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To complete your final project submission, please complete the brief form below, providing a link to your application code in the space indicated. Let us know if you have any questions.
Your Team Name Project URL Team Member Email Addresses (1 per line) Terms and Conditions
The CivicScience Prize Rules

Members of CivicScience are able to vote on legislation, take polls, and other fun activities to see how they compare to Congress, to their friends, and to the CivicScience community as a whole.  CivicScience is a community for those who want their voice to be heard and want to learn about themselves and the world around them.  CivicScience believes that democratic governments and economies can only flourish when the voice of every individual can be heard and respected. We also believe that individual privacy and information security is critical to achieving an open and honest dialogue about important issues.

There are many alternative approaches to how polling and social research data works, and how people interface with the CivicScience service.  CivicScience would like to develop methods for integrating its polling capabilities and its online community with Facebook.  

CivicScience is conducting this contest as to attract creative and talented developers to assist CivicScience.  There is no cost to enter, no purchase required, and you need not be a CivicScience subscriber.  CivicScience will provide you with access to CivicScience's API's and related code, and anonymous data.  It will be your challenge to develop an efficient, user-friendly, integrated application which can interface with Facebook and allow CivicScience to distribute and collect polls and polling data.  Your work will be judged on technical efficiency and end-user acceptance.  

Upon completion of the Contest, CivicScience and its selected panel of experts will select the winners.  CivicScience will award various prizes, including a grand prize of $3,000 cash plus a paid internship with CivicScience (including a $3,000 stipend).  Other prizes will include: A new Netbook, iPod Touch, and gift certificates for runners-up.
Contest Rules, Terms and Conditions

The Contest entry period begins November 13, 2009 and continues until January 12, 2010 (the "Contest Term").  You have to register to enter.  Once you register and agree to these Rules, you'll have access to the Contest data and technical specifications.  No additional registrations or Contest submissions will be accepted after the close of the Contest Term.  CivicScience reserves the right to cancel the Contest after 60 days in its sole discretion. 

Participants are welcomed either as individuals or as teams of several persons.  In the case of teams, one person must be designated as the team leader and will be solely responsible for receiving communications from and communicating with CivicScience.  Awarded Prizes will be distributed among the Participants and affiliated organizations according to the instructions of the team leader.  We recommend teams determine ahead of time how Prizes, if any, would be shared among team members.  Participants can represent themselves or be the authorized representatives of a company or academic institution. 

If a Participant is an employee of a corporation or academic institution, enrolled as a student or representing their employer or academic institution in this Contest, it is their sole responsibility to review, understand and abide by their employer's or academic institution's policies regarding eligibility to participate in the Contest and the use, creation, sale and license of intellectual property rights.  If a Participant is found to be in violation of their school's or employer's policies, they will be disqualified from entering the Contest and being awarded or retaining Contest Prizes.  CivicScience disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between a student or employee and their school or employer related to this Contest. 

Current and former employees, officers, contractors and agents of CivicScience, its subsidiaries and equity affiliates, together with members of their immediate families (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) and those living in their same households, or CivicScience and independent contractors supporting the Contest, are ineligible to enter and participate in the Contest or be awarded or retain any Contest Prize. 

Residents of any country other than the United States are ineligible to participate.  The Contest is void in these countries and where prohibited or restricted by law.  CivicScience reserves the right to limit, or restrict upon notice, participation in the Contest to any person at any time for any reason. 

Registration 

To participate in the Contest, Participants must accurately and truthfully complete the Participant registration information request online at www.CivicScienceinc.com/Facebook.htm.  To register, Participants must provide a team name, a list of all team Participants, and identify the team leader, providing each Participant's full name, and e-mail address, affiliation, if any, and country.  Any publicly displayed team data, including team names, may be changed if deemed inappropriate by CivicScience in its sole discretion.  Each Participant must consent to be bound by these Rules.  Individuals may be members of multiple teams; teams with an identical set of members are not permitted.  All entry information and submissions shall be deemed collected and judged in the United States.  CivicScience will not reveal Participant identities unless and until a team wins a prize.  All Participants, by registering or receiving information for CivicScience, are agreeing to be bound by the provisions hereof related to Confidentiality, invention assignment, and non-competition.  

