Official Rules (last revised November 19, 2008)
Common Terms Used In These Rules:
These are the official rules that govern how PhizzPop Online Design Challenge (both US and non-US entry pools) promotion will operate.
The participation opportunities, elements and requirements of the overall promotion may collectively be referred to throughout the
rest of these rules as the "Promotion". In these rules, "we" "our" and "us" refer to Microsoft Corporation the sponsor of the Contest.
"You" "yourself" "I" "me" and "my" refers to an eligible Promotion entrant. "Site" refers to the Promotion’s official
website located at http://www.phizzpop.com.
Promotion Description:
The Promotion consists of a US version, open for entry to certain eligible US residents (described below)
and a non-US version, open for entry to certain eligible non-US residents (described below). The US version of the
Promotion is comprised of four (4) separate "Challenges", and the non-US version of the Promotion is comprise only
of three (3) separate Challenges (e.g. Challenge #2, #3 and #4). Each of the Challenges consists of the presentation
of an "Online Design Challenge" for which the object is to create and submit a solution utilizing Microsoft technologies
(which may include, without limitation, Microsoft Expression Studio, Visual Studio, Silverlight and Windows Live Services software)
and as further described in these rules, e.g. a "Challenge Entry". In both the US and non-US versions, two Grand
Prizes will be awarded in each of the Challenges: one Grand Prize based on application of the judging criteria
by a panel of Challenge judges; and the other Grand Prize determined by public rating. Promotion prizes and
their values for each of the US and non-US versions/entry pools for each of the applicable Challenges are described below.
Over the course and following the overall Promotion Entry Period (described below), each Challenge Entry may be
presented through the Site’s viewing and rating gallery.
What are the start and end dates?
For the US version, the Promotion starts at 12:00 AM Pacific Time ("PT") on October 15th, 2008 and ends at 11:59 PM PT on
May 26th, 2009. For the non-US version, the Promotion starts at 12:00 AM PT on November 19th, 2008 and ends at 11:59 PM PT
on May 26th, 2009. Participants not residing in the Pacific Time Zone and non-US residents should visit http://www.worldtimeserver.com/,
or similar time zone calculator, to determine applicable local date(s) and time(s) for purposes of these rules. These
dates will generally be referred to as the "Promotion Entry Period" throughout the rest of these rules. A "Calendar Day"
within the Entry Period starts at 12:00 AM PT and ends at 11:59 PM PT. Within the Promotion Entry Period, there are four (4)
separate Challenge Entry Periods as follows: Online Design Challenge #1 (US version only) (October 15 through November 26, 2008);
Online Design Challenge #2 (US and non-US) (November 19, 2008 through January 20, 2009); Online Design Challenge #3 (US and non-US)
(January 21 through March 24, 2009); and Online Design Challenge #4 (US and non-US) (March 25 through May 26, 2009).
Can you enter the Promotion’s Challenges?
You are eligible to enter the Promotion’s Challenges if you meet the following
requirements:
- For the US version: You are a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and you are 18 years old (or 19, if your United States state of residence is Nebraska or Alabama).
- For the non-US version: You are 18 years old or the age of legal majority (and capable of entering into legally enforceable and binding commitments without parent/guardian approval or consent) in your jurisdiction of residence and you are NOT a resident of any of the following countries/jurisdictions, in which the Promotion is specifically void and whose residents are excluded from entry in the Promotion: Cuba; Iran; North Korea; Sudan; Syria; United States/District of Columbia; Province of Quebec, Canada; or any other country, province or region where the Promotion is prohibited or restricted by law.
Additionally:
- 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 Promotion;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 Promotion. This Promotion
and participation in each of the Challenges is void where prohibited by law.
How do you register for the Promotion?
Register for the Promotion by following the directions on the Site (www.phizzpop.com)
and completing all mandatory registration requirements. Participation in the Promotion also
requires a Microsoft Live ID (and password), freely obtainable by clicking on the "Sign In"
icon on the upper right-hand corner of the Site and following the instructions. In conjunction
with your registration and potential entry in a Challenge, please consider reviewing these rules,
including the judging criteria, and PhizzPop training videos available for viewing
at www.phizzpop.com/main/TrainingVideo.aspx
What constitutes an eligible Challenge Entry?
