Rules

Contest Start Date Sept 13, 2023 - Ends Oct 27th, 2023.

CREATE A "TWO ANIMALS IN ONE" DESIGN - CONTEST RULES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Any individual who enters, attempts to enter or in any way participates or attempts to participate in any contest, sweepstakes or giveaways (“Contest”) conducted by NUTTIPETZ (hereinafter referred to as the “Sponsor”) (each such individual in hereinafter referred to as an “Entrant”) agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions provided in these Official General Contest Rules (or “General Rules” or “Rules”), as well as by Sponsor’s interpretations of these General Rules which are final and binding in all matters relating to any Contest.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY:

No purchase is necessary to enter or win any prize. There will be no entry fee, costs, or proof of purchase necessary to enter. Bonus entries may be obtained by performing the additional actions listed on the contest entry form..

APPLICABLE LAW (VOID WHERE PROHIBITED):

The Contest is subject to and governed by applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Participation in this Contest is void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law.

1. ELIGIBILITY.

Geographical, Age and Parental Consent Requirements:
Unless otherwise specified, the Contest is open to only to individuals who (i) are legal U.S. residents, and (ii) who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.

2. HOW TO ENTER:

A. RULES: (Where applicable)

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY:

Entrants in the Contest are requested to create a Plush Toy design made up of two animals in one. Then, upload your photo or drawing to the contest Gallery page. You can only win the custom designed plushie, if you submit a photo or drawing of your design. Only one design per person will be accepted. 

Bonus entries for completing additional actions listed on the contest entry form do qualify for a "FREE NUTTIPETZ OF YOUR CHOICE" drawing, but are NOT included in the LEGOLAND Grand Prize. giveaway. YOU MUST DESIGN A TWO ANIMALS IN ONE IMAGE AND UPLOAD YOUR DESIGN TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LEGOLAND PRIZE PACKAGE.

1. Must be 18 years old at time of entry.

2. Must be a legal US resident.

3. Winners will be announced on October 27, 2023 on our social media pages and on our Nuttipetz Website contest page. www.nuttipetz.com/giveaway.php

By submitting Content, you agree that your Content disclosure is gratuitous, unsolicited, and made without restriction, will not place the Sponsor or Contest Entities under any fiduciary or other obligation, that the Sponsor and Sponsor Entities or Assigns are free to use and otherwise disclose the ideas contained in the Entry on a non-confidential basis to anyone or otherwise use the ideas without any additional compensation to you. You acknowledge that, by acceptance of your Content, the Sponsor and the Sponsor Entities do not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas previously known to Sponsor or Sponsor Entities, or developed by their employees, or obtained from sources other than you.

B. PRIZE(S).

The winner will receive a Custom Made Plush Toy based on the Design they submitted. The Toy will also have a companion NFT if the winner also desires a digital collectible token NFT based on their design. The company reserves the right to interpret the winners design and create a Plush Toy based on the winners submission, but with creative license and full authority to make any changes deemed necessary by the company's designers.

The Grand Prize also includes a Guided VIP Ultimate Experience at Legoland California (One day) for a family of 4 and a Hotel Room ( 2 queen beds) at the Legoland Hotel for two Nights. Airfare to or from California is not included in this Grand Prize giveaway.
Full Details of the Ultimate VIP Experience can be seen at : https://www.legoland.com/california/tickets-passes/extras-experiences/vip-experiences/#vip

In addition, for performing the extra actions  listed on our contest entry form you qualify to win a FREE NUTTIPETZ OF YOUR CHOICE. This secondary giveaway is not part of our Legoland Prize Package. Bonus entries for actions performed on social Media/other only qualify to enter the FREE NUTTIPET OF YOUR CHOICE giveaway.

Trip Prize Conditions: If travel is being awarded, the actual value of any trip may vary based on point of departure and other considerations. Any difference between stated approximate retail value and actual value of Prize will not be awarded and is specified in these Contest Rules. Selection of accommodation and other prize features are solely within Sponsor’s discretion. Meals, gratuities, luggage fees, incidental hotel charges and any other travel-related expenses not specified herein are the sole responsibility of winner and their guest(s), if any. Travel for the trip awarded must take place on and/or within the designated dates and is subject to schedule and availability, alternative travel dates will not be provided. If the prize winner(s) is unavailable for travel on the designated dates, the specified prize will be forfeited and may or may not be awarded to an alternate prize winner(s) at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Exact travel dates and arrangements may be subject to availability whether specified or not. Winner and travel guest(s), if any, must travel on same itinerary.

