— Prohibits purchase requests, even if contest winners are selected based on their skills. 9. Terms and Conditions: [Your company name] reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign if viruses, errors, unauthorized human intervention, fraud or any other cause beyond [your company name`s] control or compromise administration, security, the fairness or proper conduct of the Campaign. In this case, [your company name] may select the winner from all eligible entries received before and/or (if applicable) after the promotion conducted by [your company name]. [Your Company Name] reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any person who tampers with or attempts to tamper with the registration process or the operation of the Campaign or Website or who violates these Terms and Conditions. [Your company name] has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the campaign and void votes for any reason, including, but not limited to: multiple entries by the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer beyond those permitted by the campaign rules; or the use of robots, macros, scripts or other technical means of input. Any attempt by an entrant to intentionally damage a website or interfere with the legal operation of the campaign may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. If such an attempt is made, [name of your company] reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. In this section, define who is eligible for the contest or contest. Be thorough and precise. Also, be sure to mention who is NOT eligible.
For example, you can say “invalid where prohibited by law” and indicate that your employees, as well as your subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, advertising and promotional agencies, immediate family members of employees, etc., are not eligible to participate in the contest or contest. As you can see, there are many legal issues to consider when running a contest or promotion on social media. Familiarize yourself with them and save yourself headaches (or worse!). A note on Rocket Lawyer: This page offers a free contest rules wizard that allows you to create them for your sweepstakes or contest. The document is free with a one-week free trial. Your contest rules must clearly state which prize will be awarded to the winner. Leave nothing to interpret here. Is it a $500 cash gift card or a $500 gift card with no cash value? In the Terms and Conditions section, list anything that you, as the Sponsor, reserve the right to modify, suspend, cancel or terminate in the event that unauthorized human intervention, error or virus, fraud or other causes beyond your control affect or affect the safety, fairness, proper conduct or administration of the Contest/Gift. Many U.S. states regulate advertising campaigns individually, especially if prices include alcohol, tobacco, or firearms. It is important to know that advertising campaigns are subject to the laws and regulations of the state in which the participant lives. When drafting your competition rules, keep in mind that each state has individual considerations.
For example, below is a list of some state-by-state examples. Rhode Island: For each contest or sweepstakes offered at a retail outlet that includes prizes totaling more than $500, you must register the promotion with the state. Even if you specify another input method (in other words, you don`t need to visit the store to enter), it must be saved. Without any of these elements, successful competition could have quickly turned into a disaster. We also recommend that you finalize your official rules with the help of a lawyer. Anyone who has submitted photos or other works through your contest platform has granted you the right to use that work in accordance with your terms. In Colorado, contests and sweepstakes are prohibited from requiring entrants to purchase or return to participate in a promotion. Most states allow purchase requirements in contests where winners are selected based on skills or criteria. — Special rules apply to sweepstakes with prizes over $50,000, such as when a person does not automatically enter a sweepstakes because they made a purchase.
Do you write the sweepstakes or contest rules? Not so funny, honestly. That simple or cool idea of building brand awareness and new leads just turned into a little puzzle as you try to figure out what to include in your “official rules.” In addition, the Sponsors may not require consumers to pay return shipping costs when requesting information about your promotion, such as a list of winners or a copy of the Official Rules.