To be eligible for judging and public rating in a Promotion Challenge, a Challenge Entry must be in English
and meet the following requirements:
- Use of Microsoft Technologies
Your Challenge Entry must be created with Microsoft software, e.g. Microsoft Expression Studio, Silverlight, Windows Live Services, and/or Visual Studio, depending on a specific Challenge’s specifications and requirements as stated in an Online Design Challenge. Free trial versions of Microsoft Expression Tools, Silverlight, Live Platform Services and Visual Studio, for purposes of participating in the Promotion, are available on a limited basis and subject to terms and conditions of trial use at:
- Account Registration
Submission of a Challenge Entry must be by and
through a registered Promotion account establish by a Participant/entrant on the
Site, including input of a Participant/entrant’s first and last name, e-mail
address, screen name, date of birth, business/company affiliation and role, business/company
contact information and other requirements incidental to the Site-specified registration
process (including acceptance and agreement to participate in Promotion in accordance
with the rules, terms and conditions of the Promotion).
- Challenge Entry Elements.
The specific elements of a submitted Challenge Entry (e.g., solution to a Online Design Challenge)
are the following: a Design Challenge Entry "Statement", a Design Challenge Entry "Title" (35 characters or less),
minimally one (1) and up to six (6) "Solution Screenshots" of the Design Challenge Entry (JPG, or PNG, 2MB or
less in size/Screenshot), and a link to where the Design Challenge Entry will be hosted by Participant/entrant
during applicable portions of the overall Promotion Entry Period relevant to the particular Challenge entered.
The registering and account-holding Participate will be deemed the official "Participant/Entrant"
for purposes of all participation in the Promotion, including prize awards. The elements of a submitted
Challenge Entry must be submitted using the sequential steps for the particular
Challenge entered, as specified on the Site.
- your Challenge Entry may not contain/use any personally identifiable information
other than a first name; and
- your Challenge Entry must be your own original work and must be hosted as originally entered throughout the applicable Challenge Entry and Rating Periods ; and
- you must have obtained any and all consents, approvals or licenses required for
you to submit your Challenge Entry; and
- your Challenge Entry must not otherwise violate the rights of any other person or
other company by using their trademarks, music, logos, names or images without their
express written consent.
How will my Entry be potentially used?
By submitting your entry, you: are granting us an irrevocable, worldwide right and
license to:
- reproduce or copy your entry with all known or later developed means in connection
with the promotion of this Challenge; and
- distribute the code or files associated with the submitted entry in connection with
the promotion of this Challenge; and
- use, review, assess, test and otherwise analyze your Challenge Entry and all its
content in connection with this Promotion or the Challenge entered; and
- feature your Challenge Entry and all its content in connection with the judging,
viewing/rating, communication and advertising of this Promotion in all media (now known
or later developed); and
- feature your Challenge Entry and all its content in connection with the promotion
of Microsoft Expressions Studio software, Silverlight, Visual Studio, and Windows
Live Services in all media (now known or later developed) as appropriate; and
- agree to sign any necessary documentation that may be required for us and our designees
to make use of the rights granted above; and
- understand that you will not receive any compensation or credit for use of your
Challenge Entry, other than what is described in these rules.
Please note that your Challenge Entry may be posted on the Site or a website selected
by us for viewing by visitors to the Site or that website. We are not responsible
for any unauthorized use of your Challenge Entry. While we reserve these rights,
we are not obligated to use your Challenge Entry for any purpose, even if it has
been selected as a winning Challenge Entry.
If you not want to grant us these rights to your Challenge Entry, please do not
enter this Promotion or a particular Challenge.
How do you submit a Challenge Entry?
After successfully registering, you may create and submit a Challenge Entry during an associated Challenge Entry Period. There is no limit on the number of Challenge Entries that may be submitted during the associated Challenge Entry Period, provided that each such Challenge Entry is original and in all material respects distinct from prior Challenge Entries submitted, as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
Once submitted, eligible Challenge Entries will be reviewed and initially
screened and accepted and may, without limitation to other uses and rights stated
in these rules, be posted to the Site’s viewing gallery.