BY ACCEPTING PRIZE, WINNER OR WINNERS (IF APPLICABLE) ACCEPT THE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS NATURE AND RISK IN ANY TRAVEL OR TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING BOATING, BY ACCEPTING SUCH RISK INCLUDING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR DEATH, THE WINNER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HIS/HER PARTICIPATION IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE PRIZE EVENT AND ITS RELATED ACTIVITIES WHERE APPLICABLE, IS VOLUNTARY AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE ARE NATURAL FACTORS AND OTHER OCCURRENCES WHICH MAY IMPACT ON OR AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE PRIZE ACTIVITIES THEY ARE PARTICIPATING IN AND THE WINNER OR WINNERS ARE FULLY AWARE OF, AND ASSUME THE RISK OF SUCH FACTORS AND OCCURRENCES AND BY ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIZE PACKAGE AGREE THAT THE SPONSOR, IT’S ASSOCIATES AND RELEASED PARTIES SHALL NOT BE IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RESULTING INJURY AND/OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF SUCH PARTICIPATION.

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY CONTEST ENTRANTS:

BY SUBMITTING ANY CONTENT, ENTRANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HIS/HER CONTENT MAY BE POSTED ON SPONSOR’S WEBSITE, OR ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERNET AS AUTHORIZED BY SPONSOR, IN SPONSOR’S DISCRETION.

In consideration for your participation in this Contest and for the opportunity to win a prize hereunder, you hereby grant the Sponsor, the Contest Entities, and another authorized on their behalf, an unlimited, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, non-restrictive, royalty-free, sub-licensable (through multiple tiers) right and license to use, publish, reproduce, display, perform, broadcast, adapt, modify, distribute, digitally transform, publicly perform, transmit, have distributed, prepare derivative works of, and promote such Content in any form, in all media now known or hereinafter created, anywhere in the world, for any purpose and without consideration to the entrant.

ALL DECISIONS REGARDING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE MATERIALS CONTAINED IN THE CONTENT SHALL BE AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE SPONSOR.

The Sponsor reserves the right to reject any Content, in its sole discretion, based on the terms set forth herein as well as programming and operating practices and policies established by the Sponsor. Any waiver of any obligation hereunder by Sponsor does not constitute a general waiver of any obligation to entrants. Sponsor reserves the right to waive the Contest Content requirements set forth herein in its reasonable discretion. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, during or upon completion of the Entry Period, to request that any entrant resubmit Content which fails to comply with the Content requirements prior to any judging period.

By accepting a prize, the Entrant agrees that their Content (if applicable) will be deemed a Work Made For Hire under the Copyright laws of the United States, but if it cannot be so deemed, then Entrant irrevocably assigns and transfers to Sponsor all right, title and interest in and to their Content, including all but not limited to all copyright and trademark rights which Entrant may have, in the United States and worldwide, therein, for consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged. Entrant hereby waives in favor of Sponsor, all rights of “Droit Moral” or “Moral Rights of Authors” or any similar rights or principles of law that Entrant may now or later have to their Content. Sponsor reserves the right to alter, change or modify the winning Content, in its sole discretion. Upon request of Sponsor, Entrant shall execute and deliver such additional instrument of assignment, as may be solely deemed by Sponsor, reasonably necessary to establish the ownership of record of the right, title and interest in and to the Content and of the copyrights transferred and “Moral Rights of Authors” waived under these Official Rules. Should Sponsor fail to request the said assignment as stated that shall not be deemed a waiver of Sponsor’s rights and Sponsor may at a later time request the assignment.  All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

By participating, you agree (a) to be bound by these Official Contest Rules; (b) as between you and the Sponsor, that the decisions of the Sponsor is final on all matters relating to the Contest; (c) you are not participating on behalf of any employer or third party; (d) in the event that you do not comply with these Rules, that you will be disqualified and your prize (if any) will be forfeited; and (e) (when applicable) the potential winner and/or finalist must be available to participate in any portion to the Contest that participation may be required to be considered eligible.

