Hohm Video Contest Rules

MICROSOFT WELCOME TO MY HOHM CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Microsoft Welcome to my Hohm contest promotion will operate (“Contest”).
In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of this Contest. “You” refers to an eligible Contest entrant.

CONTEST DESCRIPTION:

This is a skill-based Contest. The object of this Contest is to create awareness around what Hohm users are doing to create a more “green” living environment. For purposes of this Contest, each photo or video you create and submit in the Contest will be called an “entry.” All eligible entries received will be judged using the criteria described below to determine the winners of the prizes described below. In addition, this contest will include an early bird participation component in that the first 100 qualifying participants that submit a valid entry will receive an additional prize listed below.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Contest starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on November 4, 2009, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on January 5, 2010 (“Entry Period”). The Entry Period will be followed by a public viewing period (“Viewing Period”) which begins at 12:01 a.m. PT on January 6, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on January 15, 2010.

CAN I ENTER?

You are eligible to enter this Contest if you meet the following requirements at time entry:

You are a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, and are 18 years of age or older.
- If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Contest; and
You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest; and
You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest.

This Contest is void outside the geographic area described above and wherever else prohibited by law.

HOW DO I ENTER?

The contest consists of two (2) separate categories: Video and Photo. To enter either category, please follow the instructions below.

Video Category: To participate in the video category, you must create an original video according to the content and technical requirements listed below and upload your entry to www.YouTube.com. Once you have uploaded your video, reply to one of the following web addresses with the URL of your video:

Photo Category: To participate in the photo category, you must provide an original photo according to the content and technical requirements listed below and upload your entry to the contest website at www.microsofthohm.ning.com. You will be asked to create a free registration account and submit an online entry form which includes submission of your photo.

Limit one (1) video entry and one (1) photo entry per person.

We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason.

We will automatically disqualify:

Any incomplete or illegible entry; and
Any entries that we receive from you that are in excess of the entry limit described above.

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ELIGIBLE ENTRY?

To be eligible for judging an entry must meet the following content / technical requirements:

Video Category:

Your video must be at least 30 seconds in length but cannot exceed 2 minutes.
Your video must be submitted in one of the following formats: .mov, .mp4, .mpg, .avi, .wmv, .3gp, or .3g2
Your video cannot exceed 10 MB
Your video must feature at least 2 green improvements that you would like to make to your home
The file name of your video must include the word “entry” when uploaded to the site. Example: hohmvideoentry.mov.

Photo Category:

Your photo must be submitted in one of the following formats: .jpg, .gif, or .png
Your photo cannot exceed 10MB
Your photo must feature at least 2 green improvements that you would like to make to your home
You can use a maximum of 6 photos stitched together to create one overall photo in order to better illustrate your entry.
The file name of your photo must include the word “entry” when uploaded to the site. Example: hohmphotoentry.jpg.

In addition:

your entry must be your own original work; and
your entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other contest; and
you must have obtained any and all consents, approvals or licenses required for you to submit your entry; and
your entry must not otherwise violate the rights of any other person or company by using their trademarks, music, logos, names or images.

Entries may NOT contain, as determined by us, in our sole and absolute discretion, any content that:

is sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic;
promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing) or a particular political agenda;
is obscene or offensive;
defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies;
contains trademarks, logos, or trade dress (such as distinctive packaging or building exteriors/interiors) owned by others;
contains copyrighted materials owned by others (including photographs, sculptures, paintings, and other works of art or images published on or in websites, television, movies or other media);
contains materials embodying the names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying any person, (other than the member of your family or community for you have received consent) including, without limitation, celebrities and/or other public or private figures, living or dead;
contains look-alikes of celebrities or other public or private figures, living or dead;
communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which we wish to associate; and/or violates any law;

We reserve the right to reject any entry, in our sole and absolute discretion, that we determine does not meet the above criteria.

HOW WILL MY ENTRY BE POTENTIALLY USED?

