Rules and Regulations

[Altera_Forum]

OFFICIAL RULES FOR ALTERA FORUM GURU CHALLENGE 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.   By submitting an entry to the ALTERA FORUM GURU CHALLENGE (“Drawing”), each entrant agrees that he/she has read these Official Rules and that he/she agrees to be bound by these Official Rule in all respects.   1. To Enter: This Drawing is sponsored by Altera Corporation (“Altera” or “Sponsor”). The Drawing begins at 6:00 AM Pacific Time on January 4th, 2010 and ends at 12:00 AM Pacific Time on April 2nd, 2010 ("Drawing Period"). Subject to the eligibility requirements and other restrictions set forth in these Official Rules, registered Altera Forum users are automatically entered into the Drawing. To become a registered Altera Forum user, use a computer or other Internet access device to access www.alteraforum.com (http://www.alteraforum.com) and register as an Altera Forum user. Altera is not responsible and shall not be liable for untimely, lost or incomplete Altera Forum user registrations, for incorrect information submitted with an Altera Forum user registration or any technical problems or malfunctions of any type.   2. Eligibility: Only legal residents, (i) who are physically located and residing in the Continental U.S. and otherwise eligible under applicable local laws, (ii) who are over the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside as of the commencement of the Drawing Period, and (iii) who are engineers or engineering management members currently employed by a company that is currently involved in the design, manufacture, and selling of products that incorporate or have the possibility of incorporating programmable logic devices (PLDs) (semiconductors) manufactured by Altera, are eligible to enter the Drawing. Employees and representatives of Altera, including its distributors and sales representatives, and those involved in the development, production (including prize suppliers), implementation and distribution of this Drawing, and their advertising or promotion agencies, parent companies, agents, officers, subsidiaries, service providers and affiliates, and any other persons or entities directly associated with this Drawing ("Drawing Entities"), and members of the immediate families and/or persons living in the same household as Drawing Entities, are ineligible to enter the Drawing or win any prize. Any entrant found tampering with or abusing in any way any aspect of this Drawing as solely determined by Altera will be disqualified.   3. One (1) Quartus II licenses valued at $2,495.00 for the first (1) of the top fifteen (15) posters; One (1) NEEK valued at $449.00 for each of the first five (5) of the top fifteen (15) posters; and one (1) mug with an Altera logo valued at $7.00 for each of the last ten (10) of the top fifteen (15) posters (separately referred to as a “Prize”). Each of the top twenty posters is determined and ranked by the following formula: (Altera Forum user reputation rating of a given Altera Forum user at the conclusion of the Drawing Period) plus (the count of that Altera Forum user’s posts during the Drawing period divided by two), with the first position going to the Altera Forum user with the highest calculated number. Each 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. No transfer, substitution, or cash equivalent for any Prize is permitted, except at Sponsor's sole discretion and then only for a prize of comparable value. Prize winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes or surcharges that may arise as a result of the award of the Prize. Odds of winning depend in part on the number of eligible entries received. Any depiction of a Prize is for illustrative purposes only.    4. Notification: Winners will be notified by phone and/or mail and/or email at Altera’s sole discretion. If a Drawing winner cannot be reached after a reasonable effort during the five (5) business days following selection as a winner, or if he/she is found to be ineligible, or if he/she cannot or does not comply with these Official Rules, such winner will be disqualified and the top twenty posters will be recalculated according to the above-described formula. As a result of the recalculation(s), a previously calculated winner may receive a NEEK instead of a mug. No Prizes will be awarded until the top-twenty posters are finally determined by the Sponsor and Prize fulfillment may take up to 8 weeks or more after the top-twenty posters are finally determined by the Sponsor.    5. Drawing Conditions: This Drawing is subject to these Official Rules, which will be posted on the Altera Website at http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19919 during the Drawing Period. By entering the Drawing, entrants agree to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error in these Official Rules or the Drawing itself, and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by all decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all respects.    6. Release: By entering the Drawing, entrant agrees to release, discharge and hold harmless Drawing Entities from and against any losses, damages, rights, claims or causes of action of any kind arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of entry or participation in the Drawing, acceptance/possession and/or use/misuse of any Prize that may be awarded to entrant, and/or any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer online system, computer dating mechanism, software, or any combination thereof, or any illegible, damaged, lost, late (including delayed transmissions), mutilated, forged, destroyed, tampered with, misdirected, postage due, incomplete, mass machine printed, mechanically duplicated or otherwise ineligible entry or entries. Entrants also agree to release Drawing Entities from any responsibility or liability for any injury or damage to an entrant's or third person's computer and/or its contents, in any way related to or arising from this Drawing.    7. Privacy: By submitting an entry in this drawing and providing Altera with any personal data, you consent to the use of your data by Altera for purposes of conducting this Drawing in accordance with these Official Rules and to otherwise use the personal data in accordance with Altera’s Privacy Policy, which is available at: http://www.altera.com/common/privacy.html.    8. General Conditions: This Drawing is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Acceptance of a Prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its agencies to use the winner's name, address (city and state), statements, biographical information, voice, photo and/or likeness for advertising and trade purposes without further compensation, worldwide and in perpetuity, in any and all forms of media, now known and hereafter devised, including without limitation online, unless prohibited by law. Winner(s) also agree that Altera shall be allowed to use the name (first initial and last name) and other appropriate identifying information including city and state of residence in connection with listing of winner(s). Any person attempting to defraud the Sponsor or in any way tamper with this Drawing will be ineligible for any prize and may be liable to Altera and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If, for any reason, the Internet portion of the Drawing is not capable of running as originally planned, such as a result of tampering or infection by computer virus, the Sponsor, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel the Internet portion of the Drawing and conduct the Drawing from all eligible mail entries received or to cancel the Drawing in its entirety at its sole discretion. Drawing is void where prohibited by law. Eligibility to win Prize is subject to verification and execution of eligibility agreement. Except where prohibited, all issues related to arising from the Drawing and these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant, shall be determined individually and shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regarding to conflict of law rules or principles, and exclusively by state or federal courts encompassing Santa Clara county, California. These Official Rules consist of the entire rules applicable to this Drawing. If these Official Rules conflict with any other writing, these Official Rules control.   9. Winner List: The names of the winner(s) of this Drawing will be posted at  http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19920 for 20 days after the date of Drawing.   10. Sponsor: Altera Corporation, 101 Innovation Drive, San Jose, California 95134