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Invent The Future Official Contest Rules

CONTEST: The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (“BC Hydro”) Invent the Future 2010 Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal residents of the Province of British Columbia between the ages of 16 years to 24 years at the time of entry. See “How to Win” below for age categories and for prizes. All entrants under the age of 19 years require parental or legal guardian consent in order to participate in the Contest (see “Note for Underage Participants” below). By entering this Contest the entrant represents on behalf of him/herself and, in the case of team entries, represents of behalf of each team member, that the entrant(s) have read and understood these Official Contest Rules. Entry into this Contest constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules and your consent to the posting of your video, song or essay submission and/or your first and last name on the Contest Website (as defined below).

The Contest opens on October 1, 2010 at 12:01 am Pacific time and ends December 5, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific time (the “Contest Closing Date and Time”). Early Bird deadline is October 31, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.

HOW TO ENTER: Contestants may enter the Contest as an individual or in teams of up to three (3) individuals, all of whom must be in the same age category (16-19 or 20-24). Team entries shall designate a Team Captain and the submission shall be entered by the Team Captain.

Contestants have three options. Contestants may (a) create and upload to YouTube a 60 to 90 second original video, (b) create and upload to YouTube a 60 to 90 second original song, or (c) create and submit a 350-500 word essay. Either the video, song or essay must relate to an original public awareness message that describes the contestant’s idea to inspire, influence, or educate people about the importance of energy conservation

To enter, contestants must access the website www.inventthefuture.ca (the Contest Website) and create an account (“Account”) by completing the online registration form in full. Contestants will then receive an email from BC Hydro with a confirmation link that needs to be clicked in order for the account to be activated and confirmed. Once the account has been confirmed, contestants will then need to “Enter” the contest by clicking one of the "Enter Now" links, completing the entry form in full, including the Contestants full name (individual or Team Captain), address, school, phone number and email address. Contestants submitting in the song and video categories must upload their entries to YouTube. Contestants submitting in the song category must convert their files to video before uploading the file to YouTube. If submitting a video or song, contestants must following the following two steps: 1. include “#ITF” in the tags field when uploading the video or song, 2. copy the embedded code or URL for their video or song on the YouTube website, and paste it into their entry form. If submitting an essay, simply copy and paste it into the text field in the Entry form. Attachments and appendices must be in JPG, GIF, PNG or PDF formats before uploading. Click the submit button to complete the submission process. IMPORTANT: ALL OF THE ABOVE STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE CONTEST CLOSING DATE AND TIME. BC HYDRO CANNOT GUARANTEE THE TIMING OF THE CONFIRMATION EMAIL SENT ONCE A CONTESTANT REGISTERS AND THEREFORE CONTESTANTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INITIATE THEIR REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION PROCESS EARLY.

Only one entry per submission format is allowed per team/individual (individuals may not be a member of more than one team). A team/individual can submit an entry in essay format and/or video and/or song format only once. Any attempt by any person to submit more than one entry, per category whether by use of multiple names or otherwise, will result in disqualification of that person. All Contest video, song and essay submissions are subject to approval by BC Hydro Communications Department (the “Contest Operator”) and must not contain any nudity, profanity or obscene subject matter nor use branded logos or trademarks, licensed music or licensed video content nor contain any anti-BC Hydro references. All submissions must be original work of the entrant(s) and not infringe the rights of any third party (for greater certainty, video and song submissions must not contain any music or video footage which is not original to the contestant). All entries become the sole property of BC Hydro and will not be returned. By submitting entry in the Contest, the Contestant agrees that BC Hydro shall have an exclusive, unrestricted, irrevocable right and license to use all intellectual property rights associated with the video, essay or song submission, including copyright and trademark rights and that, as a result, BC Hydro shall have all rights to use the submission for any purpose associated with the Contest, including publicizing and promoting the Contest.

NOTE FOR UNDERAGE PARTICIPANTS: any contestant who is under the age of nineteen (19) years on October 1, 2010 must submit a copy of the “Invent the Future Contest – Parental Consent Form” (“Parent’s Consent Form”) signed by their parent or legal guardian, which form can be found and downloaded at www.inventthefuture.ca/consentform. Signed forms can be submitted via email to youthandeducation@bchydro.com or faxed to 604.623.3612 (Attn: Invent The Future Contest)

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Essay submissions shall be between 350 and 500 words. Appendices containing background information may be attached to and form part of the submission; however the Contest judges are not obligated to consider the material in the appendices when judging the submission. Video and song submissions must be between 60 and 90 seconds in length.

