditions in that city in order to determine the Competitors from the original city who will advance (if any) to the Final 100 Heats of the Competition.  Appropriate transportation and accommodation arrangements (if required) will be organized by the Producer.

2.4. The Producer may, at its sole discretion, choose to hold additional open auditions following the Regional Auditions.

2.5. The Producer will notify Competitors who have been chosen to go through to the Final 100 Heats of the Competition as soon as reasonably practicable after the Regional Auditions.  The Producer shall not be obliged to notify unsuccessful Competitors.

3. The Final 100 Heats

3.1. The Final 100 will be invited to participate in the next heat of the Competition which is currently scheduled to be held in Toronto in May 2006.  Appropriate transportation and accommodation arrangements (if required) will be organized by the Producer.  The Final 100 will be required to read, approve and sign and, where under the Age of Majority, have a parent/legal guardian read, approve and sign, a Release Form for the Final 100 (the "Final 100 Release Form") prior to the final 100 Heats.  Competitors who have not submitted the Final 100 Release Form on this basis will not be permitted to participate in the Final 100 Heats.

3.2. Competitors will be invited to perform a pre-selected song chosen at the Producer's discretion and may be required to perform individually or in a group or both.  The make-up of each group shall be in the Producer's discretion.  The Producer may also ask Competitors to perform individually the whole or part of a song of the Competitor's own choice.

3.3. As soon as reasonably practicable following completion of the Final 100 Heats, Competitors will be notified who has been selected by the Judges to be one of the Final 22 participating in the Final 22 Heats of the Competition.

4. The Final 22 Heats

4.1. It is anticipated that the Final 22 will be divided at the Producer's discretion into 2 (two) groups of 11 (eleven) Competitors.  It is anticipated that each group will be required to participate in each of the Designated Weeks in June and/or July 2006.  Appropriate transportation and accommodation arrangements (if required) will be organized by the Producer.  The Final 22 will be required to read, approve and sign and, where under the Age of Majority have a parent/legal guardian read, approve and sign, a Release Form for the Final 22 (the "Final 22 Release Form") prior to the Final 22 Heats.  Competitors who have not submitted the Final 22 Release Form on this basis will not be permitted to participate in the Final 22 Heats. In addition, Competitors will be asked to provide a "criminal" background check in a form acceptable to the Producer prior to participating in the Final 22 Heats.

4.2. Each Designated Week will culminate in the recording of 2 (two) live recorded programs, as a result of which Competitors will be eliminated by public vote until only 10 (ten) Competitors – the Semi-Finalists – remain in the Competition.

4.3. The Producer may, at its sole discretion, change the structure, process, timing, duration or any other aspect of the Final 22 Heats, before or during the Competition.

5. The Final 10 Heats

5.1. It is anticipated that the Final 10 Heats will run over the course of approximately 8 (eight) Semi-Final Weeks, commencing in late July to early September 2006.  Appropriate transportation and accommodation arrangements (if required) will be organized by the Producer.  The Final 10 will be required to read, approve and sign, and where under the Age of Majority have a parent/legal guardian read, approve and sign, a Release Form for the Final 10 (the "Final 10 Release Form") prior to the Final 10 Heats.  Competitors who have not submitted the Final 10 Release Form on this basis will not be permitted to participate in the Final 10 Heats.

5.2. Each Semi-Final Week will culminate in the recording of a live recorded program, following which Competitors will be eliminated by public vote until only 2 (two) Competitors – the Finalists – remain in the Competition.

5.3. At the end of the last Final 10 Heat, the Producer will notify each Finalist of the song(s) they will be required to perform in the Final.  The Finalists may be required to keep the choice of song(s) confidential.

5.4. The Producer may, at its sole discretion, change the structure, process, timing, duration or any other aspect of the Final 10 Heats, before or during the Competition.

6. The Final

6.1. It is anticipated that the live recording of the Final will take place in September 2006.  The selection of the winning Canadian Idol will be made by public vote following a live recorded performance. 

7. General Rules of the Competition

7.1. The Producer reserves the right to change the structure of the Competition as it sees fit including, without limitation, adding or deleting auditions/heats/Competitors to the Competition and/or requesting additional performances from the Competitors and/or changing the anticipated auditioning or recording schedule.