Eligibility of Submissions

An eligible Participant Submissions in the Contest ("Submissions") must be originally developed or implemented (e.g., must not violate or infringe on any applicable law or regulation or third-party rights); must be written in English (with mathematical formulae as necessary); and must not require any third-party software or licenses, payment on the part of CivicScience, or otherwise prevent CivicScience from using the submission in any way or from exercising the rights granted hereunder.  The description must be written at a level sufficient for a practitioner in computer science to reproduce the results obtained by the Participant.  It must describe substantially all the steps performed both by any component.  If applicable, it should also list any prior applications of the techniques employed by the Submission or any algorithm which is a part hereof.   


Upon qualifying, as described above, the Participant is required to submit a description of their Submission along with all related source code.  The Participant warrants that the source code is either fully or substantially developed, and functions or will function, as represented by the description.  Failure to deliver both the description and source code will disqualify that entry. 

Qualified entries will be reviewed, considered and judged by a panel of senior CivicScience engineers and qualified independent judges.  Participants shall reasonably cooperate with the judges in any verification activities.  Application of the judging criteria to eligible Contest entries shall be at the judges' reasonable discretion and, as to elements of the judging criteria involving matters of subjectivity, at the judges' sole discretion. 

Each Participant will be required to grant to CivicScience (including its affiliates and subsidiaries, employees, agents, and contractors), an irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up, worldwide non-exclusive license under the Participants' copyrights, patents or other intellectual property rights to use, review, assess, test, analyze, market, distribute, create derivative works from, license and sublicense the Submissions including the object code and source code) and all their content in connection with this Contest.  In addition, Participants waive on an irrevocable basis all moral rights in the Submissions and all their content.  CivicScience shall be free to use for any purpose in any and all media now known or hereinafter developed in any territory in perpetuity the residuals resulting from access to or work with Participants' Submissions.  The term "residuals" means information in intangible form, which is retained in memory by persons who have had access to the submissions, including ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained therein.  CivicScience shall not have any obligation to limit or restrict the assignment of such persons or to pay royalties for any work resulting from the use of residuals. 

As a condition to receiving any Prize, the winning individual and/or team must grant to CivicScience (including its affiliates and subsidiaries, employees, agents, and contractors), an irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up, worldwide non-exclusive license under the Participants' copyrights, patents or other intellectual property rights in the winning submission ("Winning Submission") to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works from the Winning Submission and also to make, have made, use, sell, offer for sale, and import products that would otherwise infringe the Winning Submission.  Except as encompassed in the concept of "have made", this license will not include the right to grant further licenses or sublicenses. 

Award of Contest Prizes 

Contest Prizes: 

1.  Grand Prize: $3,000,000 (USD) Cash, plus a 3-month internship with CivicScience commencing in June 2010 and a $3,000 stipend. 
2.  Additional Prizes: New NetBook, iPod Touch, and Gift Certificates

A Participant is eligible to win and be awarded only one (1) Prize per submitted entry.  In the event a qualified Participant cannot be reasonably notified, verified or confirmed based on two (2) attempts (and further attempts at CivicScience's sole discretion), a Contest Prize is declined or a potential winner is not in compliance with these Rules or eligible for award of a Contest Prize for whatever reason, the Contest will remain open and an alternate potential prize winner will be chosen and verified in accordance with these Rules. 

Awarded Prizes will be distributed amongst team members and affiliated organizations in a lump sum payments according to the winning team leader's instructions 4-6 weeks after CivicScience has declared a winner.  Return of a Contest Prize or failure of Contest Prize delivery will result in disqualification and an alternative potential winner will be chosen and verified in accordance with these Rules. 

Any costs or expenses associated with the acceptance and use of any Contest Prize monies are the sole responsibility of the Contest Prize winners.  All Contest Prize details are at CivicScience's sole discretion.  A Contest Prize winner may make no substitutions or assignment of a Contest Prize other than as specified in these Rules. 

Prize monies should be retained by individuals only in conformity with any applicable policies of their employers or academic institutions, regarding participation in and receipt of promotional consideration relating to the Contest and receipt and retention of Contest Prizes.  If an employer's or school's policies are applicable, it is the Participant's sole and ultimate responsibility, in consultation with their employer or school, to determine how and if any Contest Prize will be retained and/or distributed and accounted for and CivicScience assume no responsibility for the decisions made by such employers or schools regarding this issue. 

