All contests come with their own set of rules. Here is ours.
CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. ELIGIBILITY: The WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone "Create a WOW! Commercial" Contest (the "Contest") is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the State of Ohio, Illinois, Michigan or Indiana, are eighteen (18) years or older at the time of entry and reside at a residence that is wired and serviceable by WideOpenWest's (WOW!) existing broadband system. Employees of WideOpenWest Finance LLC, and its related companies, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited by law.
2. SPONSOR: The Contest is sponsored by WideOpenWest Finance, LLC ("WOW"), 7887 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 1000, Englewood, Colorado, 80111.
3. AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: Participation in the Contest constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of WOW, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein in a timely manner.
4. ENTRY PERIOD: The Contest begins on March 16, 2007 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time ("EST") and ends on May 30, 2007 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST (the "Entry Period"). Entries received prior to or after the Entry Period will be disqualified.
5. ENTRY: To enter, access the Internet Website at www.wowway.com/mycommercial (the "Contest Website") during the Entry Period and follow all instructions for completing the official online entry (the "Contest Details"). Entry may only be accomplished online. The Contest involves the creation of an original video (following the specifications and limitations contained on the Contest Website and within these Official Rules) which you will upload to the Contest Website. The video can be no more than 30-seconds in length, no more than 5MB size, and must be in a web-friendly format such as QuickTime® (.mov, mpg or other QuickTime-compatible format) or Windows Media® (.wmv), and should reflect a positive experience you have had with WOW and its services. You may make the video creative by using any means you wish (e.g., featuring actors, puppets, animation, animals, etc.), provided all such means adhere to these Official Rules. You agree and understand that your submitted video will be posted on the Contest Website after it has been reviewed and approved by WOW for compliance with the Official Rules. Visitors to the Contest Website will have the opportunity to view and rate videos that WOW has determined to post to the Contest Website. Visitors may only rate each video one time each day. There is no cost to enter. Only complete online entries, as determined by WOW in its sole discretion, will be accepted or entered into the Contest. No limit to the number of entries per person. WOW is not responsible for lost, late or misdirected entries.
6. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Each submission must meet the following requirements. Compliance will be determined by WOW in its sole discretion: a) Submissions must be original and must not have been previously published, released or distributed in any form or have previously won any award. b) Submissions containing personally identifiable information (such as address, phone number or other identifying information, beyond use of your name and/or image or likeness) about the submitter or any other person(s) will be considered ineligible and will not be posted on the Contest Website. c) Submissions must not include any infringing, threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, libelous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, or profane content. This means, for example, that there must not be any sexually explicit or offensive content, or nudity. d) Submissions must not include any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law. e) Submissions must be consistent with standards for family audience viewing. f) Submissions must not contain or infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property rights of any third person or entity. This means, for example, that submissions must not include: i. trademarks owned by others, including consumer brands; ii. copyrighted materials owned by others (including dialogue from existing movies, musical compositions, and sound recordings); iii. the names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying celebrities and other public figures, living or dead; iv. or look-alikes or sound-alikes of celebrities or other public figures, living or dead. g) Images and music in the submissions must be original. Entrants may not purchase or secure the rights to use stock footage or existing music. h) Costumes, sets, props, and other materials used in a visual submission (e.g., stills or clips) must either be (1) original; or (2) generic and rented or borrowed for the submission with the permission of the owner. Entrants are responsible for obtaining all permits from local authorities and other permissions (such as location agreements) necessary to create their visual submissions. i) Submissions must not contain any commercial content that promotes any product or service other than that of WOW. Submissions may not contain screen credits, including acknowledgments for donated or bartered goods and services. Credits may only be listed in the separate text box included on the submission page. j) Submissions must be titled by entrant at time of upload. Spot titles must not contain any profanity or copyrighted material and must be suitable for all ages. Spot titles not meeting these requirements will result in the entry being disqualified. By submitting an entry, the entrant represents and warrants (1) that the entrant has all necessary rights to enter the submission and have it displayed on the Contest Website; (2) that the submission does not contain or infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property rights of any third person or entity, and (3) that each person depicted in the submission has granted permission to be portrayed as shown, and (4) if the entrant is a minor (as determined by the country in which he/she resides), the entrant has his/her parent's consent to participate in the Contest, and (5) that the submission reflects the honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experience of the entrant. All submissions will be reviewed by WOW to determine, in its discretion, whether they comply with the foregoing requirements and these Official Rules. Submissions that do comply, as determined by WOW in its discretion, will be posted to the Contest Website and made available for rating by visitors to the Contest Website. WOW reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify and remove, even after the submission is posted on the Contest Website, any submission that does not comply with the requirements set forth in the Contest Details or these Official Rules, and WOW will remove the submission from the Contest Website. Any entry deemed unsuitable for any reason will be disqualified in WOW's sole discretion. Normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by entrants' online service will apply. No information regarding entries or judging, other than as otherwise set forth in the Official Rules, will be disclosed. All entries submitted become the property of WOW and will not be returned. By submitting the video as an entry in the Contest, each entrant irrevocably assigns, transfers and conveys the entire ownership, right, title, and interest in the video to WOW. Accordingly, WOW will have ownership of and copyright in the video. Each contestant acknowledges and agrees that WOW may use the submitted video for any lawful purpose, including for advertising and promotional purposes. Each contestant agrees, for example, that video entries may, in WOW's sole discretion, be posted to the Contest Website and/or aired on the WOW cable system.