7.2. It is a condition of entry and participation in the Competition that Competitors make themselves available to participate in the Competition, agree to and sign all applicable Release Forms and abide by terms and conditions of such Release Forms and the rules, regulations, terms and conditions as devised from time to time by the Producer including but not by way of limitation the Competition Rules.  As part of Competitors' contribution to the Program, the Producer may request Competitors to participate in additional activities   relating to the Program including without limitation  web-casts, pod-casts, blogs, video diaries, chat rooms, SMS chats, as well as various interviews, appearances, promotional, publicity, sponsorship and merchandising activities in any and all media.

7.3. It is a condition of entry and participation in the Competition that the Competitor has not entered into any contractual, commercial, sponsorship or other arrangements in respect of his/her musical or performing abilities or the products thereof or in respect of his/her name, likeness, image or biography which might be in breach of any of the Release Forms or the Competition Rules or otherwise prevent the Competitor from participating in the Program or the broadcast, promotion, exploitation or sponsorship thereof.

7.4. Should any Competitor be selected to participate in the Final 22 Heats, it is a condition of participation in the Final 22 Heats that, with the benefit of legal advice, the Competitor enters into the following agreements, as provided by the Producer, in its discretion: a recording agreement with a record company; a merchandising and sponsorship agreement; and a management agreement (the "Talent Agreements").  Each Competitor selected to participate in the Final 22 Heats shall also agree to restrictions on their ability to appear on television and other entertainment media as well as read, approve and sign the Release Form for the Final 22.  Should the Competitor for any reason fail to enter into these agreements (or any of them) prior to commencement of recording of the Final 22 Heats, the Producer reserves the right to disqualify the Competitor from the Competition.  The Talent Agreements will only become fully effective for the Winner.

7.5. Competitors must not at any stage of the Competition discuss with or take advice from any or all of the Judges on any matters relating to their participation in the Program including, without limitation, their performance, appearance or choice of song, except during recorded auditions, sessions or performances.

7.6. Competitors may be required to keep any and all information regarding the Competition completely confidential and may be prohibited from conducting any interviews or providing any comment or information to the public and the media without the consent of the Producer, including without limitation, information regarding the outcome of the Regional Auditions and any subsequent heats, the performances of any Competitor including their own performance and any and all comments of the Judges or Producer, at the sole discretion of the Producer.

7.7. The Producer's and Judges' decision (or, where appropriate, the decision of the voting public, as recorded by the voting service provider) is final and the Competitors acknowledge that the interests of the Program shall override those of any Competitor.  Where the integrity of the public voting system is compromised or the public voting system is otherwise not functioning, as determined by the Producer in its sole discretion, the Producer reserves the right to make all final decisions relating to the Competition.

7.8. The Producer reserves the right to ask the Competitor to perform a specified song or song from a specified genre of its own choice.  At all times during the Competition the Producer reserves the right of veto over the choice of song, even where Competitors are permitted to select the song they wish to perform.

7.9. The Producer has the right at any time to require proof of identity and/or eligibility.  Failure to provide such proof within a reasonable time could result in disqualification from the Competition.  All personal details and information requested by and supplied to the Producer by each Competitor must be truthful, accurate and in no way misleading.  The Producer reserves the right to disqualify any Competitor from the Competition or auditioning process in its sole discretion, should the Competitor at any stage supply untruthful, inaccurate or misleading personal details and/or information or should the Competitor be ineligible for the Competition pursuant to the Competition Rules.

7.10. The Producer will have no liability to a Competitor who is unable to attend or take part in any part of the Competition for whatever reason, as determined by the Producer in its sole discretion.

7.11. The Producer reserves the right to amend the Competition Rules or terminate the Competition at any time without any liability to any Competitor.  The Producer further reserves the right to replace at its discretion any Competitor who for any reason fails or is disqualified from or unable to participate in any aspect of the Program and/or Competition, as determined by the Producer in its sole discretion, with another replacement Competitor, notwithstanding that such replacement Competitor may have been previously eliminated from the Competition.

7.12. There is no obligation on the part of the Producer to record or broadcast any Program in which a Competitor has appeared or any part of his/her contribution to a Program.

7.13. The Competitor must at all times behave appropriately when taking part in the Competition and observe the Competition Rules and any other rules or regulations in force at the studios and/or locations. The Producer reserves the right in its absolute discretion to remove from the Competition, studio premises or location any Competitor who breaks such rules and/or fails to behave appropriately and to disqualify such Competitor.

