Consumers Union "Dangers of Debt" Cartoon Contest
Official Contest Rules

The following are the Official Contest Rules for Consumers Union of United States, Inc., a New York not-for-profit corporation, having its principal place of business at 101 Truman Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y. 10703 ("Consumers Union"), "Dangers of Debt" Cartoon Contest (the "Contest").

By entering this Contest, you, the "Contestant," agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY to enter this Contest.

1. To Enter

   To enter the Contest, create and submit an original editorial cartoon (the "Cartoon") related to the dangers of debt for individuals. Submit the Cartoon through the official Entry Form at http://www.creditcardreform.org/contest/signup (hereafter referred to as "the Contest Webpage"). The Cartoon may consist of one frame or up to four multiple frames. The Cartoon may be drawn by hand, created by collage or mixed-media or created on a computer and may be in color or black and white. Cartoon entries should not exceed 1MB in size, must be a resolution of 300 DPI or higher and be PNG, JPG or GIF format files. The subject of the Cartoon must relate to the pitfalls, challenges and/or unfair practices that consumers face with respect to acquiring and accumulating debt ("Cartoon Subject"). The Cartoon Subject may address any debt-related topic, including, but not limited to, credit cards, student loans, car loans, mortgages or other debt. For selected background information and recent news about the dangers of debt see the Contest Webpage.

2. Eligibility

   • The Contest is open to any person 18 to 25 years of age, who resides in the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or on a U.S. Military installation in foreign countries, excluding employees and consultants of Consumers Union and its subsidiaries and affiliates, immediate family members of employees and consultants of Consumers Union and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Contest judges and their immediate families.
   • No monetary prize shall be paid to any person who does not provide a social security number or tax payer identification number.
   • The Grand Prize Winner shall be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Grant and Publicity and Liability Release (the "Affidavit").
   • Consumers Union may post eligible Cartoon entries online as soon as reasonably practical for after submission and review. Consumers Union may disqualify a Cartoon at any time if it determines that the Cartoon is ineligible for any reason under these Official Cartoon Rules or otherwise, and, in such event, may remove the Cartoon from the Contest Webpage and elsewhere where it is posted.
   • Cartoon entries may not depict images or contain words that are pornographic, defamatory, vulgar or inappropriate in any other manner in the sole discretion of Consumers Union. Consumers Union may disqualify and remove inappropriate Cartoon entries at any time without notice to the Contestant.
   • Cartoon entries may not include personal information about any third person. The Cartoon must be the Contestant's own creative work and must be signed by the Contestant.
   • Cartoon entries may not include logos or trade names or violate the copyright of any person or entity, or right of privacy or publicity of any person.
   • By entering the Contest, Contestant represents and warrants that the Cartoon is wholly original to him or her, that it is not copied from any work in a book, magazine, website, video, newspaper or other copyrighted work. At Consumers Union's request, Contestants shall be required to execute all necessary or appropriate documents and take all other reasonable steps to acknowledge their compliance with the rights and responsibilities detailed in these rules including this warranty and representation and the assignment of rights described in these Official Contest Rules.
   • If Consumers Union later determines at any time that any Finalist, Advocate Winner or Grand Prize Winner has made a material misrepresentation or breached the Official Contest Rules, the entry shall be disqualified and any prize awarded to him or her shall be returned to Consumers Union.

3. How to Submit a Cartoon

   • Each Contestant may submit one Cartoon. If multiple entries are received from one person, only the first cartoon that is submitted shall be eligible to be entered into this Contest. If a Contestant's Cartoon entry is determined to be ineligible, the Contestant may submit a revised or new Cartoon. A contestant who is ineligible because of age, place of residence, or relationship to Consumers Union, may not resubmit.
   • Each Contestant must submit his/her own entry via the Entry Form at the Contest Webpage and provide a valid email address and phone number that Consumers Union can use to contact the Contestant if he or she is selected to be a Finalist.
   • Cartoon entries should not exceed 1MB in size, must be a resolution of 300 DPI or higher and be PNG, JPG or GIF format files.
   • Cartoon entries may be submitted beginning on September 26, 2008, and no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, on November 3, 2008.
   Consumers Union shall not be responsible for lost or interrupted mail or email, lost, interrupted, or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications, failed phone or computer hardware or software or telephone transmissions or technical failures, garbled or jumbled transmissions or other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic, including, without limitation, the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information online. Entry materials and/or data that have been tampered with or altered are void.

