Anime-Beta TNG

2. Eligibility of Sequence-mates of Previous Winners. According to Submission Rule #5, "Sequence mates of previous winners will be allowed if there is a substantial difference between the two." However, the 2013 organizers found that this places an unfair burden on contestants, as it means that they need to survey all the winners in every category from the start of the contest in 2003 to ensure the eligibility of their entries. (Worse, the first two contests are no longer viewable.)

Further, Rule #4 states, the same cel that won a prize is eligible to compete for a prize again as soon as it changes owners. It seemed illogical that a winner could, theoretically, complete again and again, provided it kept being sold between contests, while nearby sequence-mates held by other contestants were banned for life.

A case of this type arose this year during viewing. The cel in question had won in 2008, making the sequence-mate submitted in 2013 ineligible. The organizers felt this was unfair, but unavoidable, given the present wording of the rules, so the cel was taken down and the contestant allowed to enter a different cel.

For that reason the organizers agreed that a time limit should be added to Rule #5 to ease the burden on contestants and allow sequence-mates to compete a reasonable time after a similar cel had won a prize. So the new wording of the rule would read like this (new wording underlined):

5.) Sequence mates of previous winners will be allowed three years after the previous cel received an award. They may also be eligible sooner if there is a substantial difference between the two. Please inform the contest coordinator which piece you are submitting a sequence mate of. You may not submit a sequence mate if you also own the previous winning piece.

I think the rule should be changed to something to the effect of "A sequence mate determined to be a close match to a prior winner, or the winning cel itself, can be resubmitted for award consideration if five years have passed since the cel won and if the cel's owner is not the same person as the one that originally won with this item."

This allows other people who own sequence mates to use their for consideration, but, limits the competition to be swamped with sequence mates should the entire cut be available for purchase and multiple AB members each buy one.

I like Cutiebunny's idea to kind of combine rules 4 & 5 under a blanket "re-eligibility in X number of years" for both winning cels and close sequence mates, regardless of owner. I do think 3 years is more reasonable than 5, though. I do still like the part of the rule that states that sequence mates from different owners may be eligible sooner if organizers deem them to be substantially different from a previous winning piece.