4. WINNER SELECTION.

Prize winners will be selected by the Sponsor. The decisions of Sponsor and/or such judges chosen by the Sponsor will be final. If a winner is unable to be notified for any reason for any amount of time, the applicable prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner.

Generally, notification is deemed to have occurred immediately upon placing of a phone call or any other method of notification as specified in the specific contest. The Sponsor is not responsible for any change of email address, mailing address, and/or telephone number of entrants. The Contest Entities are not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, misdirected or unsuccessful efforts to notify a finalist and/or potential winner(s), or (if the finalist or potential winner is a minor) for late, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts of the entrant to provide signed parental or guardian consent. If the potential winner does not claim the prize within the appropriate time given upon, the entrant will automatically be disqualified, and their prize will be forfeited.

Potential winners are subject to verification, including verification of eligibility. If an Entrant is unable to verify their information, the Entrant will automatically be disqualified and their prize, if any, will be forfeited. The Sponsor reserves the right to determine an alternate winner in the event that any winner is disqualified, cannot be contacted, or is deemed ineligible for any reason, or is not available to participate in any applicable Contest events.

As a condition of participating in the Contest, entrants agree and acknowledge that in order to receive a prize and be deemed a winner, Entrants must execute the official waiver provided by the Sponsor and agree to the terms herein, including but not limited to the prize conditions. The potential prize winner's failure to timely return any required forms may result in the potential winner being disqualified and, in such event, the Sponsor may select an alternate winner from among all remaining eligible entries, as determined by Sponsor in its sole and discretion.

Winners will be notified via the email address provided at registration. Participants who enter using a valid email address accept that they will agree to "opt in" to Nuttipetz mailing list and will receive future communications highlighting special offers, promotions, discounts or general Nuttipetz information.

The winners will be responsible for their own taxes, etc., and if USA based will receive a 1099 from us. They would also be responsible for any customs duties/import taxes on prizes received, if applicable.

TAMPERING AND DELIVERY DISCLAIMER.

(a) The Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify and prohibit from participating (and void such person’s entries) any person, who the Sponsor determines (in its sole discretion) is or is attempting to: (i) tamper with the Sponsor’s website and/or any part of the Contest; (ii) undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, deception, or other unfair practices, (iii) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants, the Sponsor, or the Released Parties or exhibits other unsportsmanlike behavior; and/or (iv) otherwise violate these Official Rules or the Terms of Use of the Sponsor’s Website.

(b) Any Attempt To Deliberately Damage, Circumvent, Or Disrupt The Sponsor’s Website (Or Any Part Thereof) Or Undermine The Legitimate Operation Of This Contest May Be A Violation Of Criminal And Civil Laws. Should Any Such Attempt Be Made, The Sponsor And Its Licensees (If Any) Reserve The Right To Seek Damages And Any Other Available Remedies From Any Such Person(S) Responsible For Any Such Attempt To The Fullest Extent Permitted By Law.

6. HOLD HARMLESS AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY; RELEASES, CONDITIONS, AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY.

By entering this Contest, the Entrant waives liability for any negligence, whether passive or active, and for any negative technical events. Nuttipetz is not responsible for: any "technological disruption" of "loss of information" due to a negative technical event of some kind... i.e., hacking or failure of a third-party API (an App we maybe running the contest on, or other related app) or other related technology. Entry automatically holds us harmless for any damages incurred by a sudden termination or disruption, including by reason of any “acts of God”, any action, regulation, order or request by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action, regulations, order or request proves to be invalid), equipment failure, threatened terrorist acts, terrorist acts, air raid, blackout, act of public enemy, earthquake, volcanic eruption, war (declared or undeclared), fire, flood, epidemic, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal) labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond the Contest Entities’ sole control. The Released Parties are not responsible or liable to any entrant or winner or any person claiming through such entrant or winner for failure to supply the prize or any part thereof.

