TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By participating in the contest, you are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Please read the following terms and conditions carefully -

1. How to Enter

Starting May 26, 2012 at 3:00 P.M IST, enter your idea for the Apps4India contest on the contest website http://yourstory.in/events/techsparks/app4india/. Once your idea is selected, you will be invited to submit the details of your idea for further evaluation. Please note this is a two-step process. Submitting your idea for further evaluation does not automatically enter your idea into the contest. Idea submission closes on 30th July 2012 3:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

2. Contest Entry Requirements:

Contest entries must be submitted only in English.

A participant may submit up to ten (10) idea ideas to the contest. However, each entry submission must be substantially unique (at YourStory’s sole discretion) to qualify for this contest. All entries must be participant’s original creation. The idea must suggest the use of current mobile computing technologies.

The entries may not be offensive or otherwise unsuitable for use, as determined at the sole discretion of YourStory. Participants must comply with YourStory Apps4India Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy at all times.

Any idea that was awarded a prize in any previous contest is ineligible. Any idea funded by YourStory partners or previous editions of TechSparks is ineligible.

3. Prizes

The top ten ideas will win a SmartPhone and will also be considered for three (3) category prize awards of $ 2,500 USD. One category prize will be awarded in each of the following three (3) categories: Best Idea for Gaming/Creativity/Entertainment, Best idea for Productivity, Best idea for Communication / Social Networking. Participants are limited to one category prize only.

The category prize winners receive exposure that may include, but is not limited to the following:

Spotlight: _______________________________________________________________

Social Media: ____________________________________________________________

4. Criteria of Winning Entry

The eligibility criteria for the top ten entries with cool idea ideas to win a Smartphone:

  • The idea must be submitted by July 30, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST).
  • The idea must be a quality idea idea. Quality is defined by a viable and marketable idea idea.
  • A participant may submit up to ten (10) ideas to the contest.

All eligible ideas will also be considered for three (3) category prize awards valued at $ 2,500 USD each. One category prize will be awarded in each of the following three (3) categories: Best Idea for Gaming/Creativity/Entertainment, Best idea for Productivity, Best idea for Communication / Social Networking. Participants are limited to one category prize only.

The idea being considered for the category prize awards are evaluated based on the criteria below. YourStory reserves the right to not award prizes if, in the judges’ discretion, no idea entry submission meets the criteria below.

Quality and Functionality – Is the idea fully functional? Does the idea demonstrate all the basic functionality? Judges score on a 1-5 scale. Baseline is 3 = meeting all basic functions; deduct point(s) if basic/expected function are not included. Add point(s) if advanced features exist.

Uniqueness – Does the idea use established technology in any unique way? Is it an advanced usage model we normally don’t see? Baseline is 1 with points added for each positive trait.

Usability/Creativity – Does the idea demonstrate superior user experience (UI, graphics, etc.) by leveraging latest idea features & technologies? How well is the idea developed? Does the look and feel seem professional? Is it easy to navigate and for users to understand. Is the idea responsive to inputs? Does it deliver the expected user experience? Judges score based on features, look and feel, ease of use and responsiveness. Baseline is 1 with points added for each positive trait.

Market Potential – Does the idea have the ability to fulfill consumers’ needs or customer adoption? Is this an established title? Does it have a following? Does it appeal to a large demographic or is it a niche app with potential? Baseline is 1 with points added for each positive trait.

Bonus points – Is the idea contextually aware? Does the idea demonstrate Web app features? Does the idea use local storage Web idea feature? Does the idea have social networking functionality, which is a popular feature of Web ideas, built in? Judges add 1 point for each “yes” answer.

5. Selection of the Winners

  • Winners for the top ten ideas to win a smartphone each will be selected by the Judging Panel:
    • The entry must be submitted on the contest website by July 30, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST).
    • The entry must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 4, Criteria of Winning Entry.
    • Judging for category prizes takes place September 1, 2012 through September 5, 2012. The evaluation criteria for the category prizes are outlined in Section 4, Criteria of Winning Entry.

6. Notification of Winners

September 5, 2012: Each of the top ten idea winners of the smartphone is notified by e-mail.

September 5: Each of the three (3) winners of the $2,500 USD each is notified by email.

September 5, 2012: The winners Best Idea for Gaming/Creativity/Entertainment, Best Idea for Productivity, and Best Idea for Communication / Social Networking are published on the Apps4India  contest microsite.

September 30, 2012: The winning Best Idea for Gaming/Creativity/Entertainment, Best Idea for Productivity, and Best Idea for Communication / Social Networking, are nominated for a spotlight banner placement in _______________________________.

