Sony M1 Let Your Snapshot Become a Story Photo Contest

Let Your Snapshot Become a Story Photo Contest

OFFICIAL RULES

Sponsored by: CNET Networks, Inc., 235 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94105 ("CNET").

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Submitting an entry constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and judges which shall be final and binding on all matters relating to this Contest.

The "Let Your Snapshot Become a Story Photo Contest" (the "Contest") begins at 8:00 am Pacific Time ("PT") on February 10, 2005 and ends at 5:00 pm PT on February 24, 2005 (the "Entry Period").

1. The Contest is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age or older as of February 10, 2005. Employees of Sponsor, and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members and those living the same household, are not eligible to participate. Void outside the United States and where prohibited by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

2. During the Entry Period, to enter, complete and submit the online entry form located at http://www.webshots.com/contest/contest.cgi?action=showForm&partner=sony2 (the "Entry"). To enter, send a photo that captures not just an image, but a story that’s occurring within the photo in accordance with the instructions on the online entry form. " You must submit the Entry no later than 5:00 pm PT on February 24, 2005 in order to be considered eligible. All parts of the Entry must be submitted as described herein or your entire Entry will be void. Entries submitted via any other method will be void. Limit one (1) Entry per person/household/e-mail address. Multiple Entries will be void. Use of any automated or programmed entry method or any false e-mail account will void all Entries made by that entrant. All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Entry must be the original work of the entrant and must be exclusively owned by the entrant prior to entry. Entry must not have been submitted in any other competition or previously published. Entry must be in keeping with Sponsor’s image and may not be offensive, as determined by judges in their sole discretion, nor can it defame or invade publicity rights or privacy rights of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or proprietary rights. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any Entry at any time in the event it is determined that the entrant has not complied with these Official Rules.

3. Three (3) winning Entries will be chosen by a panel of qualified judges on or around February 24, 2005 based equally on the following criteria: composition, originality and alignment with the theme.

The judges’ decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest.

4. The Prize to be awarded from the Contest is as follows:

Three (3) Prizes, one (1) awarded to three (3) separate winners: The best three (3) Entries will win a "Sony DSC-M1 Cyber-shot® digital camera" with an approximate retail value of $500.00. All federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. 1099 tax statements will be filed with the IRS for the any winner whose prize value exceeds $600. Prizes will be awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Prizes cannot be transferred, substituted or redeemed for cash, except by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.

5. The winner will be notified by mail or telephone. To claim their prize, winners must complete the Affidavit and General Release sent to winner by Sponsor within fifteen days of attempted notification. If a selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible and/or fails to respond to return the Affidavit and General Release within the designated time period, the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected from remaining valid, eligible Entries. In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an Entry, the Entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail account specified in the Entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. No automatically generated Entries will be accepted. Sponsor is not required to choose a winner.

6. Except where prohibited by law, by entering the Contest, each entrant agrees that Sponsor and its designees may use his or her name and likeness for advertising, promotional and other purposes in any and media now or hereafter known (including the right to post Entry on CNET’s website) without further compensation or notification. Neither Sponsor, nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, advertising and promotion agencies, or the respective officers, directors, employees or agents of the forgoing (collectively, the "Released Parties") are responsible for (i) any injury, losses or damages of any kind resulting from participation in this Contest or acceptance, possession or use of the any prize; or (ii) any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition or fitness. If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest, and judge entries from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to such action. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Released Parties are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this Contest. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, CNET RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

7. By submitting a Entry, each entrant agrees Sponsor shall own the Entry submitted (including all rights embodied therein) and that it and its designees may exploit all elements of such entry in any and all media now known or not currently known (including the right to post Entry on Sponsor’s website), without compensation to entrant or any third party and without limitation to time or territory. The Sponsor reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, exploit, modify, copy, disseminate, post or dispose of any Entry, online, in print, film, television, or in any other media for advertising and promotional or other purposes without compensation or notification to the entrant of any kind, except as prohibited by law.

8. By entering this Contest, you agree and consent that any information you provide upon entering may be used by CNET Networks, Inc. in accordance with its Privacy Policy, available at http://www.cnet.com/html/aboutcnet/editorial/privacy.html?tag=ft,

If you do not want your information used in this manner do not enter this Contest.

9. Winners Names: For the names of the winners, available after February 24, 2005, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Let Your Snapshot Become a Story Contest, CNET Networks, Inc. 235 Second Street, San Francisco, to be received by February 15, 2005.