General Contest Terms and Conditions 

A.Delivery.  A Participant is solely responsible for the equipment and Internet access required to connect to the Site and/or participate in the Contest.  CivicScience will not be responsible for lost, late, incomplete, stolen, misdirected, undelivered, delayed, inaccurate, illegible materials, entries, email or mail; or for any computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, or availability, or for service provider/Internet/Web site/use net accessibility or availability, traffic congestion, or unauthorized human intervention, or for inaccurate capture of any information, or the failure to capture any such information.  CivicScience is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by printing errors, tampering, hacking, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest, and is not responsible for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the Contest website or any communications means or for any other error of failure of any kind in connection with or relating to this Contest, whether caused by any human, typographical, printing, mechanical, computer or other means, including, without limitation, errors or failures which may occur in connection with the processing or storing of information, the administration of the Contest, the uploading, processing validating, posting and/or judging of entries, the announcement of the Contest Prizes or in any Contest-related materials.  CivicScience is not responsible for injury or damage to Participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading materials from or use of the Site.  Entries delayed past the submission deadline of the Contest will not be accepted for review. 

B.Entries; Verification; Participant Cooperation.  All activities relating to Participant's participation in the Contest and material submitted are subject to verification and/or auditing for compliance with these Rules and Participants agree to reasonably cooperate with CivicScience concerning verification and/or auditing.  In the event that Contest verification activity or an audit evidences non-compliance with the Rules or official Contest communications, as determined in CivicScience's reasonable discretion, a Participant's continuing participation in any aspect of the Contest may be suspended or terminated. 
CivicScience reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reasonably suspend or cancel the Contest.  In the event the Contest is cancelled, CivicScience may, at its sole discretion, determine the winners from among all eligible and non-suspect validated entries received up to the time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above. 

C.Participants' Affidavits, Contest Consent and Releases.  As a condition of winning the Contest and receipt and acceptance of a Contest Prize, a Participant will be required to complete, sign and return a non-exclusive grant of license to CivicScience, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and where lawful, a Publicity and Submission Release and License ("Release"), within seven (7) days of the date of winning status notification.  A Release will include consent by a winner and/or his or her employer/principal for CivicScience and those acting under its control to use a winner's name, picture, voice, likeness, and the name, description and application comprising winner's entry, worldwide in perpetuity, without further compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law.  In addition, winning Participants will be required to complete applicable U.S. tax withholding-related documentation and, if necessary, provide proof of foreign status, as beneficiaries of U.S.-sourced promotional consideration. 
Without limitation, if the foregoing documents are not executed by the prescribed persons noted therein and returned timely, or if notification is returned as non-deliverable, or if a Participant is found to be ineligible or otherwise not in compliance with these Rules, a Contest Prize may be forfeited at the sole discretion of CivicScience and, at CivicScience's discretion, the next eligible Participant in accordance with these Rules will be notified.  Contest Prizes won by team leaders who are eligible minors in their state, province or country of residence shall be awarded to eligible minor's parent or legal guardian who must sign and return all required documentation and otherwise fulfill all requirements imposed on winners set forth herein. 

D.Tax Consequences.  Participation and receipt of benefits from the Contest will have tax consequences.  Participants should speak with their tax advisors prior to participation and receipt and acceptance of Contest Prizes to prevent any undesired results.  Should there be any local tax liability for participation in the Contest or the receipt of a Contest Prize, or costs or expenses relating to participation in the Contest or for the use and enjoyment of any Contest Prizes, or for any other reason, such taxes and/or expenses are the sole responsibility of the Participant.  CivicScience will issue Contest-related tax reporting, as may be required by applicable laws and regulations.  As a condition of winning the Contest and receipt and use of any Contest Prize, Participants agree to self-report to applicable local taxing authorities, as may be required by local laws. 