We are not responsible for Challenge Entries that we do not receive for any
reason, or for tendered information or content that we receive but are not decipherable
for any reason.
We will disqualify:
(1) Any incomplete or illegible Challenge Entry; and
(2) Any Challenge Entries that we receive from you that we reasonably suspect or
believe are out of compliance with the Challenge Entry requirements described in
these rules, including containing obscene language or other material.
How will Challenge Entries for each of the four Challenges be judged?
A qualified judge or panel of judges will review all Challenge Entries in each
separate Challenge of the Promotion based upon the following criteria and identify
the highest ranked entrant, which will be the judged Grand Prize winner for that
Challenge, subject to verification:
Challenge #1 (US only)
1. Creativity/Aesthetics – How visually appealing is the solution? (40%)
2. Originality/Uniqueness of Overall Solution – Is the solution unique, differentiated,
and defensible? (30%)
3. Production/Technical Quality – How well does the solution incorporate the
Microsoft technologies? How well does the solution work? (15%)
4. Satisfaction of User Needs - How well does the solution satisfy the needs of
the users as defined by the profile? Is the experience appropriate for the audience?
How elegant is the experience? (15%)
Challenge #2 (US and non-US)
1. Creativity/Aesthetics – How visually appealing is the solution? (30%)
2. Originality/Uniqueness of Overall Solution – Is the solution unique, differentiated,
and defensible? (30%)
3. Production/Technical Quality – How well does the solution incorporate the
Microsoft technologies? How well does the solution work? (20%)
4. Satisfaction of User Needs - How well does the solution satisfy the needs of
the users as defined by the profile? Is the experience appropriate for the audience?
How elegant is the experience? (20%)
Challenges #3 and #4 (US and non-US)
1. Creativity/Aesthetics – How visually appealing is the solution? (25%)
2. Originality/Uniqueness of Overall Solution – Is the solution unique, differentiated,
and defensible? (25%)
3. Production/Technical Quality – How well does the solution incorporate the
Microsoft technologies? How well does the solution work? (30%)
4. Satisfaction of User Needs - How well does the solution satisfy the needs
of the users as defined by the profile? Is the experience appropriate for the audience?
How elegant is the experience? (20%)
The decisions of these judges are final and binding. In the event of a tie between
any eligible Challenge Entries, the tie will be broken by an additional judge who
will then judge the tied Entries based on the judging criteria in the order listed
above and determine rank order.
How will public rating for the Challenge Entries in each of the four Challenges occur?
Throughout a particular Challenge’s Entry Period and for five (5) Calendar Days following the conclusion of a Challenge’s Entry Period (a "Challenge Rating Period"), visitors (including entrants) to the Site who are minimally 13 years of age will have the opportunity to visit the Site’s public viewing and rating gallery and rate Challenge Entries (including your own entry) as specified on the Site’s gallery. A visitor may only rate a particular Challenge Entry posted and available for viewing and rating through the Site’s gallery one (1) time during a Challenge Rating Period (but a visitor may view and rate as many different Challenge Entries as are available).
To rate a Challenge Entry, click on the associated Rate This button/icon and select the desired number of stars from best/highest rating ("5 Stars") to the lowest rating ("1 Star"). Star ratings have the following point values: 1 Star = 0 points; 2 Stars = 1 point; 3 Stars = 2 points; 4 Stars = 3 points; and 5 Stars = 4 points. The Challenge Entry with the greatest number of points from all eligible ratings during a Challenge Rating Period will be the winner of the people’s choice format for that Challenge Period, subject to verification. Ties will be broken by determining which Challenge Entry reached the best/highest tied point total first.
Any suspected use of robotic, automatic, macro, programmed or like or alias methods
to participate or impact the integrity of the rating process in the Promotion, are
ineligible and will result in suspension or disqualification from participation
in the Promotion, the voiding of suspect ratings and/or other remedial actions or
consequences, at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Only ratings received on the Site
during an applicable Challenge Entry’s Rating Period will be counted for purposes
of the people’s choice format of a Challenge.
