The Brighter Planet Blog

Official Rules for “Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking”

1. Description of the Contest

The 2009 “Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking” contest (“Contest”) sponsored by Brighter Planet, Incorporated, 36 Main St. Middlebury VT, 05753, 802.458.0441 (the “Sponsors”) is designed to provide a forum for people, regardless of their culinary experience, to inspire others to create good food that’s also good for the planet.  Tell the story of your experience (“Tip Experience”) of how you use less energy and reduce waste without sacrificing nutrition, flavor, or the joy of sharing a delicious meal.

2. Eligibility Criteria

The Contest is open to U.S. Citizens who satisfy the following criteria (“Eligibility Criteria”):  (a) those who are, as of the date of entry, at least 18 years of age and have attained the age of majority in their state of residence; (b) those who are not employees of Sponsors and their parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, participating vendors, promotion or advertising agencies, or any other company involved with the design, production, execution or distribution of the Contest (all of the above, together with Sponsors, collectively referred to as “Promotion Entities”); and (c) those who are not an employee’s immediate family member (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), regardless of where they live, or an employee’s Household Member.  “Household Member” shall mean people who share the same residence at least 3 months a year (whether related or not). There is no cost to participate in the Contest. No purchase is necessary. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.  Void outside of the United States, and where prohibited by law.

Participants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Sponsors that are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. Entrants under the age of 18 should obtain a parent’s or guardian’s permission before entering.

3. How to enter

Until 5:00:01pm EST on December 31^st, 2009, you can visit http://blog.brighterplanet.com/sustainable-cooking/ (“Web site”) to find out where to enter your Tip Experience. You must provide your email address, mailing address, and phone number in order to collect a prize. By entering the Contest you grant the Sponsors the right to contact you regarding your entry, publicize your entry, promote your entry for any other purpose related to the Contest and/or broadcast your entry.

Entries may only be submitted in the name of one individual. Entrants may submit one experience per tip.  A given experience may not be submitted multiple times under multiple tips.  Entrants may return to edit Tip Experiences through the close of the contest. Inappropriate entries may be vetoed by Brighter Planet at our discretion.

4. Judging

The top 3-5 Tip Experience entrants in each of 5 categories will be determined by the number of likes received by viewers.  Those categories are:

1. Menu and Dining Planning
2. Ingredients
3. Food Sources
4. Techniques
5. Appliances, Gadgets, & Gizmos

The review panel then evaluates the top entrants to select the winner in each of the 5 categories using the criteria of:

• How effective the Tip Experience is at reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• How the experience will add to the joy of cooking and sharing delicious meals
• How well the experience is described in the written word, photos and videos
• How easy the Tip Experience is for others to replicate

Winners will be notified by phone, email or mail, at Sponsors’ discretion. Decisions of the judges are final and binding. Finalists must execute and return all documentation required by Sponsors in order to remain eligible as a finalist.

5. Prizes

The top 5 entries – 1 in each category – will be awarded an Amazon Kindle DX e-reader and a $100 gift certificate to load it with cookbooks. The top sustainable cooking experiences will be featured in press material by Brighter Planet and editorial media.  The top entries in each category will receive cooking prizes and get credit for their experience on Brighter Plant website. Weekly prizes will be awarded to a striking entry of our choice.

The Sponsors reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. The Sponsors decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. Prizes are non-transferable, assignable or redeemable for cash. Winners may be required to provide a written acknowledgement of acceptance of all terms and conditions of the competition prior to receiving their prize.

All taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income taxes) are the sole responsibility of the winners. Prizes may not be substituted or transferred, except that Sponsors may substitute a prize of equal or greater value in their sole discretion.  The opportunity to have Tip Experiences reviewed by media and climate change experts for the Contest constitutes consideration for the activity carried out by entrants in designing and creating the video and performing any activity relating to the Contest.

Winners will be asked to confirm their phone number and mailing address. Entrants who do not provide a phone number and mailing address with their initial submission will forfeit any prizes. If an entrant cannot be reached by email within ten (10) business days of the first attempt to notify them, the prizes may be forfeited and the next successful entrant will receive said prizes.

Prizes will be sent by mail to the addresses provided; shipping costs are included. The Sponsors shall not be responsible for misdelivery of any documents and/or prizes provided that the Sponsors address the documents and/or prizes to the address provided by the winner.