PRIZES AND HOW TO WIN: There are a total of twelve (12) prizes available to be won, four for Video submissions, four for Song submissions and four for Essay submissions, as follows.

Video submissions:
2 Grand Prizes: $2,000.00 cash, one for EACH of the 16-19 and 20-24 age categories. Grand Prize winners in each of the two age categories will also receive the enrolment in a 2011 Gulf Islands Film and Television School (“GIFTS”) Weeklong Program, in either a program for youth (13-18) or adults (18+), as applicable, as selected by the winner from the GIFTS 2011 calendar (see www.giftsfilms.com for details). Each winner will be able to select the course and session of their choice (subject to availability) and in the event of a team winner, all members of such team will be entitled to be enrolled. GIFTS programs all take place at GIFTS’ live-in media training facility located on Galiano Island, BC. Approximate retail value of GIFTS weeklong program is $980.00. Winners will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Swartz Bay or Tsawwassen BC Ferry Terminals. Prize includes both Tuition and Room & Board. Information on all of the weeklong programs GIFTS’ offers is available online at www.giftsfilms.com. The GIFTS Weeklong Program must be claimed before March 1, 2011, all claims made after said date will be forfeited. Grand Prize winners who (or whose parent/guardian, in the event of a minor winner) decline to accept the GIFTS portion of the Grand prize will forfeit such prize, which will not be awarded, and no substitute compensation will be awarded or made.

1 People’s Choice Award prize package, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch, one (1) Sony iPod/iPhone Docking Station and one (1) $100 Best Buy Green Gift Card, with an approximate retail package value of $500.

1 Early Bird Prize, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch music player with an approximate retail value of $200.

Song Submissions:
2 Grand Prizes: $2,000.00 cash, one for EACH of the 16-19 and 20-24 age categories.
Grand Prize winners in each of the two age categories will also receive the enrolment in a 2011 Gulf Islands Film and Television School (“GIFTS”) Weeklong Program, in either a program for youth (13-18) or adults (18+), as applicable, as selected by the winner from the GIFTS 2011 calendar (see www.giftsfilms.com for details). Each winner will be able to select the course and session of their choice (subject to availability) and in the event of a team winner, all members of such team will be entitled to be enrolled. GIFTS programs all take place at GIFTS’ live-in media training facility located on Galiano Island, BC. Approximate retail value of GIFTS weeklong program is $980.00. Winners will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Swartz Bay or Tsawwassen BC Ferry Terminals. Prize includes both Tuition and Room & Board. Information on all of the weeklong programs GIFTS’ offers is available online at www.giftsfilms.com. The GIFTS Weeklong Program must be claimed before March 1, 2011, all claims made after said date will be forfeited. Grand Prize winners who (or whose parent/guardian, in the event of a minor winner) decline to accept the GIFTS portion of the Grand prize will forfeit such prize, which will not be awarded, and no substitute compensation will be awarded or made.

1 People’s Choice Award prize package, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch, one (1) Sony iPod/iPhone Docking Station and one (1) $100 Best Buy Green Gift Card, with an approximate retail package value of $500.

1 Early Bird Prize, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch music player with an approximate retail value of $200.

Essay submissions:
2 Grand Prizes: $2,000.00 cash, one for EACH of the 16-19 and 20-24 age categories.
Grand Prize winners in each of the two age categories will also receive the enrolment in a 2011 Gulf Islands Film and Television School (“GIFTS”) Weeklong Program, in either a program for youth (13-18) or adults (18+), as applicable, as selected by the winner from the GIFTS 2011 calendar (see www.giftsfilms.com for details). Each winner will be able to select the course and session of their choice (subject to availability) and in the event of a team winner, all members of such team will be entitled to be enrolled. GIFTS programs all take place at GIFTS’ live-in media training facility located on Galiano Island, BC. Approximate retail value of GIFTS weeklong program is $980.00. Winners will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Swartz Bay or Tsawwassen BC Ferry Terminals. Prize includes both Tuition and Room & Board. Information on all of the weeklong programs GIFTS’ offers is available online at www.giftsfilms.com. The GIFTS Weeklong Program must be claimed before March 1, 2011, all claims made after said date will be forfeited. Grand Prize winners who (or whose parent/guardian, in the event of a minor winner) decline to accept the GIFTS portion of the Grand prize will forfeit such prize, which will not be awarded, and no substitute compensation will be awarded or made.

1 People’s Choice Award prize package, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch, one (1) Sony iPod/iPhone Docking Station and one (1) $100 Best Buy Green Gift Card, with an approximate retail package value of $500.

