The Liberty Movement lacks “great communicators” – people who penetrate and persuade effectively. For liberty to prevail on a sustained basis, we must solve this problem or we’ll “win the battle of ideas” but continue to lose the policy and debates.
OFFICIAL RULES
Please read these Official Rules before entering this Tournament (“Tournament”). THIS TOURNAMENT IS INTENDED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE FIFTY UNITED STATES (BUT EXCLUDING THE TERRITORY OF PUERTO RICO), AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, AND STATES WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY.
By participating in the Tournament, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules. Think Freely Media reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Tournament in its sole discretion.
No purchase or donation is necessary to enter or win.
Host: Think Freely Media is a section 501(c)(3) organization (“Think Freely Media” or “Host”), 1920 L Street, NW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20036. This Tournament is not affiliated with, or endorsed by any of the sponsor or partner organizations.
Eligibility: No purchase, payment or financial contribution is necessary to participate in the Tournament and purchase, payment or financial contribution will not increase odds of winning. The Tournament is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia (Puerto Rico and U.S. territories are excluded) who are between the ages of 18 to 29 years of age on or before August 21, 2019. Entries submitted by minors or individuals 30 or older will be disqualified. Entrants must be able to participate in-person at the Tournament events on November 6-7, 2019 in New York City. More than one entry per person is permissible, but entrants may win only one prize. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. To be eligible to win a prize, entries must be completed and received by Host as described in these Official Rules and as proscribed on the website and Entry form. Entries that do not include all required information or that fail to adhere to the Official Rules will be considered void and will not be eligible for consideration in this Tournament. No entries other than those submitted in compliance with these Official Rules will be accepted. Directors, officers and employees of Host and any of its affiliated or related organizations, web masters and web suppliers, vendors, agents, professional advisors, consultants, contractors, fundraising counsel, and immediate families of each (parents, spouse, children or siblings, wherever they reside) are not eligible to win the prize. Think Freely Media retains the ultimate decision, in its sole discretion, as to which Entrants are eligible and Host reserves the right to cancel or reject any entries for any reason or for no reason. Think Freely Media’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that term.
By submitting an entry, Entrant agrees to these Official Rules, which are final and binding in all respects, and further agrees not to sue or assert any claim against Host in connection with the Tournament; provided, that if applicable law prohibits such a covenant, release or waiver of claims, Entrant hereby waives the right to seek or accept damages in any proceeding and to reimburse Host for any and all expenses or costs associated with such claim (including attorneys’ fees, court costs and the amount of any judgment or settlement).
Prize: All finalists will receive: roundtrip airfare between a location in the continental United States and New York City and accommodations during the Tournament’s in-person rounds (November 6 and 7, 2019). Host reserves the right to substitute ground transportation for air transportation depending on proximity of winner’s residence to New York City. Any difference in prize value as a result of such substitution will not be awarded. Each finalist will also receive $250 to cover ground transportation and other incidental, travel-related costs.
Except as specifically provided herein, the prizes do not include taxes, insurance, telephone charges, personal expenses, travel arrangements between winner’s/finalist’s home and U.S. airport of departure, ground transportation, gratuities, passenger facility charges (PFCs), departure taxes, incidental charges, or any other item not specifically described in these Official Rules, and all expenses for any of the foregoing are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. Winner must be able to travel on dates specified by Host. If Host cannot find eligible finalists who are able to travel on required dates, the first, second and third place prizes may not be awarded. Once confirmed, travel dates and travel accommodations cannot be changed by finalists; however, travel is subject to availability, blackout dates, and/or change due to circumstances beyond Host’s control. Any unused travel will be forfeited. Prizes cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or offer and may not be separated. All tickets issued in conjunction with the Tournament are not eligible for frequent flyer miles, and no code-share flights may be used. The prizes may not be transferred or assigned except by Host. Only the listed prizes will be awarded and no substitutions, cash equivalents or redemptions will be made, except that Host reserves the right to substitute any prize package with another prize of equal or greater value in the event that the advertised prize (or any component thereof) is not available. Reporting and payment of all applicable taxes, fees, and/or surcharges, if any, arising out of, or resulting from, acceptance or use of prizes, are the sole responsibility of the winner/finalist. Host expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for injury or loss to any person or property relating to the delivery and/or subsequent use of the prizes awarded. Host makes no representations or warranties concerning the appearance, safety or performance of any prize awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations apply. Host will not be liable for or replace any lost or stolen prize items.
The first place winner will receive $10,000, the second place winner will receive $5,000, and the third place winner will receive $2,500.
