OFFICIAL RULES

This contest is a game of skill and involves the correct and speedy completion of a Sudoku puzzle online. From April 26, 2006 this contest is open to members of SudokuVillage.com (“Site”). This contest is offered at the discretion of Sponsor, is a limited-time event associated with membership, and may be terminated at anytime. Membership does not give any member ongoing rights to participate in this or any other contest or limited-time event.

ELIGIBILITY. United States and Canada law and all relevant state and local laws govern this Contest. The Contest is open to residents of all countries. To be eligible, all persons must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of entry. Employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, and their family members of the Sponsor, and its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and partners are not eligible to enter. All decisions of the Sponsor with respect to this Contest are final.

PRIZE. One (1) prize of $5 will be awarded daily to the winner each Contest period. The prize is nontransferable and no substitutions will be made. The prize will be deposited in the winner’s PayPal account. A PayPal account can be established at no cost at www.paypal.com. (In the event that no one submits a correct solution, no prize will be awarded for that day).

HOW TO WIN. A puzzle will be posted at the beginning of the Contest period. The Contest period runs from 12:00 am EST and concluding at 11:59 pm EST that day. The person who correctly solves the puzzle in the shortest elapsed time during the Contest period will be awarded the prize. In the event multiple correct submissions that are completed in the same shortest amount of time are received, the first person of the multiple correct entrants to have completed the puzzle and submitted an entry during the Contest period will be the winner. You can win no more than once per week (Monday thru Sunday).

HOW TO PARTICIPATE. You become eligible to win by being a member and submitting a correctly completed puzzle. Though you may enter by submitting an entry through the Site whether or not the entry is correct, only correct entries will be eligible for the prize. All entries to the Puzzle of The Day competition must be solved online (not solved offline and copied onto the grid in the contest page) and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on the day the Contest is run to be eligible. A member must submit a puzzle to be entered into the Contest. Completion of a puzzle is not a submission. Neither Sponsor nor its affiliates will be responsible for late, lost, stolen, illegible, incomplete, mutilated, misdirected or destroyed entries. Neither Sponsor nor its affiliates will be responsible for computer or machine errors which interfere with the submission of an entry. Limit one (1) entry per person per Contest period.

SELECTION OF WINNERS. A Winner will be identified no later than noon EST (12:00 p.m.) on the first business day after the end of the Contest period. All puzzles will be checked under the supervision of Sponsor, whose decisions shall be final in all matters. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, use manual or automated tools to check the accuracy of the results. The winner will be notified by email, and will be required to issue a paypal money request for the amount of the prize from the winner’s own paypal account to ‘harvey@howtosolveeverysudokupuzzle.com’. Neither the Sponsor or its affiliates will be responsible for failure of email communications. (A paypal money request can be issued by most persons holding a valid paypal account. Instructions can be found via the help center in paypal.com. In the event that the winner is unable to issue a paypal money request, winner may send the request along with winner’s full payment details via certified mail to Geostar Publishing & Services LLC, 6423 Woodbine Court, St. Louis, MO 63109, USA. or may fax the request to 516-706-0475). Acceptance of any prize constitutes the prizewinner’s permission to use such person’s name, and city and state or province of residence for promotional or advertising purposes in connection with the Contest without further compensation or permission except where prohibited by law. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will neither be acknowledged nor returned. All entries are subject to verification prior to awarding of prizes.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
a) FOR USE OF AIDS : Solving of a puzzle in too short a time is an indication for that the member has used automated aids to complete the puzzle. Therefore, puzzles completed in less than a minimum time set by the Sponsor will be disqualified. The Sponsor shall determine the minimum time before the Contest for that day begins, and its determination of this minimum time will be final and binding. The Sponsor will not be required to publish this minimum time as this would encourage cheating.
b) FOR OTHER REASON : A contestant may only use one user id and one paypal id to be eligible for the prize. In case any contestant violates this rule, Geostar Publishing & Services LLC reserves the right to disqualify such a contestant even if his or her name is picked as the winner by our software.

ODDS OF WINNING. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received.

RESTRICTIONS. Sponsor shall not be liable to winner or any person claiming through winner for failure to supply the prize or any part thereof, by reason of any acts of God, any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), equipment failure, terrorist acts, earthquake, war, fire, flood, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal) labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond Sponsor’s sole control.

CONDITIONS. By entering participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules. Any expenses incurred due to receipt and use of the prize as well as any and federal, state and local taxes and fees applicable in connection with the prize awarded are the sole responsibility of the winner. This Contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws of the United State and Canada. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sponsor, its officers, directors, parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotions agencies are not responsible for and shall not be liable for (i) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by a prize resulting from acceptance, possession or usage of the prize, or (ii) printing, distribution or production errors. Sponsors or its affiliates may rescind any Contest found to contain such errors, or that has been fraudulently tampered with, or for any other reason, without liability at its sole discretion.