1 Early Bird Prize, consisting of one (1) 8GB iPod Touch music player with an approximate retail value of $200.

All prizes must be accepted as awarded with no substitutions, except at the sole and absolute discretion of BC Hydro. Prizes are non-transferable.
For Grand Prizes: In the case of an Individual entrant, the full prize shall be awarded to that individual. In the case of a team entry the prize shall be divided and distributed to each team member in equal shares.
For People’s Choice Award and Early Bird prizes: All prizes must be accepted as awarded and no substitutions will be made in cash or otherwise. Prizes are non-transferable.
Team members shall be identified by the Team Captain. The Team Captain shall distribute declaration and release forms to each team member which must be completed by all team members (or a parent/legal guardian in the case of minors) and returned to BC Hydro before any part of the prize will be awarded.
iPod, iPhone and iPod Touch are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. Apple is not a sponsor of this Contest. SONY is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation, which is not a sponsor of this Contest.

WINNER SELECTION:

1. GRAND PRIZES: For each of the 16-19 and 20-24 age groups, a shortlist of five (5) “Qualifying Entries” for each of the Video, Song and Essay categories will be prepared, based upon:

• the three (3) entries in each such category which received the most votes (see “People’s Choice Award” below regarding voting) and
• two (2) entries selected by a panel of BC Hydro marketing and advertising representatives who will select two entries in each such category, based on the following criteria, to determine a score for each submission:

Concept Plan: 20%
Feasibility: 30%
Scope and potential to change behavior in B.C.: 20%
Originality: 20%
Quality (ie. writing style, video production): 10%

On or about January 7th to 21st , 2011 a judging committee selected by BC Hydro in its sole and exclusive discretion will review the five (5) Qualifying Entries for each category and determine the winners of the Grand Prize for each of the 16-19 and 20-24 age categories for each of the Video, Song and essay entries. The judging of the submissions will be based upon the following criteria and such other factors as the judging committee may consider in their sole and absolute discretion, to determine a score for each submission:

Concept Plan: 20%
Feasibility: 30%
Scope and potential to change behavior in B.C.: 20%
Originality: 20%
Quality (ie. writing style, video production): 10%

The chances of winning a Grand Prize depend upon the number and quality of submissions received, the number of votes received per entry and the decisions of the judging panel. Qualifying Entries not selected as Grand Prize winners will not be publicly disclosed or entitled to any prize. In the event of a real or perceived conflict of interest in relation to any member(s) of the judging committee in connection with one or more submitted entries, as determined by BC Hydro acting in its sole discretion, an alternative judging committee member will be appointed in connection with such entry(ies).

2. PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: Public voting on Video, Song and Essay submissions will be available at www.inventthefuture.ca from October 1, 2010 at 12:01 am Pacific Time to December 12, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time All persons having registered at www.inventthefuture.ca are entitled to vote (subject to a limit of one vote per person per day) regardless of whether they have submitted an essay, song or video in the Contest. The one (1) video, song and essay which receive the most votes online (regardless of age category) by Contest voting close will be eligible to win the corresponding People’s Choice Award. In the event of a tie in any category, a random draw will be held amongst those tied to determine the selected entrant for that category. The chances of winning a People’s choice Award prize depend upon the number and quality of submissions received in each category, as well as the number and preference of votes cast.

3. EARLY BIRD PRIZES: All entries (regardless of age category) received by the Early Bird Deadline of October 31, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time will be eligible to win the one (1) Early Bird Prize for their corresponding category. A random draw will be conducted on or around November 5, 2010 to select one (1) entry from each of the video, song and essay categories from all those entries received by the early Bird deadline. The chances of winning an early Bird prize depend upon the number of eligible entries received by the early Bird deadline in each of the video, song and essay categories.

NOTIFICATION: Selected Entrants (Team Captains in the case of teams) will be contacted by telephone no later than February 28, 2011 At least five attempts by telephone during the next five business days will be made to contact the winning team captain/individual entrant. If a Team Captain/individual entrant cannot be contacted by telephone on or before 12:00 noon Pacific Time on March 7, 2011 then BC Hydro has the right to disqualify that team and to select another entrant to receive the prize in its sole and absolute discretion.