6. Ownership of Material

All Tip Experiences must be entirely the entrant’s original work and must not infringe the intellectual property, industrial property or other rights of any third party, without regard to the
entrant’s country of residence. Entrants agree that a condition of entry into the Contest is the assignment and transfer to Sponsors of all rights, title and interest in and to their Tip Experience     (including, without limitation, all intellectual property and industrial rights now in force or that come into force in the future in any part of the world, whether or not registered or      registerable) and all applications and rights to apply for the registration of such rights (including, without limitation, copyright, designs, inventions, patents, trade secrets, trademarks, trade dress and all other rights of a similar or corresponding character or nature) subsisting in the tip      description, design and all documents, drawings, models and preparatory materials relating to the tip description (“Intellectual Property Rights” or “IPR”). In entering a tip description in the Contest, entrants agree to assign, and to the extent permitted by law hereby assign, all IPR to Sponsors.
In entering a Tip Experience in the Contest, entrants also agree to waive, and to the extent permitted by law, hereby waive, all moral rights conferred upon them or arising in respect of their tip description anywhere in the world. Without prejudice to the foregoing, entrants hereby consent without recourse to any use of the tip description by Sponsors which would infringe, anywhere in the world, any of their moral rights in the tip description.

7. Publicity

Entrants grant permission to Promotion Entities to use, publish and display their name, likeness and/or entry, as well as any footage, stills, recordings and/or photographs of them recorded or taken during or for the purposes of the Contest (or any reproduction or modification thereof), in any manner and medium throughout the world for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.  Entrant agrees to execute and sign additional publicity release documents if necessary.

8. Conditions of Participation

By entering this Contest, all entrants acknowledge that they have read and fully understand these Official Rules of the Contest and will be bound in accordance thereof. Entrants must also abide by the decisions of the judges and Sponsors, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest and agree that no correspondence will be entered into.

To the extent permitted by law, the entrants agree to hold Sponsors, their affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, directors, officers, employees, representatives, and assigns harmless from any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by the entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or use or acceptance of any prize won. Sponsors are not responsible for any typographical or other error in the advertising or administration of the Contest or in the announcement of a prize.

An entrant may be prohibited or disqualified from participating in the Contest, or may be required to forfeit any prize awarded to them in the Contest if, in Sponsors’ sole discretion, (a) Sponsors believe that the entrant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, engaging in deception, not adhering to the content requirement or otherwise violating these Official Rules, (b) Sponsors believe that the entrant does not satisfy the Eligibility Criteria, (c) the entrant does not satisfy any other criteria or agreement in these Official Rules (including, without limitation, executing and returning any documentation required by Sponsors), or (d) the entrant is convicted of, or pleads guilty or no contest to, any felony or any crime of moral turpitude, fraud or misrepresentation.

9.Privacy

In entering the Contest, entrants will be required to provide Sponsors with, or Sponsors will need to collect, certain personally identifying information (“Personal Information”).  Entrants agree and consent to Sponsors using and processing such Personal Information for the promotion and administration of the Contest, to claim or defend its rights in any disputes arising in connection with the Contest, and to comply with any requests received from public authorities (“Permitted Purposes”).  Entrants also agree that Sponsors may provide their Personal Information to third parties, including Sponsors’ agents and contractors, for the Permitted Purposes. Sponsors will delete all Personal Information within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the Contest.  The processing of all Personal Information will take place by electronic and manual means in compliance with all security measures required by applicable laws.  Personal Information will be accessible within Sponsors’ organization only by those persons who are responsible for using and processing of the Personal Information for the Permitted Purposes.

Entrants acknowledge that their Personal Information may be transferred outside their jurisdiction of residence for the Permitted Purposes.

Entrants acknowledge that the use and processing of their Personal Information is necessary for the administration of the Contest.  The failure by entrants to provide all requested Personal Information will result in ineligibility to participate in the Contest.

Entrants may access or request the correction of their Personal Information by sending a written request to the following address:

Brighter Planet, Inc., c/o Matt Kling
Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking Contest
36 Main Street
Middlebury VT, 05753

10.Warranty and Indemnity

In entering the Contest, entrants certify that they satisfy the Eligibility Criteria, that their Tip Experience is original to them alone, that they are the sole and exclusive owner of all IPR and that they have the right to submit the Tip Experience in the Contest and to transfer the ownership of the Tip Experience and of all IPR to Sponsor. Entrants agree and warrant that they shall comply with all the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and that they shall not enter any Tip Experience that infringes any third party IPR.  To the maximum extent permitted by law, entrants agree to keep Sponsor indemnified at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any of the entrant’s acts or omissions in connection with their participation in the Contest and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein.

11.Severability

If any provision(s) of these Official Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

12.Winners List

A list of winners will be posted on the Web Site at the conclusion of the Contest. For a copy of the winners list, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking Contest, Brighter Planet Inc., c/o Matthew Kling 36 Main St. Middlebury VT, 05753.  For a copy of these official rules send a self-addressed stamped envelope to above address marked Sustainable Cooking, Attn: Rules.

13. Amendments

The Sponsors reserve the right to suspend, cancel, terminate or modify the Contest without advance notice, and thereafter to re-commence such Contest, if at all, only at such time(s) and upon such terms and conditions as we shall deem reasonable under the circumstances.