7. Delivery of the Prizes to the Prize Winner(s)

Physical prizes awarded for the winning contributions will be sent to participants within eight (8) weeks from the date of the notification email or confirmation of the winning participant’s physical address, whichever is later.

Legal Documents

Apps4India Contest Rules

These rules (including the Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use) govern the Apps4India  contest skills contest (the “contest”) and set out the terms and conditions between YourStory and its affiliates (“YourStory” or “us/we”) and each participant (“participant” or “you”).

  1. You are eligible to participate in the contest if you have registered for the contest.
  2. No purchase necessary. Purchase does not increase your chance of winning. Void wherever prohibited.
  3. You must speak, read and understand English and you must be aged 18 years or over or you must obtain the consent of your parents or legal guardian before you participate in the contest. If you apply to register for the contest, if you contribute to the contest or the YourStory once you are registered or if you accept any contest prizes, you accept these rules.
  4. The contest is open to participants in India only. All national and local laws and regulations of the state of residence apply. All national and local laws and regulations apply.
  5. We may refuse your contribution for any good reason.
  6. You agree to submit contributions to the contest (“contributions”) under the following conditions:
  • YourStory does not claim ownership of your idea and any related entries to the contest in form of sample code, content, videos, articles or any other contributions you submit.
  • By submitting your contributions, you are granting YourStory and its affiliated companies the following worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, unconditional, fully paid-up rights:

(1) to publicly perform or display, import, broadcast, transmit the idea and related entries, in whole or in part, for promotional and marketing purposes worldwide in any and all forms of media, whether now known or hereafter devised, and to distribute (directly or indirectly through multiple tiers) the idea and related entries to YourStory affiliates and its marketing agencies for these purposes, and

(2) to publish your name or alias and your idea and all related entries in connection with this contest and for marketing and promotional purposes worldwide in any and all forms of media, whether now known or hereafter devised.

  • Your contributions to the contest will be available to other participants and to ensure they are safe and freely usable by other participants, you warrant that:
    • you own or otherwise have all rights necessary for you to provide the contributions and grant the rights described above and you do not disclose any information which would constitute a violation of a confidentiality obligation;
    • your contributions do not contain any viruses, worms, spy ware, or other components or instructions that are malicious, deceptive, or designed to limit or harm the functionality of a computer; and
    • your contributions are not subject to license terms that require any software or documentation incorporating or being derived from your contributions to be licensed to others.
  • You further agree and warrant that you shall not submit any contribution:
    • that is known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading;
    • that shows another person but yourself or an image created by another person if you submit any photos;
    • that infringes any third party’s copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy;
    • that violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing export control, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);
    • that is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation;
  1. Apart from prizes offered as part of the contest, no monetary compensation will be paid for any of your contest contributions.
  2. YourStory is not responsible for contest entries not received due to lost, failed, delayed or interrupted connections or miscommunications, or other electronic malfunctions. YourStory is not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry information, whether caused by you or any other persons or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the contest.
  3. You may be required to sign and return releases of liability, declarations of eligibility, and where lawful, publicity consent agreements, within five (5) days of acknowledged notification. If minors are allowed to enter and a prize is won by a minor, all required documentation must be signed by the parent/legal guardian. If a selected potential winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible (under these rules or due to a failure to comply with any of the other applicable policies, licenses, rules, and terms of service, fails to claim a prize, or fails to timely return the completed and executed releases/agreements as required), prize may be forfeited and an alternate potential winner may, at YourStory’s discretion, be selected. Physical prizes awarded for the winning contributions will be sent to participants within eight (8) weeks from the date of the notification email or confirmation of the winning participant’s physical address, whichever is later.
  4. Prizes are personal to the participant submitting the winning contribution and cannot normally be transferred. All prizes are subject to availability and they may change at any time and YourStory may award substitute prizes of equal or greater value. A cash alternative is not available. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.
  5. The winner accepts responsibility for all federal, state and local taxes and fees in connection with the prizes. The winner shall be solely responsible to obtain all permissions and authorizations to collect and receive the prize in accordance with the laws of the participant’s country of residence. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law, and subject to applicable federal, state provincial and local laws. If the winner is a resident of a country in Latin America, cash prizes will be replaced by goods and/or services of equal value in YourStory’s sole discretion.
  6. Acceptance of the prize will constitute permission to use winner’s name and/or likeness for promotional purposes without further compensation except where prohibited by law.
  7. YourStory does not provide any warranty on the prizes. To the fullest extent allowable by law, YourStory specifically disclaims any representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the prizes, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and implied warranties arising from course of dealing or course of performance.
  8. We may, on notifying you, immediately suspend or terminate your rights, if you breach these rules or if we reasonably believe that you have submitted a contribution in violation of these rules.
  9. YourStory reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel the contest at any time for any reason.