By participating in the Contest, each entrant agrees to release and waive any and all claims of liability against the Contest Entities and any applicable third party fulfillment service and each of their respective employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against from any and all liability, loss or damage (including personal injury) incurred with respect to the conduct of or participation in the Contest, or the awarding, shipping/handling, receipt, possession, and/or use or misuse of any prize, including any travel related thereto. By accepting the prize, winner(s) hereby agrees that: (i) to release each of the Released Parties from any and all claims in connection with the Contest and the award or use of the prizes; and (ii) where allowed by law, sign a publicity release confirming consent to use the winner’s name/likeness as set forth in Section 6 prior to acceptance of the prize. Upon awarding the prize, the Sponsor will have no further obligation to winner.

ENTRANT AGREES TO HOLD HARMLESS THE SPONSOR AND ITS AGENTS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, DAMAGES AND/OR LIABILITIES (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS' FEES AND EXPENSES) THAT MAY BE ASSERTED AGAINST OR INCURRED BY ANY OF THEM AT ANY TIME, IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST.

The Sponsor further disclaims all liability for any delays, mis-delivery, loss, or failure in the delivery of any item sent by mail, courier, express, electronic transmission, or other delivery method. Sponsor is not responsible for: (1) mechanical, technical, electronic, communications, telephone, computer, hardware or software errors, malfunctions or failures of any kind, including: failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed transmission of online entries, traffic congestion on telephone lines, the Internet or at any website or lost or unavailable network connections which may limit an online entrant's ability to participate in the Contest; (2) any injury or damage to entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in or downloading any information necessary to participate in the Contest; (3) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (4) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (5) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or operation of the Contest; or (5) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries.

The Sponsor further reserves the right to: (i) cancel, terminate, suspend, declare null or void, amend, alter, or modify the Contest, void any suspicious entries, rescind any prize, and/or determine absolute resolution, and/or an alternate method of conducting the Contest and/or awarding the prize(s) at any time, for any reason, or if, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, it is impossible or impractical to complete or conduct the Contest as planned for any reason, including, but not limited to, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures of any sort, programming associated with or used in the Contest, by any human error which may occur in the execution of this Contest, or any other causes which effect the operation of the Contest or the rules of the integrity of the Contest have been violated or compromised in any way, intentionally or unintentionally by any person whether or not a entrant in the Contest and/or (ii) stop or conclude the Contest at any time without prior notice. Material changes to the Rules of the Contest will be published when practical. In the event of termination of the Contest by Sponsor, Sponsor reserves the right to award any prize(s) in a manner deemed fair and equitable by Sponsor, or not award any prize(s) at all.

Additional Terms:

• The actual value of any Vacation Package (if applicable to any contest) may vary depending on point of departure and fluctuations of hotel rates and airfares. Any difference between the approximate retail value and the actual cost of the/each Vacation Package will not be awarded.

• Federal, state and local taxes relating to any prize are the responsibility of the winner and Promoter will issue all tax forms including a 1099 form to the winner.

• All disputes arising out of or relating to any prize provided by Sponsor shall be resolved by applying the laws of California.

• California. Such claims shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and all such claims shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event to include attorneys’ fees.

• In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures or other statements contained in any contest’s promotional materials and the terms and conditions of the Official Rules, the Official Rules shall prevail and govern.

7. PUBLICITY.

Except where prohibited, by accepting a prize, winner(s) grant the Sponsor permission to use their names, characters, images, voices, and likenesses worldwide, in perpetuity, in any and all media now known or hereinafter invented in any and all marketing and promotional materials and waive any claims to royalty, right, or remuneration for such use. Each winner’s name may be included in a publicly available winners list.

NOTE: Nothing in this Contest implies endorsement. There is no association between Sponsor and any social media platform.

8. USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION AND PRIVACY POLICY.

The Sponsor will retain the entrant's personal data for a reasonable period of time to enable it to send that entrant any prize that they have won and to verify that these Official Rules have been complied with, and for accounting purposes. This data may be passed to a third party to enable such third party to fulfill any necessary requirements relating to the award of a prize. Any other use of personal data will be in accordance with, and subject to, the Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. Entrants may have the opportunity to opt-in to receive emails from third parties. In the event that entrant opts in to any available opportunities to receive information from a third party, that may or may not be associated with this Contest, entrant understands and acknowledges that his/her information will be provided to such third party and may be used by the third party as set forth in the third party’s privacy policy. Any available opt-in opportunities are not required to enter the Contest, and opting in will not improve your chances of winning.

