Official Rules
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Official Rules
THE 2025 “WHAT’S YOUR STORY?” ONLINE VIDEO CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. PROMOTION DESCRIPTION: The 2025 “What’s Your Story?” Internet Safety for Kids and Families Online Video Contest (the “Contest”) begins at 06:00:00 AM Central Time (“CT”) on November 20, 2024, and ends at 11:59:59 PM (CT) on February 11, 2025 (the “Contest Period”). The Contest Period consists of an entry period, that begins at 06:00:00 AM ( CT) on December 3, 2024 and ends at 11:59:59 PM CST on January 21, 2025 (the “Entry Period”) and a public viewing period that begins at 06:00:00 AM (CST) on December 3, 2024 and ends at 11:59:59 PM (CST) on January 28, 2025, (the “Public Viewing Period”) and a final judging period that begins on February 3, 2025 and ends February 7, 2025 (the “Final Judging Period”). The Contest provides entrants with the opportunity to create a short video on a topic related to the safe, responsible, and successful use of technology, and to submit the video for consideration. Eligible submissions will be posted online for others to view and judge, as more fully set forth below. By participating in the Contest, each entrant (and/or, if entrant is a Minor (as such term is defined below), such Minor’s parent or legal guardian) unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Trend Micro Incorporated (225 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 1500, Irving, TX 75062, USA) (“Sponsor”), which shall be final and binding in all respects.
2. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to individuals (“Individual Entrants”) and schools (“School Entrants”). With respect to Individual Entrants, the Contest is open only to citizens or permanent residents of the fifty (50) United States, District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec) who are: (a) students in grades Kindergarten to Grade 12 (Note: teachers or parents must be the registrant for students under age 13 at time of entry; or parental consent is required for those age 13-17 years of age at time of entry); or (b) students actively enrolled in a university, college or film school (no commercial film-makers); and have not previously won a prize in this Contest in the past five (5) years. Note: Individual Entrants may form a group and will be considered as one (1) entry. With respect to School Entrants: a) in the US, the Contest is open only to public and private schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12, located in the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia that comply with laws and regulations for the state in which they operate; and b) in Canada, the Contest is open to all Canadian schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (except in the province of Quebec) – including previous School winners of this Contest. School entrants do not include colleges, universities, or institutions beyond those that are at the secondary or high school level in the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec). Eligible Individual Entrants who are legal residents of the United States or Canada at time of entry and are under eighteen (18) or less than the age of majority in their state or province of primary residence (“Minor”) must obtain their parent or legal guardian’s permission to participate in the Contest. A Minor entrant will be required to provide parental consent in a form satisfactory to the Contest Sponsor before he or she can enter the Contest. If any potential winner is a Minor, prize may be awarded in the name of the winner’s parent or legal guardian, who will be required to complete such forms or releases as reasonably requested by Sponsor. Sponsor and each of its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, retailers, sales representatives,
advertising, and promotion agencies and each of their respective officers, directors, and employees (collectively, the “Promotion Entities”), and their respective immediate family members and/or those residing in the same household of each are ineligible to enter the Contest or win a prize. Void in Quebec and where prohibited by law. 3. HOW TO ENTER: To enter, visit the website http://whatsyourstory.trendmicro.com (the “Website”), complete the registration process on the Contest site with the information requested beginning December 3, 2024, and follow the online instructions to upload and submit your video (the “Submission”) directly to the Website. The theme selected for the Contest is: “If you could put an end to AI scams, what would you do?” (“Theme”). Each Submission entered into the Contest must meet the following “Submission Requirements”. (Any video that, in Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, violates the following criteria will be disqualified):
(a) the video must be no shorter than 30 seconds and no longer than two (2) minutes in length and may be no larger than 100MB;
(b) the video must be the submitting entrant’s original, previously unpublished work in the case of Individual Entrants and the original, unpublished work of the person(s) who created the video in the case of School Entrants, and must not infringe a third party’s copyright or trademarks, privacy, or other intellectual property rights;
(c) the entrant should be able to provide on request all appropriate clearances, permissions and releases for the Submission, including location releases for all recognizable locations and releases from all identifiable individuals appearing in the video (in the event an entrant cannot provide all required releases, Sponsor reserves the right, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to disqualify the applicable Submission, or seek to secure the releases and clearances for Sponsor’s benefit, or allow the applicable Submission to remain in Contest);
(d) the Submission must NOT contain material which is (or promotes activities which are) sexually explicit, obscene, pornographic, violent (e.g., relating to murder, the sales or use of weapons, cruelty, abuse, etc.), discriminatory (based on race, sex, religion, natural origin, physical disability, sexual orientation or age), illegal (e.g. underage drinking, substance abuse, computer hacking, etc.), offensive, threatening, profane, or harassing or which is otherwise inappropriate, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, nor may Submission contain any derogatory references to any Promotion Entity or any other person or entity including brands or trademarks of any Promotion Entity or any other person or entity;
(e) the Submission must be uploaded in one of the following file formats: .mov, .mp4, or .wmv;
(f) the Submission must be uploaded to the Website by the Entry Period deadline in order to be considered. No late entries will be accepted; and
(g) any Submission that does not meet the above criteria for any reason, may be resubmitted as long as it is resubmitted before the Entry Period deadline.
