Vendor Code of Conduct

Space Usage and Access

1. Vendor agrees that access to Savage Mill outside of convention hours is restricted to Savage Geek Fest, Omnihedral, and Savage Mill staff. Vendor also acknowledges that no individual will be allowed to sell merchandise without a vendor badge. Vendor agrees and acknowledges that the sale, giveaway, or transfer of vendor badges is not permitted. If determined to be doing so by Savage Geek Fest staff, such activity shall be grounds for default of this contract by Vendor, and cause for removal from Savage Geek Fest. People behind vendor tables within Savage Geek Fest without badges are subject to removal from the convention.
2. Vendor understands that the only place vendors are authorized to conduct business during Savage Geek Fest is the contracted space(s) inside Savage Mill. Any sale of merchandise by vendors outside the contracted space without the permission of Savage Geek Fest shall be grounds to consider the Vendors in default of this contract.
3. Vendor understands that space in Savage Mill shall only be confirmed and registered when full payment and this entire signed contract is received and approved by Savage Geek Fest.
4. Vendor shall not sublet or assign any portion of their rented space in Savage Mill. If Vendor is determined to be subletting or assigning any portion of their space as determined by Savage Geek Fest, this activity will be grounds for default of this contract by Vendor, and cause for immediate removal from Savage Geek Fest.
5. All space costs are non-refundable.

Merchandise and Vendor Content

1. Vendor understands that spaces can only be registered by the Vendor who created the artwork. Proxy selling is strictly prohibited. Any Vendor found to be misrepresenting themselves as someone they are not will be removed immediately and may be banned from Savage Geek Fest in future years.
2. All Vendors must keep their display to the boundaries of their table. If your display must sit on the floor, the base's legs may not be more than 3 feet from the back of your table/cart and must not disrupt the common walking area. No displays or Vendor materials may obstruct the aisles in any way. Aisles must be kept clear at all times due to fire safety codes. If a display is found to be encroaching upon an aisleway, the Vendor will be asked to remove the materials. If a Vendor receives a request to remove display items more than once, they may be subject to removal.
3. Any structure brought to display artwork must be of sound construction. If any structure falls down, appears unstable, or extends outside the space limitations, the Vendor to whom it belongs will be asked to remove it by Savage Geek Fest staff. Displays must also reside within the confines of your contracted space. Displays behind your table/cart may not impede upon other Vendors' areas nor disrupt traffic flow in case of emergency. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any injuries that occur due to structural violations.
4. All table signage should match the information the Vendor registered with. Signage that does not match your registration must be removed. If the Vendor requires a name change, please contact Savage Geek Fest at least 3 weeks prior to Savage Geek Fest. A change is only allowed for the Vendor name. Any attempts to exploit this as a table transfer will result in removal from Savage Geek Fest.
5. If a piece of art appears to be very similar to a licensed, copyrighted, etc. piece of art, the Vendor may be asked to remove it from display and discontinue selling at the discretion of Savage Geek Fest. If a Vendor is found selling an item after they are explicitly told not to, then they may be removed from Savage Geek Fest. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from copyright infringement. When displaying fan art, Vendors must respect the source's trademarks. This includes but is not limited to avoiding things such as use of logos in their display, signage referring to the artwork by its series or signage referring to the character's name. Any artwork containing a protected license created by the copyright holder, under commission of the copyright holder, or within the terms of a license agreement will be considered original. If your work falls under one of these categories please be sure to have copies of all appropriate contracts and paperwork available for Savage Geek Fest staff. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from copyright infringement.

Adult Materials

1. Savage Geek Fest asks that all Vendors keep in mind the presence of minors and families attending Savage Geek Fest. The acceptability of displays of adult material is at the sole discretion of Savage Geek Fest. Any materials which are sexually explicit, excessively and graphically violent, or otherwise unsuitable for children must be displayed in a manner that keeps minors from seeing them. If these materials are found out in the open, or Savage Geek Fest staff receives complaints, the Vendor will be asked to move the material or possibly remove the material from the space entirely. Vendors must request ID from customers when making sales of adult materials. If any Vendor sells inappropriate materials to minors, they will be removed from Savage Geek Fest and may be held accountable under Maryland law. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from violating Maryland law.

Weapons

1. Vendors may only sell weapons to individuals aged 18 and older and must be safely wrapped. Once the item has been sold, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure the item remains in the original packaging until leaving Savage Geek Fest.

