2008 Photo Contest Rules

1. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The Sierra Club Photo Contest ("Photo Contest") begins 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST) April 16, 2008 and ends 11:59 PM PST May 31, 2008 ("entry period.") There is one way to enter: online. . No other method of entry will be accepted. Online Method: To enter online during the entry period, go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/sierrasportsmenphotocontest/. Follow the directions to complete the online entry form, answer the questions and submit your photo(s). Entrants must complete all data requested on the online entry form. Online entries must be completed and received by Sierra Club by May 31, 2008. Incomplete entries are void. All entries become the property if Sierra Club and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Sierra Club assumes no responsibility for lost, late, misdirected, illegible or mutilated entries or for any computer, online, telephone, cable, network, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, availability, garbled or jumbled transmissions, service provider, Internet, web site, or other accessibility or availability issues, traffic congestion, or unauthorized human intervention, or any technical malfunctions that may occur. Entrants shall be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain name associated with the submitted e-mail address.

2. ELIGIBILITY: This Photo Contest is open only to legal residents of the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) who are 18 years of age or older as of the date the Photo Contest begins. Employees of Sierra Club, Patagonia, Bass Pro Shops, their subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers, and advertising and promotional agencies of Sierra Club, Patagonia, Bass Pro Shops and their immediate families (spouse, parents, children, siblings and their spouses) and individuals living in the same household as such employees are ineligible. This Photo Contest is governed by the laws of the United States and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited.

3. JUDGING: There are four (4) categories for which a photograph may be considered: best kid's fishing, best kid's hunting, best adult's fishing, and best adult's hunting. Photos will only be considered for one categary. Twelve finalists will be selected from among all eligible entries received three (3) from each category, by a panel of judges (who are conservation professionals) based upon the following criteria: composition, respect for game & fish featured, enthusiasm expressed by human subjects, beauty of natural surroundings, and best presentation of American sportsmen tradition . Then, the three (3) finalist photographs in each category will be posted to www.sierrasportsmen, and shared in an email, and four (4) contest winners will be selected among the finalists, one in each category, based upon the same criteria, via public electronic voting during the week of June 9-13, 2008. The number of voters will be determined by volunteer participation. Winners will be announced via email and online at www.sierrasportsmen.org on June 16, 2008. . By participating, entrants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of the judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. All prizes will be awarded. Limit one prize per person, family or household. Winners will be notified via email, telephone, and/or by overnight courier.

4. PRIZES: There will be four (4) winners selected and four (4) prizes granted (one in each category). Each winner will receive one prize package of a $500 Patagonia gift certificate (for hunting photo contest winner) or a $500 Bass Pro Shop gift certificate (for fishing photo contest winner). The prize cannot be exchanged for cash, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Sierra Club reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the offered prize is unavailable. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted except as provided herein.

5. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All federal, state, and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prize packages are the sole responsibility of the prize winners. Prize winners may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form within seven (7) days following notification. Return of any prize and/or prize notification as undeliverable or failure of any entrant to comply with any Official Rules will result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Winners grant Sierra Club the right to use and publish their legal name and state of residence online and in print, or any other media, in connection with the Photo Contest. Except winners who are residents of the State of Tennessee, acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for Sierra Club and their advertising and promotional agencies to use winners' names and likenesses for editorials, advertising and promotional purposes without payment of additional compensation unless prohibited by law. By entering, participants release and hold harmless Sierra Club, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the Photo Contest or any prize won, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any Photo Contest related activity, or participation in the Photo Contest.

All entants agree that entry in the contest and/or acceptance of the grand-prize package constitutes permission for Sierra Club, its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors assigns, advertising and promotional agencies, to use entant's entry materials, including the photograph(s) entered in the Contest (the Photograph(s)), for editorial, advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation, with or without entrant's name, and with or without modification, in any medium now known or hereafter created throughout the world to the extent permitted by applicable law. Each entrant and winner agrees and acknowledges that to the best of his or her knowledge, Sierra Club's use of the Photograph(s) will not violate the rights of any other person or organization and Sierra Club will not incur liability for payment to any other person or organization. Each entrant and winner agrees to indemnify and release Sierra Club and its officers, directors, employees, agents and advertising and promotional agencies for and from any and all claims associated with the use of any submitted or winning Photograph, including without limitation any rights of publicity, right of privacy, defamation, trademark or copyright claims.

As a condition of participating in this Photo Contest, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between and the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Photo Contest shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively, before a court of competent jurisdiction located in [San Francisco, California], which court shall apply the laws of the state of [California] without regard for rules of conflicts of law. In any such dispute, participant shall, under no circumstances, be entitled to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) associated with participating in the Photo Contest, and participant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY A CONTESTANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PHOTO CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SIERRA CLUB RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH CONTESTANT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

6. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: Sierra Club is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by web site users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Photo Contest or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions in the Photo Contest, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. Sierra Club assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Sierra Club is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line-systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of e-mail or players on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site or combination thereof, including injury or damage to participants or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating or downloading materials in this Photo Contest. If, for any reason, the Photo Contest is not capable of completion as planned, including by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of Sierra Club which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Photo Contest, Sierra Club reserves the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Photo Contest.

IN NO EVENT WILL SIERRA CLUB, ITS PARENTS, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, AND RELATED COMPANIES, ITS ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL AGENCIES, OR ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEYS, AGENTS, AND REPRESENTATIVES, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF PARTICIPANT'S ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE INTERNET SITE http://www.flickr.com/groups/sierra_sportsmen/ or www.sierrasportsmen.org OR THE DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING OF MATERIAL FROM SAID SITE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING ON THIS SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.

7. LIST OF WINNERS: For a list of winners, after June 16, 2008, visit www.sierrasportsmen.org to learn winners.

8. NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS: REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST: Individuals who submit votes for eligible photographs will automatically become members of the Sierra Sportsman Network and will receiove periodic emails form the Sierra Sportsman program. If you would like to vote, but do not wish to receive these emails, please email jon.schwedler@sierraclub.org. Any individual (or other duly authorized person) may elect to exclude the name and address of that individual from all lists used by Sierra Club to mail skill contests or sweepstakes. To elect to have an individual's name excluded from all such lists, submit a removal request in writing to "Sierra Club Photo Contest, 142 Truman St NE Suite C1, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108." This notification system may be used to prohibit mailing of all skill contests or sweepstakes by Sierra Club to such individual.

How to enter the photo contest.
More about the judges.
The fine print: our rules.