Limit one (1) entry per Individual Entrant / School Entrant. Submissions must be received by the end of the Entry Period to be eligible for the Contest. No substitutions of Submissions with new versions will be accepted under any circumstances once the original Submission is submitted for consideration.
Submissions which violate any of these requirements will be deemed ineligible to be included in the Contest and the Submission will be disqualified at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify, in its sole and absolute discretion, any Submission deemed inappropriate or that does not comply with these Official Rules. All requested information on the Contest page must be completed to enter and to be eligible to win. Except as otherwise stated in these Official Rules, personal information collected in connection with this Contest will be used in accordance with the privacy notice found on the Website and with the consent given by an
entrant at the time of entry. Any communication or information transmitted to Sponsor and/or the Website by electronic mail or otherwise is and will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary. Submissions become the exclusive property of the Sponsor and will not be returned or acknowledged. Proof of submission is not considered proof of delivery to or receipt of such entry. Furthermore, Sponsor shall have no liability for any Submission that is lost, intercepted, or not received by the Sponsor.
4. PUBLIC VIEWING PERIOD AND FINALIST SELECTION: Once the Submission is uploaded to the Website and approved by Sponsor or its designee, it will be made available for viewing on the Website. Registered members of the Website will be invited to view all of the Submissions and may vote for his/her favorite Submission(s) by giving it a “heart”. At the end of the Public Viewing Period, assuming a sufficient number of eligible Submissions are received, the top ten (10) Submissions from Individual Entrants, the top five (5) Submissions from School Entrants in the US and top five (5) submissions from School Entrants in Canada (the “Potential Finalists”) will be determined based on the combination of the number of complete views per Submission and the number of “hearts” received. A video that is viewed in its entirety is considered a “complete view”. Entrants will be disqualified if automatic voting software and/or vote swapping websites are used in their favor. The Potential Finalists will be contacted by phone, mail or email at the sponsor’s discretion on or about January 31, 2025, and must sign and return a Declaration of Eligibility and a Liability/Publicity Release (the “Finalist Documents”) prior to being declared a Finalist. If a Potential Finalist fails or refuses to sign and return all Finalist Documents within three (3) days of notification (or a shorter time if required by exigencies), the Potential Finalist may be disqualified and an alternate Potential Finalist may be selected. In the event a Potential Finalist is a Minor, his/her Finalist Documents must be signed by his/her parent/legal guardian on his/her behalf. Sponsor shall have no liability for any Finalist notification that is lost, intercepted, or not received by a Potential Finalist for any reason. If any Potential Finalist does not respond within the time required by Sponsor, or if the Potential Finalist notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to any Potential Finalist, such Potential Finalist will forfeit his or her Finalist status and an alternate Potential Finalist may be selected. If any Potential Finalist is found to be ineligible, or if he or she has not complied with these Official Rules or declines his/her status as a Potential Finalist for any reason, such Potential Finalist will be disqualified and his/her status as a Potential Finalist may be given to the next highest scoring Submission.