All expenses associated with the prizes not specifically specified in these rules are the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner is responsible for any taxes including all Federal, State and Local taxes, if any, as well as any other taxes payable due to acceptance of the prize. Odds of winning depend upon the number of entrants. If required, the winner is responsible for providing a Social Security Number and other necessary information to Host for the purpose of filing a Form W-9 and Form 1099G with the Internal Revenue Service. The prize may be includable in the winner’s gross income.
The 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).
Time: The Tournament begins on August 21, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 11, 2019 (“Tournament Period”). The prizes will be determined and awarded on November 6, 2019. All entries must be received during the Tournament Period to be eligible to advance. Late submissions will not be accepted.
To Enter: Participants must enter as follows:
All submissions must be original and created by the entrant. Submissions must not incorporate or include anything that violates any law of the copyright, trademark, publicity right, privacy right or any other right of any third party. Any entry that does not satisfy all requirements of these Official Rules will be disqualified. Submissions must be original and be free of any third party copyrighted material. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity, direct attacks on individuals or organizations, commercial appeals or other objectionable or irrelevant content, the determination of which is solely in the discretion of Host. No entry or its content may violate privacy, publicity or other rights of any person, firm or entity, may not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations, and may not contain any copyrighted works, or constitute trademark or patent infringement (other than as owned by the Entrant), in each case, as determined by Host in its sole discretion. Host retains the ultimate decision, in its sole discretion, as to which Entrants are eligible. Except where prohibited by law, upon submitting any Entry, the Entrant grants Host and its agents the unconditional, unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable right and license to use, publish and copyright their name, voice, photograph, video images, likeness, and biographical data as set forth in the Entry, in whole or in part, in any and all media now known or hereafter developed throughout the world in perpetuity. Entrants that do not include all required information or that fail to adhere to the Official Rules will be considered void and will not be eligible for consideration in this contest. Host reserves the right to cancel or reject any entries for any reason or for no reason. Examples of reasons why Host may reject entries include, but are not limited to, any entry which Host deems (in its sole discretion) to be inappropriate; any part of any entry, which Host deems (in its sole discretion) not desirous for association with Host; and any failure to submit a requested Consent Form. Host may, in its sole discretion, remove, delete and/or disqualify any entries or any Entrant deemed to be inappropriate, ineligible or otherwise non-compliant.
Regarding the Entry and application, the respective Entrant represents and warrants that (a) the application is truthful and accurate in all respects, (b) the Entry and application do not violate any law, regulation or any right of any third party, including but not limited to rights of copyright, trademark, patent, publicity or privacy or portrayal in false light, and does not contain material which is defamatory, slanderous, threatening, inflammatory, or libelous, (c) he or she has obtained all of the rights, licenses and permissions in writing from any person (or parent/legal guardian if person is a minor) who may have helped create or who may appear in the Entry and for any material or elements that are not owned by the Entrant, and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties prior to the submission of the Entry, and (d) each Entrant understands that his/her Entry and application must comply with all of these conditions in all respects. Except where prohibited by law, by submitting the Entry and application each Entrant grants permission to post his/her name, and the Entry/application on the website for purposes of the Tournament and further grants to Host the unconditional, unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable right to publish, display, broadcast, reproduce, use, sublicense (through multiple tiers), adapt, edit and/or modify, and create derivative works from, any such contest materials and Entrant’s name, in any way, in any and all media whether now or hereafter known, without limitation and for any purpose (including commercial purposes, advertising, publicity, fundraising, promotion and sales), and without consideration to the Entrant and without further consent, compensation or approval, whether or not such contest materials are selected as a winning entry, along with the right of attribution. Each Entrant warrants and represents that he/she has obtained in writing all rights, approvals, releases and/or consents necessary to submit the contest Entry and application, and grant the stated permission to post the Entry and application (for example, the rights of publicity of persons other than the Entrant). Entries are not guaranteed to appear in any communication of Host and Host shall not incur any liability to the extent Host chooses to refrain from using such information or Entry.
Entries and other submitted material become the property of Host and will not be acknowledged or returned. By submitting an entry you give permission to Host to use the name, image, likeness, voice and comments of all entrants and anyone whose name, image, likeness, voice or comments are included in the video. Host is not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any entry.
Except where prohibited by law, entry submission grants Host the right in perpetuity to edit, adjust, modify, abridge, condense, and/or excerpt your entry and/or comments in any way, in any and all media without limitation, without compensation, and/or without notification to entrant or any third party included in the entry. The publication and/or other public use of your entry or a portion of your entry does not indicate that it is a winning entry in the Tournament.