What are the Prizes/Recognition for each of the Promotion’s Challenges?
-
US Version: Online Design Challenge 1 (Entry Period 10/15/08
through 11/26/08 with rating through 12/1/08) Grand Prizes:
Two (2) Halo 3 Xbox 360 games (one each for judged and people’s choice formats).
Estimated retail value of each Online Design Challenge 1 Grand Prize is US $60.
-
Online Design Challenge 2 (Entry Period 11/19/08 through 1/20/09 with rating through 1/25/09) Grand Prizes:
Two (2) Microsoft Zune’s 8G (one each for judged and people’s choice formats).
Estimated retail value of each Online Design Challenge 2 Grand Prize is US $150.
-
Online Design Challenge 3 (Entry Period 1/21/09 through 3/24/09 with rating through 3/29/09) Grand Prizes:
Two (2) Xbox 360 Elite Console’s (one each for judged and people’s choice formats), each containing 1 Xbox 360 Console,
1 Wireless Xbox 360 Controller, 1 60GB Hard Drive, 1 Wired Headset, 1 Combination Component/Composite A/V
Cable and Silver Xbox Live Service. Estimated retail value of each Online Design Challenge 3 Grand Prize is US $500.
-
Online Design Challenge 4 (Entry Period 3/25/09 through 5/26/09 with rating through 5/31/09)
Grand Prizes One (1) Hewlett-Packard Computer System for judged format with estimated retail
value of US $6,000, and one (1) Wacom Pen Display Tablet for people’s choice format with
an estimated retail value of US $2,000.
-
Non-US Version: In each of Online Design Challenges 2, 3 and 4, the three (3)
entries in the judged formats of each Challenge with the highest, second highest and third highest scores
based on the Judging Criteria, and the entry receiving the highest public rating score in each Challenge,
will each receive a Promotion recognition trophy (ARV US $0/trophy).
Total estimated retail value of all Promotion Challenge prizes is US $6,710 for the judging determined Challenges, and US $2,710 for the people’s choice determined Challenges (in total, US $9,420). Limit one (1) Challenge Level prize per entrant/Participant.
If for any reason the advertised award/prize is unavailable, we reserve the right
to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. If you are selected as a potential
winner in this Promotion:
- You may not exchange your award for cash or any other merchandise or services;
- You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling
to accept your prize, we reserve the right to award it to an alternate potential
winner.
- If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related
to accepting the prize.
How will you know if you’re a winner?
Within approximately 21 Calendar Days from the end of a Challenge’s Entry
Period, we, or a company acting under our authorization, will complete judging,
public rating tabulations and final winner determination and upon verification,
will announce a Challenge’s winners on the Site (and potentially elsewhere).
If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an affidavit of eligibility,
liability/publicity release and/or appropriate tax reporting form. If you do not
sign and return these required forms within the time period listed on the winner
notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate.
What other conditions are you are agreeing to by entering this Promotion?
By entering this Promotion and its Challenges you both understand the following
and agree:
- To abide by these rules;
- To the extent allowed by law, to release and hold harmless Microsoft Corporation,
Gage Marketing Group, LLC, any prize providers and their 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 Promotion or any prize
won;
- That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related
to this Promotion; and
- This Promotion will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, United
States of America, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of Washington
courts (state and federal) for any disputes arising out of this Promotion.
What if something unexpected happens and the Promotion 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 Promotion,
we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Promotion, or any element
thereof. 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 Promotion, we reserve
the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had
to cancel, change or suspend the Promotion.
Computer "hacking" is a crime. If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the
legitimate operation of this Promotion 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 Promotion, so please
play fairly.
Who is sponsoring and administering this Promotion?
Microsoft Corporation is the sponsor of this Promotion.
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way Redmond,
WA 98052
Gage Marketing Group, LLC is the administrator of this Promotion.
Gage Marketing Group, LLC 10000 Highway Fifty Five Minneapolis, MN 55441