AI Generated Art

1. AI Generated Art is prohibited and will be considered a form of counterfeit merchandise. Anyone found to have AI generated art will be asked to remove it and/or the Vendor will be removed from future Savage Geek Fest.

3D Printed Materials

1. Anyone selling 3D printed items will need to prove they either: created and hold the rights to the models; procured the rights to sell the models from the original creator and are able to provide the approval to Savage Geek Fest staff; the model is covered under a commercial use license to be printed and sold.

Items Prohibited from Sale

1. Any work with copyrighted materials and/or trademarked logos (official art), regardless of whether or not the work is original. Copyrighted material may be sold where Vendor is able to produce a valid contract signed by the owner of the copyright and giving Vendor license to display and offer for sale any of their copyrighted works for Savage Geek Fest staff. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from copyright infringement.
2. Any unlicensed goods, art, and any non-licensed versions of games and shows or movies. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from the sale of unlicensed and non-licensed goods.
3. Copyright-violating traced, photoshopped, or transferred art. This includes but is not limited to "redraw" projects and pixel artwork (perler, sprites, etc.), which directly copy a licensed work. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from copyright infringement.
4. 2nd or 3rd party art and sales.
5. Props that are a direct replication of a copyrighted and/or licensed nature. Savage Geek Fest and its affiliated organizations are not responsible for any legal fees or associated costs that may incur from copyright infringement.
6. Smoking paraphernalia.

Vendor Conduct 1. Smoking, including vapes or e-cigarettes while within Savage Mill is prohibited, and the use of alcohol or drugs (including marijuana) while in Savage Mill will not be tolerated. Violations will result in removal from the convention. Smoking is allowed outside the Savage Mill buildings. 2. Vendors are expected to be courteous and polite to one another, the staff, and other convention attendees. 3. Vendor understands that live and recorded music is not permitted. If other Vendors or staff complain about the volume, lights, sounds, or other aspects of your display, you may be asked to stop or remove the offending aspects at the discretion of Savage Geek Fest. 4. Photography and video recordings are permitted within the Vendor space with the expressed consent of the person or Vendor being recorded. Similarly, pictures or videos of art are allowed only with permission of the other Vendor. Pictures may be taken for promotional purposes for future Savaget Geek Fest events. 5. Vendors are requested not to move or tamper with Savage Geek Fest signage without staff permission. 6. Any violation of Savage Geek Fest Vendor rules can potentially result in the Vendor being removed from the convention at the discretion of Savage Geek Fest staff. If a Vendor is removed, they forfeit all fees and will not receive a refund for their space.

Attendance 1. Please plan to staff your space for the duration of the open hours each day of the event that you are contracted to attend. If the contracted space is left vacant for 5+ hours of the contracted time, involvement in future Savage Geek Fest events may be impacted. In the event of an emergency, Vendor must contact Savage Geek Fest staff to inform them of the situation prior to vacating the space.

Maryland Sales Tax Information

Maryland Law requires that all Vendors collect a 6% Maryland sales tax separate from the amount of the sale. Any collected sales tax must be given to the Maryland Comptroller within 30 days of Savage Geek Fest.

Vendors not currently holding a State of Maryland Sales and Use Tax License agree to file the proper forms with the State of Maryland for a Temporary Sales and Use Tax License (COM/ST-203) prior to the first day of the event. Vendor hereby understands that a failure to file any legal or tax forms may result in a tax assessment against the Vendor by the Maryland State Comptroller. Savage Geek Fest has no ability to influence the issuing of a Maryland tax license. All questions and comments should be directed to the Maryland State Comptroller.

Apply at: https://taxes.marylandtaxes.gov/Business_Taxes/Business_Tax_Types/Sales_and_Use_Tax/

Savage Geek Fest is required to provide the Maryland Comptroller with a list of Vendors along with their information.

Indemnification Each party (the “Indemnifying Party”) shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other party (the “Indemnified Party”), its affiliates, and its respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, settlements, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising from or in connection with any breach of this agreement by the Indemnifying Party or its representatives, except to the extent that such claims, damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, settlements, costs and expenses are caused by the negligence or intentional misconduct of the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Indemnifying Party of any such claim and reasonably cooperate with the Indemnifying Party in defense of such claims at the Indemnifying Party’s expense.

Securing Your Space Payment for Vendor space is due before/on April 27th, 2024. Payments should be sent to:

Omnihedral

8600 Foundry Street

Cotton Shed Building Suite 201C

Savage, MD 20763