Except where prohibited by law, in accepting the prize, the winner consents to having his/her name, photograph and video entry published and used in a variety of media, including, but not limited to exhibits, advertising publications, the World Wide Web, marketing materials, publicity, promotion, editorial or illustration or for any other purpose that Host deems appropriate, without compensation. The Winner further grants to Host the unconditional, unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable right to publish, display, broadcast, reproduce, use, sublicense (through multiple tiers), adapt, edit and/or modify, and create derivative works from, Winner’s name, biographical information and photograph, and video entry in any and all media whether now or hereafter known, without limitation and for any purpose (including commercial purposes, advertising, publicity, fundraising, promotion and sales), and without consideration to the Winner and without further consent, compensation or approval. Winners are not guaranteed to appear in any communication of Host and Host shall not incur any liability to the extent Host chooses to refrain from using such information. Winners, semi-finalists and finalists agree to sign a liability/publicity release.
Except where prohibited by law, Host reserves the right to share Entrant information in accordance with the Privacy Policy, if any, applicable to the contest, and if there is no applicable policy, then in accordance with Host’s Privacy Policy.
Failure to submit all required information in the manner required in these Official Rules and/or any entry form may result in disqualification. Proof of online entry will not be deemed to be proof of receipt of entry by Host. All entrants and entries are subject to verification by Host. Entries will not be returned and may or may not be acknowledged.
Except where prohibited by law, Host reserves the right to share Entrant information with Host and affiliated organizations in accordance with the Host’s Privacy Policy, if any, and any such information will be subject to that Privacy Policy.
Winner: There are three (3) winners of the Tournament, and up to twelve (12) finalists. Should a winner choose not to accept the prize, if winner fails to return the winner affidavit and release materials, or if two (2) attempts to contact winner by phone and/or email are not successful, or if prize is not otherwise claimed, there is no cash option and the prize is forfeited. Host may require winner to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release. The prize is not transferable or assignable. Prize is not transferable and may not be redeemed or exchanged for cash or other alternative goods or services, except that Host reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for the prize or any part of it. A forfeited prize may be awarded to an alternative winner. These Rules apply to all participants. Host shall make all determinations as to whether the Rules have been met and the decision of the Host is final. The winners and finalists will be notified by telephone and/or other means within three (3) days of the winner being announced. To claim the prize, the winner/finalist should follow the instructions and comply with the conditions contained in the notification. The potential winner/finalist shall have two (2) days after being notified to respond or forfeit the prize. In the event that not enough potential winners/finalists respond to Host’s attempts to contact them or are otherwise disqualified such that Host is unable to award the prize, Host may select a winner/finalist by random drawing from remaining eligible entries. Award of the prize will be made upon written acknowledgement of, and full compliance with, the requirements listed herein, including but not limited to, execution of an affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, and tax-related documents, as well as any other legal, tax or regulatory documents required by Host in its sole discretion. Winners/finalists must satisfy all eligibility requirements before he or she may be awarded the prize. For the name of the winners/finalists, send a properly stamped self-addressed envelope, to be received by November 15, 2019, to Think Freely Media, Attn: Great Communicators Tournament, 1920 L Street, NW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20036. Vermont residents may omit return postage.
In the event of a dispute, an Entry will be declared as submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address used to submit the Entry as solely determined by Host. Authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned to the email address by the Internet access online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
Tournament: Videos will be judged by a panel of Think Freely Media representatives according to the following criteria:
Finalists will be selected by 12:00 p.m. EDT on September 18, 2019. The number of semi-finalists will be at the sole discretion of the Host but will be no greater than twelve (12).
(b) Up to twelve (12) entrants will be selected as finalists by Think Freely Media representatives and representatives of Sponsor organizations based upon the criteria described in the Contest Rules. Think Freely Media representatives may conduct phone or videoconference interviews in order to make their selections.
(c) The finalists will be divided into groups and participate in one of three preliminary in-person rounds on September 27-29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. The format of the preliminary round session will be released to finalists upon their selection as finalists. The Host is not responsible for any delays, including travel, which prevent a finalist from arriving or completing in a preliminary round. Any finalist not attending their designated preliminary round event for any reason will be disqualified.
(d) During the Tournament’s final round on November 6, 2019, three (3) finalists will be selected based on their preliminary round performance to advance and participate in a live debate-style final round. The format of the final round session will be released to finalists upon their selection. Following the final event, a panel of judges will determine the third place, second place, and first place Winners.