Before being declared a winner, the selected entrant and/or all team members (or their parents/legal guardians in the case of minors) must sign BC Hydro's declaration and release form to: (a) accept the prize as awarded and confirm compliance with these rules; (b) release, waive and forever discharge all right, in contract or tort, to damages against BC Hydro or its affiliates for any loss or injury sustained as a result of accepting the prize; (c) consent to the use of his/her name, address, photograph or likeness for any publicity purpose connected with this Contest, without any further compensation, other than the prize offered; and (d) transfer all right of ownership, including copyright and trademark rights, in the video or essay submission to BC Hydro. The signed declaration and release form may be sent by mail, fax or scanned pdf in email and must be received by BC Hydro within 15 days of delivery thereof to the selected entrant, failing which that entrant will be disqualified and BC Hydro may, in its sole and exclusive discretion, select another entry from remaining eligible entries or, alternatively, may elect not to award that prize.

In the case of video and song entries:
a) before being declared a winner the selected entrant must submit a copy of the selected video or song to BC Hydro in a format acceptable to BC Hydro, with the selected entrant agreeing to transfer all rights of ownership in the video to BC Hydro, including copyright and other intellectual property rights; and
b) Before being declared a winner, the selected entrant must also secure, and provide to BC Hydro, signed consent forms (in the form provided by BC Hydro) from any and all identifiable individuals (or their parents/legal guardians in the case of minors) appearing and/or performing in the selected submission. This consent form provides that all identifiable individuals appearing/performing/mentioned in the selected submission consent to appearing/performing in the submission and to the indirect collection of their personal information by BC Hydro.

In the case of essay entries, before being declared a winner the selected entrant may be required to:
a) sign and return documentation, in the form provided by BC Hydro, authorizing and consenting to the disclosure of their essay via the Internet, including outside of Canada, for the purpose of facilitating public voting; and
b) secure, and provide to BC Hydro, signed consent forms (in the form provided by BC Hydro) from any and all individuals (or their parents/legal guardians in the case of minors) identified in the selected essay, authorizing the collection of such persons’ personal information which may appear in such essay and the disclosure thereof via the Internet, including outside of Canada, for the purpose of facilitating public voting.

ADMINISTRATION: The Contest is administered and operated by the Contest Operator. The decisions of the Contest judges are final and binding in all matters as they relate to this Contest, including without limitation, eligibility and/or disqualification of entries.

ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to all legal residents of the province of British Columbia, Canada, 16 years to 24 years of age at the time of entry. By participating, entrants under age 19 signify that they have discussed this Contest with their parent/legal guardian who has agreed to the participation in this Contest by the underage entrant and has signed and submitted the Parent’s Consent Form. The Contest is not open to employees and representatives (or those with whom they are domiciled) of BC Hydro Community Investment Outreach and Education Department (Contest Operator). The Contest is not open to individuals (or those with whom they are domiciled) who are members of the judging committee, which may include, but is not limited to, certain employees and representatives of Go Beyond organization, GIFTS Film School, and Hangar 18 Creative Group Inc.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: BC Hydro reserves the right to terminate or amend this Contest at any time without prior notice, if it considers that any factor may potentially interfere with its proper conduct as contemplated by these Official Contest Rules. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. BC Hydro and its agents are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by BC Hydro 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 an entrant's or any other person's computer, related to or resulting from downloading any materials in this promotion. BC Hydro reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Contest should a virus, bug, or other cause beyond the reasonable control of BC Hydro or its agents corrupt the security or proper administration of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this promotion is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, BC Hydro reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.
In the event of a dispute, online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
The Contest Operator assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever arising from or in any way related to this Contest or the acceptance or use of the prizes awarded or for tampering, theft, defects, viruses, human errors including gross negligence, deletions, technical or telephone problems, undeliverable messages, computer errors, lost, misdirected, late or incomplete entries or for any online difficulties that may result in damage or malfunction the computer or the failure of the Contest Operator to process any entry and otherwise award any prize.

PRIVACY POLICY: By entering information on the Contest entry form, you consent to the use of such information to administer, implement and fulfill this Contest.
The personal information you provide in this contest will only be used by BC Hydro for:

• Administering access and participation on www.inventthefuture.ca
• Administering and awarding the Invent the Future contests
• Sending you information about future energy conservation opportunities, surveys, and BC Hydro contest offers

BC Hydro will collect this personal information in furtherance of our mandate under the Hydro and Power Authority Act and, with regard to our conservation activities, under the Clean Energy Act.

If you have any questions about how BC Hydro handles or uses your personal information, please contact the Valerie Rodrigues in BC Hydro’s Youth and Education department at 604 623-3834.