E.Rules Amendment and Interpretation. The Contest and its continuing terms and conditions, benefits and participation are offered to Participants at the sole discretion of CivicScience.  CivicScience reserves the right to amend or interpret the Rules or official Contest communications and any element or elements arising under or relating to the Contest at any time, upon published notice to Participants on the Contest website (the "Site").  A Participant shall be deemed to have notice of any such amendments or interpretations upon publication of the same on the Site and shall be deemed to have accepted such amendments or interpretations by virtue of a Participant's continuing participation in the Contest.  Should a Participant not wish to continue to participate in the Contest pursuant to the prevailing Rules, as amended or interpreted, a Participant may terminate participation in the Contest by abandoning their registration on the Site.  All submitted material remain the property of CivicScience. 

F.Rule Compliance Interpretation. CivicScience reserves the right to make all decisions, in its discretion, arising out of or relating to instances of suspected abuse, fraud, error or anomalies in the operation of the Contest, including the Site, or any other interpretation, activity or suspected violation relating to the Contest, and such decisions by CivicScience are final and binding.  Aggrieved Participants further agree, to submit to CivicScience via certified mail (CivicScience, 333 East Carson St., Suite 537E, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) for internal adjudication a written statement concerning and fully describing any grievance for expeditious review and formal response by CivicScience.  The formal response and decision by CivicScience shall be final and binding on a Participant.  CivicScience's decision of a particular matter with an individual Participant shall not bind CivicScience as to decisions or adjudications of similar future matters, if there is a rational basis for distinguishing the facts and circumstances of such matters.   

G.NO WARRANTY.  CIVICSCIENCE, ORGANIZERS AND THEIR SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATED COMPANIES AND ALL OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS (COLLECTIVELY, THE "RELEASED PARTIES") EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND (WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE), INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL RELEASED PARTIES BE HELD RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR A PARTICIPANT'S USE OF THE INFORMATION AND/OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED AND/OR MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CONTEST OR FOR ERRORS OR ANOMALIES RESULTING IN THE UNINTENDED OR ERRONEOUS PARTICIPATION, AWARD OF CONTEST PRIZES OR OTHER BENEFITS UNDER THE CONTEST TO PARTICIPANTS.  RELEASED PARTIES OFFER NO ASSURANCES, GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS THAT THE CONTEST OR CONTEST WEBSITES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE CONTEST.  RELEASED PARTIES ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY COMPUTER-RELATED DAMAGES DUE TO DOWNLOADING MATERIALS.  RELEASED PARTIES WILL NOT BE LIABLE, AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE, FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND RELATED TO A PARTICIPANT'S PARTICIPATION OR INABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST, WHETHER THE DAMAGES ARE DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL.  FURTHER, BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST AND/OR ACCEPTING A CONTEST PRIZE, A PARTICIPANT AGREES THAT RELEASED PARTIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR, AND WILL BE HELD HARMLESS BY PARTICIPANT AGAINST, ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS TO PERSON (INCLUDING DEATH) OR PROPERTY DUE IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF A CONTEST PRIZE, PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST PRIZE-RELATED ACTIVITY, RELEASED PARTIES' USE OF ANY TENDERED ENTRY OR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; THEREFORE THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY. 

H.Indemnification.  Participants agree to release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Released Parties from and against, and accept all responsibility of any kind, including but not limited to financial, for any liability, claims, losses, damages or proceedings, including but not limited for death, (including reasonable attorneys' fees) relating to any actions taken by a Participant, including submission of Application algorithms and executables, or anyone else using a Participant's e-mail or team password or otherwise purporting to act on Participant's behalf in regard to the Contest (whether or not such use occurred with or without your permission).  Participant also agrees to release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all liability, claims, losses, damages or proceedings, including but not limited for death (including reasonable attorneys' fees) relating to Prizes and any other matter in connection with a Participant's participation in the Contest or CivicScience's or its designees or CivicScience's or it's designees use of his/her Application. 

I.University Provisions.  If the Participant is an university faculty member or employee, Participant agrees that CivicScience is in no way supporting or sponsoring any research or academic undertaking of yours at the University.  Participant further agree that you will not use University resources in the performance or preparation of the Submission.  Participant further represent and warrant to CivicScience that their participation in the Contest will not violate any conflict of interest or similar policies of the university or any employee to which Participant is subject. 

