These are the Official Rules that govern how Imagine Cup 2008 will operate (the "Contest"). In these Official Rules, "we," "our," and "us" refer to Microsoft Corporation, the organizer of the Contest. "You," "yourself" refers to an eligible Contest entrant.

If you are a minor, we encourage you to review these Official Rules with your parent or legal guardian and obtain their permission prior to entering.  

By entering this Contest, you are agreeing to abide by the Official Rules written and referenced below.  Further, you are agreeing that this Contest will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, USA, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington, USA, for any disputes arising out of this Contest.

Microsoft's Privacy Policy will apply to this Contest and to all information that we receive from your entry.  Please read the Privacy Policy on the Contest entry page before accepting the Official Rules and submitting your entry.  Please note that by accepting the Official Rules you are also accepting the terms of the Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to abide by these Official Rules, please do not enter this Contest.

Imagine Cup 2008 (the "Contest") is a skill contest designed to recognize students who demonstrate excellence in a diverse range of technical and artistic pursuits, and seeks innovative contest entries that address the competition theme.  The Contest consists of nine (9) separate categories, each referred to as "invitationals". 

While each invitational has unique entry criteria and performance requirements as specified in the Contest Details /Competition/overview.aspx, the overall code of conduct of the Contest is governed by these Official Rules.  The Contest is organized by Microsoft (the "Organizer") with the support and contribution of other companies and organizations (together referred to as the "Sponsors") referenced in the Sponsors section of the Contest website.

Registration to the Imagine Cup website opens on August 25, 2007.

Registration closing dates and other category-specific deadlines vary by invitational.  Please review the Contest Details (/Competition/overview.aspx) for each one before signing up.

It is anticipated that the worldwide finals will take place in Paris, France, in July, 2008.

Please Note: The dates in these Official Rules and in the Contest Details (/Competition/overview.aspx) are subject to change at any time, at the sole discretion of the Organizer. Therefore competitors must have a flexible schedule.

You are eligible to enter any invitational that is a part of this Contest if you meet the following requirements at the time of registration:

• You are 16 years of age or older; and
• You are actively enrolled as a student at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees any time between January 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008; and
• You are not an employee or intern of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
• You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this Contest between; and
• You are not an immediate family member of (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; and
• You are not a resident of any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. The Imagine Cup is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, USA. U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore residents of those countries / regions are not eligible to participate.

If you are a Microsoft campus representative (such as Microsoft Student Partners http://student-partners.com/) and you meet the eligibility criteria set forth above, you may enter, but you are prohibited from using Microsoft property or resources, including without limitation, Microsoft networks, hardware tools and technology resources and/or the counsel of Microsoft employees, in connection with the creation or execution of your entry.

If you have previously placed first in the world wide finals of an Imagine Cup invitational, you are not eligible to enter that same invitational again, but you may enter any of the other invitationals.

This Contest is void where prohibited by law.

If you present in the local/regional round of the software design invitational and/or advance to the second round of any of the other invitationals, you will be required to verify your student status and complete general eligibility verification process before you will be allowed to advance to the next round. 

If, at any time after your eligibility status has been verified, you experience a change in eligibility status due to special circumstances such as acceptance of an internship or offer of employment from Microsoft Corporation, a Microsoft subsidiary, or anyone else that is involved in the execution and administration of this Contest, you must contact the Contest Judges immediately and explain the circumstances.  If you fail to notify the Contest Judges of a change in eligibility status, you may be disqualified from this Contest and will not be allowed to win any prizes. 

Invitationals will be designated as team or individual competitions, depending on the category. Teammates do not need to have the same nationality, or be from the same country/region or school for most team competitions. However, each team may only represent one country. Please see the Contest Details (/Competition/overview.aspx) for invitational specific requirements.

You may not compete on multiple teams in the same invitational, but you may compete on different teams in different invitationals.  However, in case you and/or your team qualify to participate in the world finals of multiple invitationals, you will be required to choose a single invitational in which to compete.  In other words, you may only compete in one invitational at the world wide finals, either as an individual, or as part of a team. 

For team invitationals, each team is solely responsible for its own cooperation and teamwork.  In no event will the Organizer officiate in any dispute regarding the conduct or cooperation of any team or its members.  

If you or your team qualifies to participate in the world wide finals, Microsoft will provide travel for each registered team member.  Each team must send at least one (1) person to compete at the world wide finals.  If no team member can attend, the next highest scoring team will be invited to compete instead.

Submission modalities and limitations vary by invitational.  Please see the Contest Details (/Competition/overview.aspx) for invitational specific requirements.

Unless otherwise provided for in the Official Rules for such invitational, in the event multiple entries are submitted in a single-entry invitational, the first entry received will be considered official, and all subsequent entries will be disqualified.

The actual entry may be localized in any language; however, oral presentations and supporting entry materials must be presented in English. Translators will be permitted if needed for oral presentations.