7. HOW WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED: All entries received will be evaluated by WOW based on the following criteria: creativity, adherence to the Contest Details and Official Rules, ratings by visitors to the Contest Website and alignment with the WOW brand. Up to 10 semi-finalists will be selected by WOW from the entire base of entries and will be posted on the contest website by June 10, 2007 for public viewing and voting until June 29, 2007. Winner will be selected based on total number of public votes. Winner will be notified by mail and/or phone by July 18, 2007. WOW will attempt to notify the potential winner within ten (10) days of selection. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within ten (10) days after the first attempt to contact them, such potential winner may be deemed by WOW to be ineligible and disqualified. In such event, WOW may select and notify an alternate winner.
The Finalist Submissions will be posted for the public (ages 13 or older) to vote on their favorite at http://wowusnow.com starting on June 10, 2007 at 12:00:00 am ET and ending on June 29, 2007 at 11:59:59 pm ET ("Voting Period"). Limit one (1) vote per person, per internet connection/outbound IP address/household address, per Day. A "Day" is defined as the 24 hours between 12:00:00 am ET and 11:59:59 pm ET throughout the Voting Period. At the close of the Voting Period, the Submission that receives the most votes will be deemed the Grand Prize Winner ("Grand Prize Winner"). In the unlikely event that public voting results in a tie, the tied Submissions will be re-judged by the Judges based on the judging criteria stated above. All Finalists are subject to verification, including without limitation, verification of eligibility, compliance with these Official Rules and completion of release forms (described below). If attempted notification is returned as undeliverable, if a Finalist cannot be verified, or if a Finalist is otherwise unable to accept prize, prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate Finalist provided sufficient time remains, in Sponsor's discretion.
8. REQUIREMENTS OF THE POTENTIAL WINNERS: Except where prohibited, potential winners once contacted will be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (the "Affidavit/Release") within fifteen (15) days of being notified. If a potential winner fails to sign and return the Affidavit/Release within the required time period, such potential winner may be deemed by WOW to be ineligible and disqualified. In such event, WOW may select an alternate winner.
9. PRIZES: The Contest winner will receive: twelve (12) months service of WOW! Digital Cable with HD Pak, WOW! High Definition Digital Video Recorder service, WOW! 6.0Mbps/1Mbps High- Speed Internet service and WOW! Advanced Phone service, retail value $2,075.64, one Sony VAIO Computer, Model VGNFE890N/H, Retail Value $ 1,600.00; and one 46" Sony BRAVIA Flat Panel LCD HDTV, Model KDL46S2010, Retail Value $ 2,700.00. All prize values are approximate retail prices. WOW reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or comparable value. There are no cash substitutes for service and/or merchandise prizes. All applicable taxes and fees associated with a prize are solely the winner's responsibility. With the exception of the free services provided by WOW, the winner will be charged at standard rates for all other services (such as additional premise equipment, video on demand purchases, pay-per-view purchases and service upgrades). Regulatory fees, franchise, service and other similar fees also remain the winner's sole responsibility. WOW reserves the right to immediately terminate the free services if the winner is delinquent in the payment of any invoices relating to charges for such other services and fees. Prizes may not be transferred or assigned prior to being awarded to a winner.
10. PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes a participant’s consent to WOW to use participant’s: (i) video; (ii) video title/name; and (iii) name, likeness, voice, opinion, biographical information and state of residence, for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.
11. GENERAL CONDITIONS: In the event that any fraud, virus, technical error, bug, unauthorized human intervention or other problem impairs the administration, fairness, integrity, or security of the Contest, WOW may, in its sole discretion, suspend the Contest to address the impairment and either: (a) take reasonable action to resume the Contest in a manner that most closely adheres to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) cancel the Contest and award any remaining prizes from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. WOW reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in a disruptive manner. ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE A WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW, AND, SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, WOW RESERVES THE RIGHT TO IMMEDIATELY TERMINATE THE USER'S ACCOUNT, IF ANY, AND SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. WOW's failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. In the event of a dispute as to any online entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person assigned an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address.
12. RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS WOW, ITS AFFILIATES, AS WELL AS ANY ADVERTISING AND/OR CONTEST AGENCIES USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST, INCLUDING THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS (THE "RELEASED PARTIES") FROM AND AGAINST ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST OR RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (A) WOW'S USE OF THE ENTRANT'S VIDEO OR ANY ADS DEVELOPED BY USE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, OF THE VIDEO, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY CLAIMS FOR DEFAMATION, INVASION OF PRIVACY, RIGHT OF PUBLICITY, AND/OR COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK OR OTHER INFRINGEMENT OF ANOTHER'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS; (B) UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN INTERVENTION IN THE CONTEST; (C) TECHNICAL ERRORS RELATED TO COMPUTERS, SERVERS, PROVIDERS, OR TELEPHONE OR NETWORK LINES; (D) PRINTING ERRORS; (E) ERRORS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONTEST OR THE PROCESSING OF ENTRIES; (F) LOST, DELAYED, MISDIRECTED, OR UNDELIVERABLE MAIL; OR (G) INJURY OR DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY WHICH MAY BE CAUSED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, FROM ENTRANT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST OR RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE. ENTRANT FURTHER AGREES THAT IN ANY CAUSE OF ACTION, WOW'S SOLE MAXIMUM LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE ACTUAL COST OF ENTERING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL WOW BE LIABLE FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES. ENTRANT WAIVES THE RIGHT TO CLAIM ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL (INCLUDING LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY OR GOODWILL), SPECIAL, DIRECT, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES.
13. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the County of Franklin, State of Ohio. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of WOW in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Ohio or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than State of Ohio.
14. CONTEST RESULTS: The winner's name(s) will be made available at wowway.com/mycommercial after August 1, 2007 for a period of 30 days.