All Winners/finalists agree to sign a liability/publicity release.
If for any reason, the Tournament cannot be conducted as planned by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes which, in the sole opinion of Host, corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Tournament, Host reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Tournament. Host is not responsible for any technical, computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, or availability, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, corrupted, garbled, jumbled, lost, stolen, misdirected, non-delivered or delayed electronic communications, whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with, or utilized in entering or conducting the Tournament, or by any human error which may occur in the transmission or processing of the entries or donations in this Tournament. Host assumes no responsibility for service provider/internet/website/use net accessibility or availability, traffic congestion, or unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information, Entry, or other information, or the failure to capture any such Entry or information. Host assumes no responsibility for damage caused by computer virus or otherwise, to any computer resulting from Entrant’s participation in the Tournament. Host is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Tournament and assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access. Host is not liable for unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry or voting process; printing, typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in the administration of the Tournament; the uploading, the processing of entries, the announcement of the Prize or in any related materials; late, lost, misdirected, undeliverable, damaged or stolen mail; or receipt or use or misuse of Prize awarded; or any typographical or other error in the printing of these Official Rules or any materials associated with the administration of the Tournament or the announcement of the Prize. All Internet access and usage charges are the responsibility of the entrant. Host is not responsible for, and hereby disclaims, any injury or damage to any Entrant’s or any other person’s computer or phone related to or resulting from participating in this Tournament or downloading materials from or use of the website.
By participation in the Tournament and acceptance of the prize, winner agrees to indemnify and hold Host and Sponsor and Partner organizations, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and all other companies associated with the Tournament, harmless from any and all liabilities, for loss, harm, damage, injury, property damage, violations of rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light (whether intentional or unintentional), personal injury and/or death, costs, or expense whatsoever (including without limitation actual attorneys’ fees and related costs) including, but not limited to, claims against Host or Sponsor or Partner organizations in connection with the Tournament or delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, use of or inability to use the prize; income tax; property damage, personal injury and/or death, which may occur directly or indirectly in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in the Tournament, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Tournament-related activity or in the Tournament itself, and any travel related thereto, the negligence, intentional misconduct or illegal actions of Entrant, as well as any actions or omissions of Entrant resulting in or giving rise to, in whole or in part, any injuries or damages to person (including death or property), any use of such Entrant’s Tournament materials by the Host, or exercise of any other rights granted to the Hosts by such Entrant, including such rights granted pursuant to these Official Program Rules and Regulations, any claim that the Entry, application or other Tournament materials supplied by Entrant infringes upon the rights of any third party, the actual or alleged breach of any representation or warranty made by Entrant, including those contained in these Official Program Rules and Regulations, and for any claims based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy, as well as any actions or omissions of Entrant resulting in or giving rise to, in whole or in part, any injuries or damages to person (including death or property). If applicable law prohibits such a covenant, release or waiver of claims, winner hereby waives the right to seek or accept damages in any proceeding and to reimburse Host for any and all expenses or costs associated with such claim (including attorneys’ fees, court costs and the amount of any judgment or settlement). Any liability of Host shall be limited to the amount of the prize and in the case of any dispute, Host’s decision shall be final.
By entering and/or participating in this Tournament, Entrant agrees that this Tournament is governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, and any and all claims, disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Tournament shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action and without use of a jury (Entrant hereby waives any right to a jury trial) in the federal or state courts located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. By entering and/or participating in this Tournament, Entrant agrees that any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to, and the maximum aggregate liability of the Host to any Entrant or third party shall be limited to, the lesser of Entrant’s actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Tournament in accordance with the Official Rules, but in no event attorneys’ fees, and Five Hundred Dollars ($500), and under no circumstances will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. By entering and/or participating in this Tournament, Entrant signifies his/her knowledge of and agreement to be bound by the most current version of these Official Rules. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of Entrant, shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law in any jurisdiction.
IN NO EVENT WILL THE HOST BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR THE DOWNLOADING FROM, UPLOADING TO, AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE WEBSITE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREOING, EVERYTHING ON THE WEBSITE IS PROVIDED “AS-IS, WHERE-IS, WITH ALL FAULTS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CINLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE WEBSITE WILL BE ERROR FREE OR THAT ANY ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW OR MAY LIMIT THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.
ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR OTHER PERSON TO DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH HOST OR ITS AGENTS OR UNDERMING THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE TOURNAMENT IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW, AND HOST AND ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
The Tournament is void where prohibited or restricted by law.
updated July 22, 2019