4. Conditions of Participation

   By submitting the online Entry Form, Contestant agrees to the following conditions of participation:
   • Represents and warrants that the Cartoon is wholly original to the Contestant, is not copied from any work in a book, magazine, website, newspaper or other copyrighted work.
   • Grants to Consumers Union non-exclusive rights to publish the Cartoon in any Consumers Union or Consumers Reports publication, website or other form of media prepared by Consumers Union, in perpetuity.
   • Grants to Consumers Union the non-exclusive right to publish or license or authorize publication of any Cartoon entry submitted for the duration of copyright in the Cartoon.
   • Obligates Contestant to agree not to use the Cartoon for commercial purposes for one year from the date of entry into the Contest.
   • Obligates Contestant not to use Consumers Union's name in association with the Cartoon at any time, other than with the prior written permission of Consumers Union for a particular presentation of the Cartoon.
   • Grants Consumers Union permission to provide the email and phone number of any Finalist to any media outlet that Consumers Union invites to consider publishing the Cartoon or otherwise promote the Contest.
   • The Grand Prize Winner shall be required to sign an Affidavit, Grant and Release, as set forth further Paragraph 7, below.
   • Contestants shall not receive payment or any consideration for publication of their Cartoon by or authorized by Consumers Union, other than as set forth in the Official Contest Rules. Cartoon entries and other correspondence to Consumers Union shall become the property of Consumers Union. Cartoon entries shall not be returned.

5. Finalist Round

   All Contestant entries shall be posted on the Contest Website following submission and review for eligibility by Consumers Union. Voting will begin on or after November 6, 2008. Any person with a valid email address shall be eligible to vote for his or her top three favorite Cartoons from the time the voting begins until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 5, 2008. Each unique email address may register a vote only one time. The 12 Cartoons with the most votes shall be selected as Finalists. In the case of a tie, Consumers Union staff may chose the one or more of the 12 Finalists based on the standards set forth in Paragraph 6, below.
   Consumers Union shall begin notifying Finalists by phone or email on or around December 8th, 2008.
   • Any votes that Consumers Union determines to have been generated by automated means shall be disqualified. Votes that have been tampered with or altered are void. Any Contestant reasonably suspected by Consumers Union to be utilizing automated voting or tampering or altering votes in any manner shall be disqualified. Consumers Union is not responsible for undiscovered use of automated voting.

6. Advocate Winner

   Consumers Union may choose one winner to be the "Advocate Winner." This entry will be chosen from those Cartoons that do not obtain sufficient votes, pursuant to the voting under Paragraph 5 above, to be selected for the Finalist Round. Consumers Union shall select Cartoons based on their originality, creativity, humor, and applicability to the Cartoon Subject. To the extent the Cartoons selected for the Finalist Round are similar in concept, Consumers Union may select a Cartoon, as the advocate winner, that increases the diversity of topics surrounding the dangers of debt theme.

7. Grand Prize Winner

   A panel of professional cartoonists, writers, illustrators and/or publishers shall review the Cartoon entries of the Finalists and pick the Grand Prize Winner. The judges shall be advised to evaluate the Cartoons based on their originality, creativity, humor, and applicability to the Cartoon Subject. The Grand Prize Winner shall be notified by phone or email on or after December 9, 2008. The judges' decision shall be final and binding.
   If the Contestant is chosen as the Grand Prize Winner, the Contestant shall be required to sign the Affidavit, Grant and Release, which shall confirm the grant of the rights and responsibilities set forth in these Official Contest Rules. The Grand Prize Winner shall be required to license to Consumers Union exclusively all rights under copyright throughout the world in and to the Cartoon for a period of one year, and the non-exclusive rights thereafter for the term of copyright in it. This Affidavit must be received by Consumers Union within ten days from the date it was sent to the Contestant or Consumers Union may select another Grand Prize Winner. Consumers Union may in its sole discretion extend the time for the return of this Affidavit.
   If the Grand Prize Winner cannot be contacted, does not satisfactorily return the Affidavit, or is for any reason no longer eligible to receive the Grand Prize, he or she shall forfeit the Grand Prize and Consumers Union may in its sole discretion select an alternate winner.

8. Prizes

   Prizes shall be awarded as follows:
   • First Prize. Each of the 12 Finalists and the Advocate Winner shall receive:
     • A Consumers Union Certificate of Recognition.
     • One DVD of the movie Maxed Out.
     • One DVD of the movie Overdrawn.
   • Grand Prize. The Grand Prize Winner shall receive:
     • A Consumers Union Certificate of Recognition.
     • $1000.
     • One DVD of the movie Maxed Out.
     • One DVD of the movie Overdrawn.
   No prize substitutions shall be allowed. Winners are responsible for federal, state and local taxes, if any, on any prizes awarded.

9. Odds of Winning

   Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received, the number of individuals who cast votes for the Finalists, and the subjective decision for Grand Prize Winner by the judges.

10. Indemnification

    By entering the Contest, Contestant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Consumers Union, and its employees, representatives, agents and licensees from any and all liability, loss, damage, cost or expense, including reasonable counsel fees and expenses, paid or incurred by reason of Contestant's breach or alleged breach of any of the obligations, covenants, representations or terms contained in the Official Contest Rules.

11. List of Winners

    For a complete list of Contest winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Dangers of Debt Contest, Consumers Union, 1535 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, 94103 by January 30, 2009.