7.14. In the event that as a result of the public vote in any round, two (or more) Competitors are tied, the Producer shall be entitled to determine in its absolute discretion which Competitor is eliminated and/or which Competitor goes through to the next round (as appropriate) and for this purpose it shall be entitled to make such arrangements or request such further performances from the Competitors as it in its absolute discretion deems necessary.

7.15. All Competitors agree that the Producer and its agents can use, exploit and distribute, in any media whatsoever, including without limitation the Internet, now known or hereafter created, worldwide in perpetuity, the Competitor's audition(s), performances and appearances, the Competitor's comments and the Competitor's name, likeness, image or voice without any further consent or compensation of any nature or kind.  Further, all individuals who attend at the Regional Auditions, who do not become Competitors (including family, friends or any other individual accompanying a participant) ("Other Individuals"), agree that the Producer and its agents can use, exploit and distribute in any media whatsoever, including without limitation the Internet, now known or hereafter created, worldwide in perpetuity, the individual's comments and name, likeness, image or voice without any further consent or compensation of any nature or kind.  All Competitors and Other Individuals agree to waive any and all copyright interest, of any nature or kind, they may have in their comments, audition(s), performances and appearances, including without limitation any moral rights in the foregoing.

7.16. Competitors acknowledge that the Producer, Bell Globemedia Inc., CTV Television Inc., 19 TV Limited, 19 Recordings Ltd., 19 Merchandising Ltd. and 19 Management Ltd., FremantleMedia North America, Inc., the Judges, the advertising agencies and any person or entity connected with the production, administration or judging of the auditions, the Competition or the Program, and any of their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents or representatives, are not responsible for and are in no way liable for any injuries, loss or damages caused by: (i) the administration (including scheduling) of the Competition including any failure of transportation or inability for any reason to appear before the judging panels; (ii) the Competitors or any third party's participation in the auditioning process, or being selected or disqualified; (iii) as a result of the decisions of the Judges, Producers or public voting; or (iv) any printing, typographical or technological errors in any materials associated with the Competition.

7.17. In the event of any dispute concerning the operation of any element of the Competition or these Competition Rules, the decision of the Producer will be final.

7.18. These Competition Rules are additional to and do not supersede any and all Release Forms signed by the Competitor and in the event of any conflict between any Release Form and these Competition Rules, the Release Form will prevail.

8. Definitions

"Age of Majority" 18 years in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Saskatchewan.
19 years in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Yukon.
"Competition" The skill competition comprised within the Program including without limitation the Regional Auditions and each round leading up to and including the selection of the winning Canadian Idol. It is intended that the Winner of the Competition will ultimately be selected by public vote based on the Competitor's "overall package" reflecting a combination of factors, such as talent, skill, vocal range, marketability, charisma and stage presence.
"Competitor(s)" Any person who enters the Competition. 
"The Final 100 Heats"  The round following the Regional Auditions, to take place in Toronto.
"Designated Week(s)" Any of the weeks designated for the Final 22 Heats.
"Judges" Such person(s) as the Producer may nominate from time to time.
"Producer" Insight Production Company Ltd.
"Program" "Canadian Idol"
"Regional Auditions" The initial auditions anticipated to take place in Edmonton, Halifax, Kitchener-Waterloo, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, St. John's, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Yellowknife. 

"Release Form(s)" Any release form supplied from time to time by the Producer which Competitors are required to sign in connection with the Program. These include, without limitation, the Competitor's Release Form, the Final 100 Release Form, the Final 22 Release Form and the Final 10 Release Form.
"Semi-Finals Week(s)" Any of the weeks during which the Final 10 Heats will run.
"The Final 100" The approximate number of Competitors to be invited to participate in the Final 100 Heats (which may be more or less than 100 Competitors in the Producer's absolute discretion).
"The Final 22" The number of Competitors to be invited to participate in the Final 22 Heats (which may be more or less than 22 Competitors in the Producer's absolute discretion).
"The Final 10" The number of Competitors selected to participate in the Final 10 Heats (which may involve more or less than 10 Competitors, in the Producer's absolute discretion).
"The Finalist(s)" The two Competitors selected to participate in the last heat, which will determine the Winner (the "Final").
"The Winner" The Competitor who wins the Final.