9. TAXES.

Any valuation of the prize(s) stated above is based on available information provided to the Sponsor, and the value of any prize awarded to a winner may be reported to the IRS as required by law. Each winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable federal, state, and local taxes, related to prize acceptance and use not specified herein. Each winner must provide the Sponsor with valid identification and a valid taxpayer identification number or social security number before any prize will be awarded. Any person winning over $600 in prizes from the Sponsor in a calendar year will be issued an IRS Form 1099 reporting the value of those prizes to the IRS.

10. CONDUCT AND DECISIONS.

All decisions of the Sponsor will be final and binding on all matters relating to this Contest. Persons who violate any rule, gain unfair advantage in participating in the Contest, or obtain winner status using fraudulent means will be disqualified. The Sponsor will interpret these Rules and resolve any disputes, conflicting claims or ambiguities concerning the rules or the Contest and the Sponsor’s decisions concerning such disputes shall be final. If, for any reason, more bona fide winners are notified than prize(s) available, prize(s) will be awarded in a random drawing from among all such persons. Inclusion in such drawing shall be each entrant's sole and exclusive remedy under such circumstances. Any reference in these Official Rules or as part of the Contest to the Sponsor’s "discretion" and/or any exercise of discretion by the Sponsor shall mean in Sponsor’s "sole and unfettered discretion." The Sponsor further reserves the right to terminate the Contest at any time for any reason.

11. BINDING ARBITRATION.

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Sponsor Contest shall be settled by binding arbitration in a location determined by the arbitrator as set forth herein (provided that such location is reasonably convenient for claimant), or at such other location as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties, in accordance with the procedural rules for commercial disputes set forth in the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures of JAMS (“JAMS Rules and Procedures”) then prevailing, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator shall be selected pursuant to the JAMS Rules and Procedures. The arbitrator shall apply California law consistent with the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable statutes of limitations and shall honor claims of privilege recognized at law. In the event that the claimant is able to demonstrate that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, Sponsor will pay as much of the claimant’s filing and hearing fees in connection with the arbitration as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive. If any part of this arbitration provision is deemed to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal (other than that claims will not be arbitrated on a class or representative basis), or otherwise conflicts with the rules and procedures established by JAMS, then the balance of this arbitration provision shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid, unenforceable, illegal or conflicting provision were not contained herein. If, however, the portion that is deemed invalid, unenforceable or illegal is that claims will not be arbitrated on a class or representative basis, then the entirety of this arbitration provision shall be null and void, and neither claimant nor Sponsor shall be entitled to arbitrate their dispute. Upon filing a demand for arbitration, all parties to such arbitration shall have the right of discovery, which discovery shall be completed within sixty days after the demand for arbitration is made, unless further extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

THE ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE IN THE ENTRANT’S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE OR JOIN THE CLAIMS OF OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES WHO MAY BE SIMILARLY SITUATED. DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARBITRATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

12. MISCELLANEOUS.

Sponsor reserves the right to determine eligibility should special circumstances arise; all decisions are considered final and binding. Sponsor disclaims any responsibility to notify entrants of any aspect related to the conduct of the Contest. As a condition of participating in the Contest, entrants agree (and agree to confirm in writing) that: (a) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain costs, judgments, or awards for, and entrant hereby knowingly and expressly waives all rights to claim or seek punitive, incidental, consequential, special, or any other damages, other than for actual, third-party out-of-pocket expenses, and in such limitation, entrant further waives any rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased; (b) any and all disputes, claims, or causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, through binding arbitration as set forth above, without resort to any form of class action; and (c) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred (if any), excluding attorneys’ fees and court costs. Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability, so the above may not apply to every entrant. Participation in the Contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of these Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon entrant’s fulfillment of all requirements set forth herein.

13. COMPLIANCE WITH LAW AND GOVERNING LAW.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the Contest Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of California.

PLEASE NOTE: Nuttipetz International Inc, its affiliates, its associates, it’s partners or assigns are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with LEGOLAND California LLC, or any of its other related entities, subsidiaries or its affiliates. Any product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks or images featured or referred to on the Nuttipetz Website, The Nuttipetz Store or other related webpages and/or on any Nuttipetz social media forum are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not affiliated with Nuttipetz International Inc, or its affiliated website/s in way whatsoever, unless otherwise clearly stated.