Please note that the intent and spirit of the Contest is to test the skills and creativity of the student entrants. Persons acting as team mentors or in an mentorship role, where allowed (for example, local, regional, or global sponsors), must limit the level of support provided to general guidance and must not contribute in any other form that might be considered original authorship, or in way that may enable claims of rights or ownership to the submitted entries.  In no event will work-on-behalf of teams or individuals be allowed.

• your entry is your/your team's original work; and
• your/your team's entry only includes material (including music, video or images) that you own or that you have permission from the copyright/trademark owner to use; and
• you/your team has obtained permission from any recognizable person (parent/guardian, if a minor) that appears in the entry to submit your entry in this Contest and to use their personal data in the entry for the purposes of the Contest (if applicable); and
• your entry has not been selected as a prize winner in any other contest.

Entries that are found to be duplicates or the result of collaborative work contrary to these Official Rules, the Contest Details (/Competition/overview.aspx), and to the spirit of the competition, will be disqualified at the sole discretion of judges.

The content must be acceptable for all viewing audiences; any material containing text, sound or images that the judges, in their sole opinion and for any reason, find vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate for public viewing or content that would present the Organizer and/or the Sponsors in a negative light will be automatically disqualified. 

The decisions of the judges are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.

All prizes will be awarded; provided a qualified number of entries are received in each invitational.  No substitution or transfer of prize permitted, except by the Organizer, who reserves the right to award a prize of equal or greater value if advertised prize is unavailable.
If a winner cannot, or will not accept a prize, then the prize will be forfeited and awarded to the next highest scoring entry.

All cash prizes are stated in US dollars. Cash prizes will be paid out by the Organizer (or one of its subsidiaries) in the winners' country of residence, in the currency of that country (based on the current exchange rate on the date of payment, which will be no later than 60 days following prize announcement).

Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner(s). Cash prizes will be awarded in equal portions to team members listed on the contest application.  No exceptions will be allowed. Organizer is not responsible for any dispute arising regarding prize dispersal.

Worldwide finalists will be awarded travel prize to compete at the world finals competition. Specifics of prize package are subject to availability and to Organizer's sole discretion. Entrants are solely responsible for obtaining any and all travel documentation (including but not limited to a valid passport and any required travel visas) necessary for international travel. If the Contest world finals are cancelled for any reason, the Organizer shall have no other obligation to the finalists.

Travel prize includes round trip coach airfare for finalists from major airport closest to finalists' home; hotel accommodations, and select meals during the event. Actual value depends on date/time/destination, and difference between actual value and stated value will not be awarded.  If the winner resides within 250 miles of the location of the world finals, the Organizer reserves the right to provide alternative means of transportation to and from destination.

Event dates and location are subject to change at the sole discretion of the Organizer. Finalists who have not reached the age of majority in their country/region of residence must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who will also travel as a guest of the Organizer.
Any expenses not explicitly listed herein, are the sole responsibility of the finalist(s). No cancellation of reservation or transfer of reservation to another date after reservation has been made. Travel must be completed on dates specified by Organizer or prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate finalist.

All travelers (including parent/guardian if finalist is a minor) must sign and return a release of liability, and where legal, a publicity release before any travel prize is delivered to them.

Winners will be announced within 30 days following the world finals.

By accepting a prize you agree to participate in promotional events and activities that may include, but are not limited to, showcases of your entry on-stage at industry events, and allow the Organizer and the Sponsors to use your name, trademarks, image, comments and/or company logos on presentation slides and other marketing materials promoting the Contest.

You agree to assist the Organizer and the Sponsors in the creation of case studies or white papers (together "Studies") detailing competitors applications.  Studies will not include any participant confidential information. Upon your approval of the Studies' accuracy, you agree to give the Organizer and the Sponsors permission to display the Studies including trademarks, logos and other identifying information contained therein, on the Organizer's and the Sponsors' Internet sites and in other documentation. This documentation may take various forms, including printed materials, on-line articles, video, audio, and other digital recordings.

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, 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 its 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 that Organizer, other Sponsors and other entrants 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. 

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

By entering, you agree, where legally permitted, to release and hold harmless Organizer and Sponsors and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotions agencies, prize suppliers, and all of their employees, officers, directors, shareholder's and agents (collectively, the  "Releasees") from any and all liability or any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Contest, the use of any entry, or the acceptance or use of any prize won, except where prohibited by law.

Releasees assume no responsibility for lost, late, illegible, garbled or misdirected entries, or for any computer, online, telephone, human, or other error or for any technical or other malfunctions that may occur including any injury or damage to your or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest.

If for any reason this contest is not capable of running as planned due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, uploads of malicious files or viruses, or any other causes beyond the control of Organizer which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Organizer reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any entry or any individual who tampers with the entry or judging process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest and select winners using all eligible, non-suspect entries received as of the date of termination. Releasees 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.

The Organizer of this Contest is Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA, 98052 U.S.A.