 

 

Conservation Pledge Contest Official Contest Rules

1. GENERAL: The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (“BC Hydro”) 2010 Invent The Future Conservation Pledge Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal residents of British Columbia ages 13 years or older who meet all the conditions of these rules. All entrants under the age of 19 years must obtain parental or legal guardian consent in order to participate in the Contest. See Rule 7 for additional eligibility requirements. The Contest begins on September 20, 2010 at 12:01 am Pacific time and ends December 12, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific time (the “Contest Period”). By entering this Contest, entrants acknowledge that they have read, understood and agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules.

HOW TO ENTER: No purchase necessary. To enter, simply visit www.inventthefuture.ca during the Contest Period and follow the prompts to make a pledge to be Smart with your Power by:

• Unplugging your electronics (computer, TV, game console, etc.) every night; or
• Turning off the lights every time you leave the room; or
• Washing your clothes in cold water; or
  
• Hanging up your laundry to dry.

2. Limit of one entry per entrant during the Contest Period. Any attempt by any person to obtain more than Contest entry, whether by use of multiple names or otherwise, will result in disqualification of that person.

3. PRIZES: There are three (3) prizes available to be won, each consisting of one (1) $300.00 Mountain Equipment Co-op® gift card. Prize will only be awarded to a person of the age of majority; if a selected entrant is under nineteen (19) years of age, that person’s prize will be awarded to their parent/legal guardian on the entrant’s behalf. Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable or convertible to cash. Prize gift cards are subject to any and all terms, conditions or restrictions contained thereon.

4. DRAW: To select winners, a random draw will be conducted on or around February 14, 2011, to select three entries from all eligible entries received during the Contest period. Chances of winning are dependant upon the number of eligible entries received.

5. NOTIFICATION: The selected entrants will be contacted by telephone or email following the draw. To be declared a winner, each selected entrant must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question. At least five attempts over the five business days following the draw will be made to contact the selected entrants. If a selected entrant cannot be contacted in this manner, that entrant will be disqualified and another entrant will be selected from the remaining eligible entrants. BC Hydro is not responsible for the failure for any reason whatsoever, including its own negligence, of a selected entrant to receive notification or for BC Hydro to receive a selected entrant's response.

6. RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND CONSENT: Before being declared a winner, each selected entrant (or, for any selected entrant under age 19, their parent or legal guardian) must sign BC Hydro’s declaration and release form to (a) accept the prize as awarded and confirm compliance with these rules; (b) release, waive and forever discharge all right, in contract or tort, to damages against BC Hydro or its affiliates for any loss or injury sustained as a result of accepting the prize; and (c) consent to the use of his/her name, address, photograph or likeness for any publicity purpose connected with this Contest, without any further compensation, other than the prize offered.

7. ELIGIBILITY: Must be a legal resident of British Columbia. Must be 13 years of age or older. By participating, entrants under age nineteen (19) signify that they have discussed this Contest with their parent or legal guardian who has agreed to the participation in this Contest by the underage entrant and is agreeable to executing further release documents as and when required on the minor entrant’s behalf. The Contest is not open to employees and representatives (or those with whom they are domiciled) of BC Hydro’s Community Investment, Outreach and Education Department, Hangar 18 Creative Group or Go Beyond Campus Climate Network.

8. BC Hydro shall have exclusive discretion to deem which entries are valid and meet all conditions of these rules.

9. MISCELLANEOUS: Entrants who have not complied with these Contest rules are subject to disqualification at the exclusive discretion of BC Hydro. BC Hydro reserves the right to substitute a prize of equivalent value if the prize cannot be awarded as described. BC Hydro reserves the right to terminate or amend this Contest at any time without prior notice. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws.

10. GENERAL: BC Hydro and its agents are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by BC Hydro 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 an entrant's or any other person's computer, related to or resulting from downloading any materials in this promotion. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this promotion is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, BC Hydro reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.

11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks and copyright, and all of the promotional materials, web pages and source code associated with the Contest, are owned by BC Hydro. All rights are reserved. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyright-protected material or trademarks without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

12. PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information we collect from you is managed according to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

BC Hydro will collect this personal information in furtherance of our mandate under the Hydro and Power Authority Act and, with regard to our conservation activities, under the Clean Energy Act.

The personal information you provide on this contest will only be used by BC Hydro for:

• Administering access and participation on www.inventthefuture.ca
• Administering and awarding the Invent the Future contests
• Sending you information about future energy conservation opportunities, surveys, and BC Hydro contest offers

If you have any questions about how BC Hydro handles or uses your personal information, please contact the Valerie Rodrigues in BC Hydro’s Youth and Education department at 604 623-3834