DISCLAIMERS; LIMITATION ON LIABILITY; DISQUALIFICATION; MISCELLANEOUS.

ANY PRIZE IS AWARDED “AS IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. COMPLIANCE WITH ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL OR OTHER TAX LAW ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

No responsibility, damage, loss or injury is assumed by the Sponsor, or any subsidiary and/or affiliated company of the Sponsor or their officers, directors, agents and employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”) for:

any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest;

any human, telephone, technical, computer or online malfunction, bug, error, hardware or software malfunction or any other technical malfunction and/or problem of any origin;

the inability of any person to access the Site for any reason; or

the use of any prize.

You agree to indemnify, hold harmless and release the Released Parties, their agents, affiliates and assigns from any and all liabilities for injuries, claims, damages or expenses, including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees or injuries, claims, damages or expenses resulting from, sustained in connection with or arising out of the Contest, the registration to become a SudokuVillage.com member, the process of selecting a winner, acceptance, possession, receipt or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries and losses related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional).

THE RELEASED PARTIES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS OR DAMAGES INCURRED BY ANY PARTICIPANT AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, WINNING ANY PRIZE OR ANY DAMAGE OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THIS CONTEST, WHETHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY SERVER FAILURES, HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE FAILURES, LOST, MISAPPROPRIATED OR CORRUPTED ENTRIES, VIRUS, WORM OR TROJAN HORSE DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE, MALFUNCTION, FAILURE OR DISRUPTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS CONTEST.

The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any participant (at any time and without prior notice to such individual) reasonably suspected to be tampering with the operation of the Contest; to be acting in violation of these Rules; to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person; or for any other reason whatsoever. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY YOU OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY ALTER OR DAMAGE THE SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY YOU AND SEEK DAMAGES FROM YOU TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

You hereby acknowledge that you are not entitled to any compensation or right of approval in connection with the Contest or Sponsor’s exercise of any right or power granted by you to Sponsor hereunder.

Sponsor is not liable for any delay or failure in performing the Contest if such failure arises directly or indirectly, out of causes reasonably beyond the direct control of the Sponsor.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS RELEASE. If I am a winner, I agree to the following terms:
- I hereby release the Sponsor from any and all claims, demands, indebtedness, agreements, promises, causes of action, claims for costs, claims for expenses, claims for fees, obligations, damages, loss of services, personal injuries, and liabilities of any nature whatsoever, in law or in equity, that may arise, directly or indirectly, from my participation in the Contest.
- I am not an employee or family member of the Sponsor, and therefore I am not ineligible to win. If at any time the Sponsor determines that I am disqualified from receiving the prize(s) because of my employment or family relationship with the Sponsor, or because I am not otherwise eligible according to the Official Rules, I will not contest such determination and I will forfeit my right to all prize(s) and will reimburse the Sponsor for any portion of the prize(s) that I may have already received.
- I certify I am at least 18 years of age.
- I agree to provide my legal residence and telephone number at the time I redeem my prize via PayPal.
- I hereby give the Sponsor permission to use my name, photograph or likeness and city and state or province of residence in any advertising or promotional campaigns or literature related to the Contest and any future contests of Sponsor. The Sponsor may use my name, photograph or likeness as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. I understand that I will not receive any compensation or benefit for the Sponsor’s use of my name, photograph or likeness other than the prize(s) listed below.
- My acceptance of any prize(s) shall constitute my agreement and acceptance of the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 12.
- This offer and contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited by law.

SPONSOR POWERS: The Sponsor will have the power to rule on all aspects of the Contest. The decisions of the Sponsor shall be final and irreversible. The Sponsor reserves the right to make any necessary or appropriate changes to the Contest as it progresses. The Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify the Contest in whole or in part in event of technical or other difficulties or for any other reason at any time.

OFFICIAL RULES AND WINNER’S LIST. The Contest is subject to these Rules and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations of the U.S. and Canada . By participating in this Contest, you acknowledge that you have read these Rules and agree to abide by the terms and by the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest. All U.S. and Canada federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. You can see the Office Rules or a list of the Contest prize winners (for the immediate preceding week) at the SudokuVillage.com website. You may also request a copy of the Official Rules or a list of the names and addresses (city and state only) of prize winners, send a postcard request within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the Contest in the Contest period of interest to you to: SudokuVillage.com Daily Puzzle Contest Official Rules OR Winner’s List (please specify which), c/o Geostar Publishing & Services LLC, 6423 Woodbine Court, St. Louis, MO 63109, USA, Ph: 314-260-9978.. Residents of WA and VT need not provide return postage. The winners list will be fulfilled after completion of the Contest for the specific Contest period.