Sponsored by Autodesk – Hosted by Directions Media
Entry Rules: The Web Mapping Contest entitled “The MapGuide Open” (the “contest”) is open to individuals who are legal residents of the United States and Canada, including Hawaii and Alaska, 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, but excluding Florida, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and the Province of Quebec, and who complete the official contest registration form and submit an eligible web site for consideration during the period beginning March 16, 2006 at 00:00 GMT and ending on May 31, 2006 at 23:59 GMT (the “Contest Period”). No purchase necessary. Directions Media will accept submissions of the contest entries. A website (http://www.directionsmag.com/mapguideopen) will be open for contest registration during the Contest Period. This website will list and link to the contestant's entries to the contest. Employees of the sponsors, their subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies or the immediate families of each are not eligible to enter. Existing Autodesk resellers and developers are allowed and encouraged to submit contest entries.
Application Categories: Contestants may submit a website to the contest in any one or all three of the following three application categories (but only one per category): Government, Business, and Miscellaneous.
Government applications will be regarded as those developed for agencies of state, local or federal government engaged in providing information to public service such as but not limited to departments of transportation, planning, utilities, environmental, forestry, land management, engineering, tax assessment or the like.
Business applications will be those regarded as being developed for private or other commercial entities in such industries as real estate, banking, insurance, retail, manufacturing, etc.
Miscellaneous applications will be regarded as those that would not fit into either the government or business categories (as above) and may have been developed for experimentation or demonstration purposes.
Eligibility of Submitted Websites: All websites submitted to The MapGuide Open must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:
· Each website entry must have been developed using the MapGuide Open Source software available for download at http://mapguide.osgeo.org, and the free preview of Autodesk MapGuide Studio available for download at http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidestudio. Websites submitted for the contest that do not use MapGuide Open Source software are not eligible. Data used in the construction of the website is at the discretion of the entrant.
· Each contestant must provide information regarding additional technologies and software used, as well as a description of the original development work done and site performance employed.
· The website must be online and ready to be viewed.
· The website must demonstrate a geographical mapping application as its central feature. Geospatial (earth-referenced) information must be used to demonstrate the functionality of the web mapping application.
· The site must be interactive and allow standard features such as zoom, pan, or identify information. Use of geographical querying or other interactive capabilities is highly encouraged. No static pictures of previously produced maps are allowed.
· No website will be considered eligible unless there is free public access to all features of the site to judge its worthiness in the competition.
· Each contestant will be required to upload a thumbnail graphic of the website’s homepage and provide the specific URL to the website via the contest web interface.
· The Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to reject entries that do not conform to the eligibility requirements.
Criteria for Evaluation; Voting: Eligible entries will be aggregated and referenced on the contest website. Contest winners in each category will be selected based on the votes cast by members of the public who visit the contest website and cast votes for one entrant in each application category. Voters will be asked to select the best site in each category using the following criteria in equal measure:
· Functionality – how well the application accomplishes its purpose
· Design – the layout and usability of the application
· Applicability – the relevance of the application in addressing a real-world need
· Uniqueness – novel or compelling use of the software or data
Judging of the best website in each application category is in the sole discretion of the voter. The top three vote getters in each category will be awarded prizes. The Sponsors reserve the right to resolve any ties in their sole discretion.
Prizes: A grand prize of a Garmin StreetPilot c320 GPS Vehicle Navigator (cash value $749.99) will be awarded to each contestant whose entry receives the greatest number of votes in each of the three application categories. Three grand prizes will be awarded. A second prize of a Bose SoundDock System for iPod or iPod mini (cash value $299.00) will be awarded to those contestants whose entries receive the second greatest number of votes in each of the three application categories. A third prize of a Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Black (cash value $249.00) will be awarded to those contestants whose entries receive the third greatest number of votes in each of the three application categories.
The winner(s) of the Prize(s) will be required to execute and return an Affidavit and Release of Liability and Prize Acceptance Form within seven (7) days of notification in person, via pre-paid overnight courier or registered U.S. mail. Non-compliance within this time period may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. Sponsors will oversee all submitted entries and shall make final decisions as to eligibility of entries. It is the Sponsors’ policy to assist government employees in meeting their obligations under their Standards of Ethical Conduct and that any gift received or won in violation of those rules should be returned at Sponsors’ expense.
Winners of the contest may waive the right to receive any prize. No cash or other substitution is allowed, except by Sponsors, which reserve the right to substitute a prize of comparable value if a specified prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason. Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are non-assignable and nontransferable. The prizes will be shipped to winner's address. Upon shipment, Sponsors will be deemed to have awarded the prize to the winner with winner assuming full ownership of and responsibility for the prize. Sponsors will not replace any lost or stolen Prize. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Limit: one (1) prize per entrant per application category. All taxes, fees, and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners. The odds of winning depend on total number of entries received.
Sponsors Responsibility: The contest sponsors are Autodesk, Inc., 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, California 94903 and JSJ Elliott and Associates (d/b/a Directions Media), 194 Green Bay Road, Glencoe IL 60022 (“the Sponsors”). The Sponsors are not responsible for Internet connection or computer software or hardware equipment malfunction or for misdirected or incomplete entries. Limit one (1) Registration Form per entrant per category. Failure to provide all of the information requested in the registration form may result in delay or rejection of entry.
Notices: For winners’ names, (available after June 20, 2006) send an email to pr@directionsmag.com.
Terms and Conditions: Participation in the contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and entrant hereby releases Sponsors, their subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents from any and all liability arising out of entrant's participation in the contest and entrant's receipt and use of any prize. Sponsors are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, illegible or misdirected mail or email, for failed, partial or garbled computer or facsimile transmissions, or for technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to electronic malfunctioning of any facsimile equipment, network, hardware or software. Except where prohibited, participation in the contest constitutes entrant's consent to the use of entrant's name and company name, address (city and state) and/or photograph or any likeness for advertising or publicity purposes without further compensation. Sponsors reserve the right to cancel or modify the contest if fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor's reasonable control that impairs the integrity of the contest as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion.
As a condition of entering the contest, each entrant represents and warrants: (i) that it has sufficient rights to enter the contest and to publish the website and provide any content that is furnished as part of the contest entry, including all technology and data utilized in the entered website, and that (ii) the website or any such furnished content does not violate any patent, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual property or other right of any third party. Each entrant agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsors, their subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents from any and all liability and losses arising out of any breach of the foregoing representations and warranties. Sponsors will not be liable for any increased traffic, high demand, or introduced viruses that lead to server crashes or interruption of service at a submitted website.
Each entrant agrees that all decisions of the Sponsors are final and conclusive in all matters relating to the administration of the contest and the determination of winners. Entrant further agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the contest, or any prizes awarded shall be resolved exclusively by arbitration under the American Arbitration Association in San Francisco, California; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out of pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the contest, but not attorneys' fees; and (3) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages (other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses), and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.
All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Sponsors in connection with the MapGuide Open Web Mapping Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Illinois, U.S.A., without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Illinois, U.S.A. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Void where prohibited.
Personal Data: Sponsors will not use personal data about entrants obtained from the entry form for any purpose other than for the administration of the contest. All personal data will be kept at JSJ Elliott and Associates, Glencoe, Illinois, U.S.A. Notwithstanding the foregoing, winning entrants grant to Sponsors the right to use and publish their proper name and state of residence online and in print, or any other media, in connection with the contest. Acceptance of a Prize constitutes permission for Sponsor, its advertising and promotional agencies to use winner's name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation unless prohibited by law.
Copyright: Except where prohibited by law, all descriptions and uploaded graphics become the property of Directions Media are protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States.