5. FINAL JUDGING PERIOD AND WINNER SELECTION: During the Final Judging Period, representatives of the Promotion Entities (the “Judges”) will review the verified Finalists’ Submissions and select one (1) Grand Prize winning Submission from among all eligible Individual Finalists’ Submissions and two (2) Grand Prizes from among all eligible School Finalists’ Submissions; and two (2) Runners-Up from all eligible individual Finalists’ Submissions; and two (2) Runners-Up from all eligible School Finalists’ Submissions, using the following judging criteria: a) creativity (style, message delivery, execution, etc.) – 50%; b) appropriateness (on topic, etc.) – 25%; and c) effectiveness (clarity of message, persuasiveness, etc.) – 25%. Winners will be notified on or about February 7, 2025, by Sponsor, whose decisions will be final and binding and not subject to challenge or appeal on eligibility determinations and all other matters relating to this Contest. Winner selection will be subject to Sponsor’s verification of winners’ eligibility. Potential winners will be notified by telephone, email and/or regular mail using contact information provided at the time of entry. Sponsor shall have no liability for any winner notification that is lost, intercepted, or not received by the potential winner for any reason. If any potential winner does not respond within the time required by Sponsor, or if any winner notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to a potential
winner, such potential winner will forfeit his/her prize and an alternate winner may be selected based on the results of the aforementioned judging criteria. If any potential winner is found to be ineligible or if he/she has not complied with these Official Rules or declines the prize for any reason, such potential winner will be disqualified, and the prize may be awarded to an alternate winner based on the results of the aforementioned judging criteria.
6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES/INDEMNIFICATION: Each Individual Entrant / School Entrant that enters this Contest represents and warrants as follows: (i) the Submission is the entrant’s own original, previously unpublished, and previously unproduced work in the case of Individual Entrants and in the case of School Entrants the original, previously unpublished, and previously unproduced work of the person(s) who created the video; (ii) the Submission does not contain any computer virus, is otherwise uncorrupted, is wholly original with entrant, and as of the date of submission, is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim; (iii) the Submission does not and will not violate or infringe upon the intellectual property rights or other rights of any other person or entity; and (iv) the Submission does not and will not violate any applicable laws, and is not and will not be defamatory or libelous. Each entrant (or, if such entrant is a Minor, such Minor’s parent or legal guardian) hereby agrees to (a) not hold the Promotion Entities responsible for, and (b) reimburse the Promotion Entities in connection with, any and all third party claims, actions or proceedings of any kind and any and all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses relating to or arising out of any breach or alleged breach of any of the warranties, representations or agreements of entrant hereunder.
7. GRANT OF RIGHTS: Each entrant into the Contest (or, if such entrant is a Minor, such Minor’s parent or legal guardian) grants to Sponsor, and its respective designees, a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to make use of the Submission and any person’s or other entity’s property (physical and personal and indicia) contained therein, in any media now or hereafter known, without any payment or other consideration of any kind, or permission or notification, to you or any third party. Sponsor reserves all rights, on a non-exclusive basis, including without limitation, the right to reproduce, record, alter, amend, edit, publish, publicly perform, use, broadcast and stream the Submission in connection with any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world, in any and all media, now or hereafter known, in perpetuity, for no additional consideration. Without limiting the foregoing, Sponsor shall have the right, but not the obligation, to use the Submission in any merchandising, advertising, marketing, promotion or for any other commercial or non-commercial purpose, including, without limitation, the promotion and/or marketing of Sponsor. Individual Entrants (or, if such entrant is a Minor, such Minor’s parent or legal guardian) forever waive and relinquish all so-called “moral rights” (droit moral) now or hereafter recognized and School Entrants warrant that they have secured waivers of such rights from their Submission’s authors.
8. PUBLICITY RELEASE: By participating in the Contest, in addition to any other grants which may have been given pursuant to any other agreement entered into between Sponsor and any entrant in or winner of the Contest, each entrant (or, if such entrant is a Minor, such Minor’s parent or legal guardian) irrevocably grants the Sponsor and its designees and their respective successors, assigns and licensees, the right to use such entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information and Submission in any and all media for any purpose, including without limitation, advertising and promotional purposes as well as in, on or in connection with the Website or the Contest or other promotions, and hereby release the Promotion Entities from any liability with respect thereto.