Other than what is set forth below, we are not claiming any ownership rights to your entry. However, by submitting your entry, you:

are granting us an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to: (i) use, review, assess, test and otherwise analyze your entry and all its content in connection with this Contest; and (ii) feature your entry and all into content in connection with the promotion of this Contest in all media (now known or later developed);
agree to sign any necessary documentation that may be required for us and our designees to make use of the rights you granted above;
understand and acknowledge that the Promotion Parties may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your submission and you waive any claims you may have resulting from any similarities to your entry;
understand that we cannot control the incoming information you will disclose to our representatives in the course of entering, or what our representatives will remember about your entry. You also understand that we will not restrict work assignments of representatives who have had access to your entry. By entering this Contest, you agree that use of information in our representatives’ unaided memories in the development or deployment of our products or services does not create liability for us under this agreement or copyright or trade secret law;
understand that you will not receive any compensation or credit for use of your entry, other than what is described in these Official Rules

Please note that following the end of this Contest your entry may be posted on a website selected by us for viewing by visitors to that website. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use of your entry by visitors to this website. While we reserve these rights, we are not obligated to use your entry for any purpose, even if it has been selected as a winning entry.

If you do not want to grant us these rights to your entry, please do not enter this Contest.

WINNER DETERMINATION AND PRIZES

Public Viewing Period:

On or around January 6th, 2010 all eligible entries in each category will be posted to http://blog.microsoft-hohm.com and visitors to the site will be invited to view the entries in each category. At the close of the viewing period, the top ten (10) entries in each category with the most views will be considered "semi-finalists".

Judging Period:

After the close of the viewing period, the top 10 entries in each category as determined by the criteria above will be reviewed by a panel of judges according to the judging criteria listed below and two (2) winners will be selected in each category to receive the prizes listed below

Judging Criteria:

50% - Originality
25% - Need of energy efficiency
25% - Production Quality

The decisions of the judges are final and binding. If we do not receive a sufficient number of entries meeting the entry requirements, we may, at our discretion, select fewer winners than described above.

In the event of a tie between any eligible entries, an additional judge will break the tie based on the judging criteria described above. The decisions of the judges are final and binding. If we do not receive a sufficient number of entries meeting the entry requirements, we may, at our discretion, select fewer winners than the number of Contest Prizes described below.

Winners will be notified on or around January 18th, 2010

Contest Prizes

Video Category:

One (1) Grand Prize. A $2,500 gift certificate to one of the following home improvement stores: Home Depot, Lowes, or Do It Best. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $2,500.00

One (1) First Prize. An HP ProBook 4510s Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR). Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $999.00.

Photo Category:

One (1) Grand Prize. A $2,500 gift certificate to one of the following home improvement stores: Home Depot, Lowes, or Do It Best. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $2,500.00

One (1) First Prize. An HP ProBook 4510s Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR). Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $999.00.

Early Bird Participation: The first 100 qualifying participants that submit a valid entry will receive the following prize:

One hundred (100) Early Bird Prizes. A copy of Windows 7 Home Edition. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $119.00.

The total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of all prizes: $18,898.00

Limit one (1) category prize and one (1) early bird prize per person.

If you are a potential winner, we will notify you by sending a message to the e-mail address associated with your free Ning account you created during registration, within seven (7) days following completion of judging. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award to a runner-up.

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter the Contest. If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release and a W-9 tax form or W-8 BEN tax form within 10 days of notification. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but are considered a minor in your place of legal residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select a runner-up.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Contest:

You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and
You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we may award it to a runner up; and
If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and
If you are otherwise eligible for this Contest, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and
Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and / or terms and conditions.

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS AM I AGREEING TO BY ENTERING?

By entering this Contest you agree:

To abide by these Official Rules; and
To release and hold harmless Microsoft and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Contest, or any prize won; and
That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Contest; and
That, by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Contest, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS CONTEST IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED?

This Contest will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Contest.

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CONTEST CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED?

If someone cheats, or a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Contest, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Contest. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Contest, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Contest.

If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Contest by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Contest, so please play fairly.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHO WON?

We will post the names of winners who received a prize online at http://blog.microsoft-hohm.com/. This list will remain posted until February 5, 2010.

WHO IS SPONSORING THIS CONTEST?

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

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