StarTribune.com 2009 Reel 'Em In Fishing Photo Contest

1. No Purchase Necessary. The StarTribune.com 2009 Reel 'Em In Fishing Photo Contest (“Contest”) is sponsored by The Star Tribune Company (“Sponsor”), located at 425 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55488 (“Sponsor's Address”). Prizes are provided by The Star Tribune Company, Gander Mountain, and Rapala VMC Corp. (each, a “Participating Company”). No purchase is necessary to enter or to win.

2. Contest Entry Period. The “Contest Entry Period” begins at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009, and ends at Noon CST on Friday, June 5, 2009 (the “Entry Deadline”) OR until submissions reach a limit of 1,000 photos, whichever comes first

3. How to Enter. To enter, go to startribune.com/contests during the Contest Entry Period and follow the instructions to submit your entry information, including your Fish photo (“Photo”). All entries must be submitted online. Mailed or hard copy entries will not be accepted. To be eligible, all entries (including Photo submissions) must be received by the Entry Deadline and before submissions reach a limit of 1,000 photos. In addition, the contestant (sometimes referred to herein as an “entrant”) must comply with the following submission guidelines:

• Each contestant may submit no more than one Photo;
• Each photo may be entered only one time;
• Photo must depict at least one fish and at least one person;
• Photo must be in good taste;
• Must be 18 years old to enter.

All Photos (including related captions) submitted must adhere to StarTribune.com standard terms and conditions for user-generated content. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Photo for any reason. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for lost, illegible, incomplete, damaged, late or misdirected entries, all of which will be void.

4. Submissions. By entering the Contest and submitting a Photo to Sponsor, each entrant has represented (i) that the entrant is the copyright owner of the Photo or has written permission from the copyright owner to enter the Photo in this Contest and to grant to Sponsor all rights necessary to use the Photo in the Contest, (ii) that the entrant has granted to the Sponsor an irrevocable license to publish, republish, distribute and copy the edited Photo an unlimited number of times in any print, electronic or other medium, and (iii) that the entrant has obtained from anyone identified or depicted in the Photo (or the parent or guardian of any child identified or depicted) all permission necessary to grant the Sponsor the foregoing license.

5. Voting by Users. Eligible Photos properly entered in the Contest during the Contest Entry Period will be displayed on StarTribune.com, and users of StarTribune.com (including Contest entrants and other users) will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite Photo. Each Photo will be randomly assigned to one of five rounds for voting.

6. Selection of Winners. From approximately June 8 to June 13, 2009, the Contest judges (using a series of up to 5 consecutive rounds, each featuring up to 200 of the up to 1,000 eligible Photos entered in the Contest by the Entry Deadline, divided into rounds via random selection) will select the top 50 Photos (10 from each round) through a combination of popular user vote and panel of Contest judges (weighted as follows: (A) popular user vote (45%); and (B) panel of Contest judges (55%) (the “Standard Contest Weighting”)). Contest judges will judge Photos on the basis of overall appeal of the photo, and not necessarily on the size of the fish depicted. From approximately June 15 to June 19, 2009, the top 10 Photos from the pool of the top 50 Photos will be determined via a combination of popular user vote and Contest judges, weighted via Standard Contest Weighting. From approximately June 22 to June 28, 2009, one first place winner from the top 10 Photos will be selected through a combination of popular user vote and Contest judges, weighted via Standard Contest Weighting. Winners will be notified by phone or email on or about Monday, June 29, 2009.

The decisions of the Contest judges regarding entries and winners shall be final.

7. Prizes. First-Place Prize. One (1) first-place winner will receive the First-Place Prize, which will consist of a Gander Mountain Gift Card valued at a maximum of $1,000.00, a Visa Gift Card valued at a maximum of $500.00, and a Rapala combo gift pack valued at a maximum of $500.00. Total value of the First-Place prize is $2,000.00. The first-place winner’s winning Photo will also be published on Star Tribune.com and in the Star Tribune newspaper. Second-Place Prize. One (1) first runner-up will be a second-place winner, and will receive a Second-Place Prize consisting of a Gander Mountain Gift Card valued at a maximum of $500.00, a Rapala combo gift pack valued at a maximum of $250.00, and a Visa Gift Card valued at a maximum of $100.00. Total value of the Second-Place Prize is $850.00. Third-Place Prizes. Each of the eight (8) contestants who were among the top 10, but were not the first-place winner or the second-place winner, will be a third-place winner, and will receive a Third-Place Prize consisting of a $100.00 Visa Gift Card. Total value of all prizes: approximately $3,650.00. Early Entrant Prizes. Each entrant who is one of the first 50 entrants to submit an eligible entry in the Contest will receive a free fishing lure, courtesy of Rapala. Each winner accepts responsibility for compliance with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws pertaining to use and acceptance of each prize.

If Sponsor cannot find an eligible winner for a given prize, that prize will not be awarded.

8. Claiming Prizes. To claim the prize, the winner must respond by email or phone within four (4) business days of prize notification, at the phone number designated. Within 10 days of claiming prize, potential winners must provide appropriate photo identification (e.g., passport or driver's license) and must fill out such eligibility declarations, publicity releases, and prize acceptance documentation as Sponsor shall provide; failure to timely claim prize in such manner shall result in forfeiture of prize. All federal, state and local taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner. Prizes may not be substituted and are not refundable, transferable or redeemable for cash, except at the sole discretion of Sponsor.

9. Eligibility. This Contest is open to legal residents of Minnesota or Wisconsin who are 18 years of age or older. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. This offer is void where prohibited or restricted. Employees of The Star Tribune Company, any companies owned by or affiliated with The Star Tribune Company, each Participating Company, the advertising and promotion agencies representing any of such companies, and members of those employees’ families are not eligible to enter or win. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to all the terms and conditions of these rules; agrees to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the Contest judges; and consents to the use of his/her name and other information for purposes of direct mail or similar solicitations. Each winner accepting a prize consents to the use of his/her name and/or likeness and any submitted Photo for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further compensation, except where prohibited by law. Each entrant waives the right to assert, as a cost of winning any prize, any and all costs of verification and redemption or travel to redeem a prize and any liability that might arise from redeeming or seeking to redeem a prize. Each entrant releases each of the following from any and all liability with respect to or arising out of the acceptance, use, misuse or possession of any prize and/or the loss or misdirection of any prize: Sponsor and each Participating Company; their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, franchises, advertising and promotional agencies; and their respective officers, directors and employees. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, amend and/or revoke this Contest at any time due to printing errors or other mistakes.

10. UPick’em: The Contest and all of the related pages, contents and code are copyright, UPICKEM, Inc., and/or The Star Tribune Company. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials, trademarks or any other intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited. Each winner, by acceptance of the prize, agrees to release the Sponsor, all Participating Companies, and their respective parent and subsidiary companies, and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, shareholders, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, and advertising agencies from all liability, claims, or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership, or use of the prize. UPICKEM and Sponsor are not responsible for Internet crashes or slowdowns caused by network congestion, viruses, sabotage, satellite failures, phone line failures, electrical outages, natural disasters or acts of man or God. This contest is not intended for gambling. If it is determined that a contestant is using the contest for gambling purposes the contestant will be disqualified and reported to authorities.