9. PRIZES: One (1) Grand Prize of $10,000USD or its equivalent in Canadian Dollars – of which $10,000USD will be awarded to a School Entrant Grand Prize winner, or if an Individual
Entrant is a Grand Prize winner, then $8,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant and $2,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant’s school. One (1) First Runner-Up Prize of $5,000USD or its equivalent in Canadian Dollars – of which $5,000USD will be awarded to a School Entrant First Runner-Up Prize winner, or if an Individual Entrant is a First Runner-Up Prize winner, then $4,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant and $1,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant’s school. One (1) Second Runner-Up Prize of $2,000USD or its equivalent in Canadian Dollars – of which $2,000USD will be awarded to a School Entrant Second Runner-Up winner, or if an Individual Entrant is a Second Runner-Up Prize winner, then $1,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant and $1,000USD will be awarded to the Individual Entrant’s school. Amounts are based on the exchange rate reported at www.xe.com on or around February 11, 2025 (to be awarded in the form of a check to the winner).
10. GENERAL PRIZE CONDITIONS: The prize winners shall be solely responsible for any required or applicable federal, state, provincial and/or local taxes and the reporting consequences thereof, and for any other fees or costs associated with the applicable prize. The potential prize winners must execute a prize acceptance form (“Prize Claim Documents”). If a winner fails or refuses to sign and return the Prize Claim Documents within seven (7) days of prize notification (or a shorter time if required by exigencies), the winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected. In the event a winner is a Minor, his/her parent/legal guardian must sign any required Prize Claim Documents on his/her behalf. Sponsor reserves the right to withhold a prize for any breach of the Official Rules. No substitution of Runner-Up Prizes for cash or other goods or services is permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to provide substitute prizes of approximately equal value. Actual retail value of Runner-Up Prizes may vary due to market conditions.
11. GENERAL: Entrants (and in the case of a Minor, his/her parent/legal guardian on his/her behalf) agree that the Promotion Entities (a) except in respect of death or personal injury caused by negligence shall not be responsible or liable for any losses, damages or injuries of any kind resulting from participation in the Contest or any Contest-related activity, or from entrants’ acceptance, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of the prize(s), and (b) have not made any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to the prize(s), including, without limitation, to such prize’s quality or fitness for a particular purpose. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any damage to an entrant’s computer system which is occasioned by accessing the Website or participating in the Contest, or for any computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, or other errors, failures, delayed computer transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, illegible, misdirected, misprinted, late, lost, damaged, or stolen submissions, Submission or prize notifications; or for lost, interrupted, inaccessible or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, Internet Service Providers, websites, or other connections; or for miscommunications, failed, jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected computer, telephone or cable transmissions; or for any technical malfunctions, failures, difficulties or other errors of any kind or nature; or for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, or the failure to capture any information. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or the Website, to be acting in violation of these Official Rules, or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike-like or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person, and Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. In the event an insufficient number of eligible Submissions are received, or Sponsor is prevented from awarding prize(s) or
continuing with the Contest as contemplated herein by any event beyond its control, Sponsor shall have the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Contest. If the Contest is terminated for any reason before the designated end date, Sponsor will (if possible) select the winners from all eligible, non-suspect Submissions received as of the date of the event giving rise to the termination. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.
12. NO OBLIGATION TO USE: Sponsor shall have no obligation (express or implied) to use any Submission, or to otherwise exploit any Submission or, if commenced, to continue the distribution or exploitation thereof, and Sponsor may at any time abandon the use of the any Submission for any reason, with or without legal justification or excuse, and contestants shall not be entitled to any damages or other relief by reason thereof.
13. FURTHER DOCUMENTATION: If Sponsor shall desire to secure additional assignments for the Submission or other documents as Sponsor may reasonably require in order to accomplish the purposes and intents of these Official Rules, then each entrant or, if such entrant is a Minor, such Minor’s parent or legal guardian agrees to sign the same upon Sponsor’s request therefor.
14. GOVERNING LAW/JURISDICTION: ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SPONSOR IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE’S LAWS.
15. WINNERS LIST: Contest Winner’s List shall be available on or after February 11, 2025. To obtain a copy of the winner’s list, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: The 2025 “What’s Your Story” Internet Safety for Kids and Families Online Video Contest – Winner’s List, c/o Trend Micro Incorporated, Attn: Lynette Owens, 225 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 1500, Irving, TX 75062, USA