J.Non-Disparagement.  Each Participant agrees to promote CivicScience and not knowingly do anything that would reflect negatively on CivicScience or any of its services or products.  Each Participant understands and agrees not to make any negative, disparaging, derogatory or false statements, directly or by innuendo, in any writing or oral statement in any public forum or setting, including to any media outlet, industry group, website discussion forum (or "blog"), trade show or conference or to any customer of CivicScience regarding CivicScience or any of its directors, officers, employee, agent or representatives.

K.Non-Disclosure of Third Party Materials.  Each Participant agrees not to improperly use or disclose to or for CivicScience's benefit any confidential information or trade secrets of any person to whom the Participant owes an obligation of confidentiality.   

L.Confidential Information.  The term "Confidential Information" shall mean: (i) confidential information, knowledge or data of CivicScience; (ii) trade secrets of CivicScience, (iii) Information regarding CivicScience's plans for research and development or for new products, and (iv) any other information of CivicScience disclosed to the Participant or to which the Participant is given access (including the Specifications).  All Confidential Information disclosed to or acquired by a Participant is a valuable, special, and unique asset of CivicScience and is to be held in trust and confidence by the Participant for CivicScience's sole benefit.  Each Participant agrees that they shall not, at any time, use, or disclose or communicate to any person for any reason, any Confidential Information without the prior written consent of CivicScience.  The Participant's obligations under this Section shall not apply to any Confidential Information that is or becomes publicly known under circumstances involving no breach by the Participant of these provisions.  The Participant will promptly deliver to CivicScience, upon the termination of the Contest or, if earlier, upon the request of CivicScience, all documents and other tangible media in the Participant's actual or constructive possession or control that contain, reflect, disclose or relate to any Confidential Information, Assigned Inventions or Proprietary Rights.  The Participant will destroy any related computer entries on equipment or media not owned by CivicScience.

M.Inventions; Assignment.  All Submissions by a Participant shall be deemed "work for hire" for purposes of the United States Copyright laws.  Each Participant hereby agrees to hold any and all Assigned Inventions and Proprietary Rights in trust for the sole right and benefit of CivicScience and such other person or persons as CivicScience shall designate in writing, and the Participant hereby assigns to CivicScience and such other person or persons as CivicScience shall designate in writing all of his right, title and interest in and to any and all Assigned Inventions and Proprietary Rights.  Each Participant agrees to execute such instruments of transfer, assignment, conveyance or confirmation and such other documents as CivicScience may request to evidence, confirm or perfect the assignment of all of the Participant's right, title and interest in and to any Assigned Invention or Proprietary Right pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section.  Each Participant hereby waives and quitclaims to CivicScience any and all claims of any nature whatsoever that the Participant may now or hereafter have for infringement of any Proprietary Rights assigned hereunder to CivicScience.  The obligations of the Participant under this Section are without prejudice, and are in addition to, any other obligations or duties of the Participant, whether express or implied or imposed by applicable law, to assign to CivicScience all Assigned Inventions and all Proprietary Rights.
The term "Assigned Inventions" shall mean all Submissions, and any and all Inventions that:  (i) are made, conceived, invented, discovered, originated, authored, created, learned or reduced to practice by the Participant, either alone or together with others, in the course of Participating in the Contest; or (ii) arise out of or are based upon any Confidential Information.  The term "Proprietary Rights" shall mean any and all rights under or in connection with any patents, patent applications, copyrights, copyright applications, mask works, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights with respect to Assigned Inventions.
At the request of CivicScience, the Participant will assist CivicScience (including, without limitation, by executing patent applications and assignments of patents or copyrights) to obtain and enforce Proprietary Rights relating to any or all Assigned Inventions.  Without the prior written consent of CivicScience, the Participant shall not, at any time, file any patent or copyright application with respect to, or claiming, any Assigned Inventions.

N.Incorporation; Modification.  These rules, terms and conditions specified here comprise the Contest's Official Rules and, together with the Contest Site's Terms of Use and official Contest communications or publications by CivicScience, shall govern and apply to all participation and activity arising out of and relating to the Contest and use of the Site.  These Rules cannot be modified or superseded except by CivicScience, in its reasonable discretion.
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