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Artwork and Sales in the Dealers Room

  • Updated

General

  • All merchandise must be approved for sale prior to arriving at AnimeNEXT. Any merchandise that is brought to AnimeNEXT that is not listed on the form and approved may be removed at the owner’s expense. 
  • AnimeNEXT reserves the right to ask a vendor to refrain from bringing certain products with them to the show, to keep a balance of products sold in the Dealers Room. Accommodation will be on a first-come-first-serve basis by the date the completed contract is received. 
  • Dealers can sell original merchandise in the Dealers room, so long as it is not unlicensed fanart or merchandise. Fan Art is defined as artwork based on popular works of fiction (such as books, movies, etc.) that is created by fans. What is determined to be fan art is at the sole discretion of the Dealers Room Department Head.
  • If a product is the same or similar to a licensed product or is a portrayal of a licensed item or character, it will not be allowed to be sold in the Dealers Room. Exceptions to this rule are only made if evidence of the license to make and sell such works is provided. 
  • AnimeNEXT holds the right to ask a dealer to remove any item from their booth that we do not feel is appropriate for sale or for that vendor. This decision is at the discretion of the Dealers Room Department Head or Exhibitions Director. This decision cannot be appealed. 
  • Anything that is illegal in NJ or the USA is not permitted at AnimeNEXT. It is the responsibility of the vendor to know all local laws. Failure to comply with laws and regulations will result in ejection from the Dealers Room without refund.

 

Adult Materials

Adult Material is allowed so long as it is clearly marked, covered at all times. Sale to minors under the age of 18 is strictly prohibited. You are responsible for checking the ID of each customer.

 

Official AmineNEXT 18+ wristbands are acceptable forms of age verification. If you have any reasonable suspicion that it has been altered or tampered with in any way, you are required to verify the age via a government-issued ID.

 

Adult Material is defined as anything sexually explicit, portraying sexual acts and nudity. Nudity is considered showing any body part(s) that would be normally covered by a typical bathing suit–swim trunks/Speedo for males, bikini for females.

 

Adult Material is allowed so long as it is clearly marked, covered and supervised at all times and must agree to the following policies:

  • Indicate on your application your intent to sell adult material
    • Any dealer who is found selling explicit material who has not previously informed us of intent to sell explicit material will be asked to remove the material from the convention.
  • Dealers may be subject to periodic inspections to confirm policy abidance at the discretion of the Dealers Room department Head.
  • All adult materials must be sectioned off from the rest of your booth. This section must be opaquely covered and completely enclosed from the outside.
  • All covering must be approved by the Department Head before a dealer is permitted to sell explicit material. Under no circumstances may adult material be visible to the general public at the con at any point in time.
  • You must clearly display signage dictating that within the closed-off area is explicit material, that no one under the age of 18 can view or enter the area, and that proof of ID is required to enter. 
  • All Attendees must show valid proof of ID (regardless of how old they look) to enter or view the materials in this section  
  • The Department Head has complete authority to request the removal of any explicit item.
  • Prohibited include but are not limited to the following: 
    • Pornographic images that do not fall under the umbrella of Hentai - ie. pornographic pictures of real women 
    • Real-life sexual objects/sex toys 

 

Weapons Policy

While AnimeNEXT does not prohibit weapons sales, attendees are prohibited from carrying items such as swords. We ask that dealers selling them take extra care in the design and positioning of their displays and packaging to ensure there is no mishandling of merchandise. 

 

The following policies apply to all weapon sales:

 

  • All steel and polycarbonate weapons must either be behind the table out of reach from attendees or in hard glass or plastic display cases on the table. Under no circumstances are they to be left on the table.
  • After purchase, the weapon must be packaged in their original boxes and completely sealed with industrial packing tape or duct tape.
  • Once packaged, you must wrap the sealed container once all the way around with a distinct colored tape to identify the dealer who sold it.
    • A piece of your distinct colored tape must be provided to Dealers Room Staff upon Check-In
  • Once the weapon is purchased and properly sealed, Dealers must instruct the attendee to remove the weapon from the convention center immediately.
  • The Dealers Room Department Head or the Convention Safety have the right to request items be removed from sale if there is an apparent danger to attendees, dealers, or merchandise
  • Dealers will be required to post visible signage at their booth that states this policy. 

 

The following weapons are prohibited from sale at AnimeNEXT:

  • Guns, Air Rifles, BB Guns
  • Switchblades, gravity knives, dirks, daggers, and stilettos
  • Throwing projectiles: Kunais and other throwing knives, shuriken, pointed spinners (including pointed “fidget spinners”)

 

Failure to comply with the Weapons Sales Policy will result in ejection from the Dealers Room, loss of privileges without refund, and a 2 year ban from selling with AnimeNext.

There are no exceptions. 

 

Mystery Box Policy

Mystery Boxes are permitted at AnimeNEXT with the following parameters:

  • Dealers must be able to provide proof of authenticity for all items sold if requested by the Dealers Room Staff or Convention Attorney
  • If requested, one or more samples of a mystery box, chosen by the Dealers Room Department Head or Convention Attorney, must be provided to inspect 
  • All items inside the mystery box must adhere to the Dealers Room rules



Copyright/Trademark Policy

All Dealers are liable for the items brought for sale at AnimeNEXT. Any questions regarding this policy will be resolved by the Dealers Room Department Head, in consultation with the AnimeNEXT lawyer and/or legal counsel when needed.

  •  If a piece of art or other merchandise appears to be very similar to a licensed, copyrighted, or official piece of art or is produced by a known or suspected bootleg or counterfeit company, the Dealer may be asked to remove it from display and sale at the discretion of the Dealers Room Department Head.
  • Any products containing a protected license created by the copyright or trademark holder, under commission of the copyright or trademark holder, or within the terms of a license agreement will be considered an original product.
    • If your merchandise falls under one of these categories please be sure to have copies of all appropriate paperwork on hand. 
  • Dealer represents and warrants that it has the right to sell all items brought for sale at AnimeNEXT, and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Universal Animation, Inc., AnimeNext, and the AnimeNext staff and volunteers from any and all claims resulting from the Dealer’s sale of goods in the Dealers Room. 
  • If you are the holder of a copyright, trademark, or license and feel like a Dealer is infringing on your rights please contact our Dealers Room Staff with any appropriate paperwork for your copyright, trademark or license.

 

Bootleg/Piracy Policy

AnimeNEXT has a zero-tolerance policy on bootlegs. AnimeNEXT does not allow the sale of bootleg merchandise including, but not limited to:

  • Burned CDs/DVSs
  • Flash Drives or memory devices containing pre-recorded data
  • Music or video CD/DVDs that are manufactured outside the US without legitimate copyright
  • Unofficial Plushies
  • Knockoff Figurines and Model Kits

 

AnimeNEXT does not allow the advertising of bootleg or knockoff products/services, and “shuttle” service to other locations for the purchase of such products or services. Any violation may result in ejection from the convention and forfeiture of all dealer fees.

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