The Database Taste Challenge! [Rules]

OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASING WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ELIGIBILITY: The Microsoft Database Taste Challenge ("Promotion") is open to legal residents of the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) who are 18 years or older as of January 13, 2008, have Internet access as of such date, and are employed as a manager or a worker in the Information Technology ("IT") industry. Self-employed workers and freelancers are not eligible to participate or win prizes. Employees, assignees, representatives, agents, officers and directors of Microsoft Corporation ("Sponsor") and its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, distributors, retailers, advertising/promotion agencies and Project Support Team, Inc. ("Administrator") (collectively, the "Released Parties"), and their immediate family members (including mother, father, sister, brother, child or spouse, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their households, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win. Promotion is void outside the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) and where prohibited. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, ARE NOT ELGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROMOTION OR RECEIVE A PRIZE.

Please Note:This is a trade promotion. It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer's policies regarding your eligibility to participate in trade promotions such as this. If you are participating in violation of your employer's policies, you may be disqualified from entering this Promotion or receiving prizes. Microsoft disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and his/her employer related to this matter and prizes will only be awarded in compliance with the employer's policies.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: During the period between January 14, 2008 (1:00:01 PM Pacific Time ("PT")) to March 14, 2008 (11:59:59 PM PT) (the "Promotion Period"), you will receive one (1) entry when you visit http://www.databasetastechallege.com, create a username and password for the site (which is free), and log into and participate in the online game in accordance with the instructions provided. There is a limit one (1) entry per person and per email address for the entire duration of the Promotion Period, regardless of how many times the game is played or the score that is accumulated. Additional entries received from any one person or email address beyond the first will be void. It is not necessary to complete any game to be included in this Promotion and be eligible to win a prize, and the number of points accumulated does not affect your odds of winning a prize. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant based on email address submitted on the registration form, entry will be deemed to be from the authorized account subscriber of the email address and Windows Live ID at issue, as determined by Sponsor in its discretion, regardless of the name that appears on the registration form. Authorized account subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the email address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. All entries become property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. The use of any devices to automate participation, including but not limited to, participation via any bot, macro, script, sweepstakes service or form-filling software (or any other devices intended to automate any part of the entry process) to participate in this Promotion is prohibited. If Sponsor, in its sole discretion, determines that any entrant has used any device to automate the entry process, all entries from that entrant will be void and future entry attempts by the entrant at issue may be blocked. Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, stolen, incomplete, garbled, delayed, undelivered, inaccurate, false or misdirected entries, registrations, scores or transmissions, interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications or for telephonic, human or computer software or hardware failures, problems or errors, interruptions in service due to system upgrades, repairs, modifications or other causes, failures or malfunctions of connections, phones, phone lines or telephone systems, traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, technical or mechanical malfunctions, or other malfunctions or errors, whether caused by equipment, programming, human error or otherwise, non-delivery, misdirected, blocked or delayed email notifications, or for printing, typographical or other errors appearing in these rules; for inaccurate entry or other Promotion related materials, or for any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in this Promotion or for any other errors or problems of any kind, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries or registrations; the playing of the game, the downloading of any materials from the web site or in any Promotion-related materials. Incomplete, jumbled, garbled or scrambled entries or entries containing false information of any kind will be disqualified. All entries become the property of Sponsor and none will be acknowledged or returned. CAUTION: Any attempt to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of this Promotion is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages (including attorneys' fees) and/or other remedies from any such person(s) responsible for the attempt to the fullest extent permitted by law.

WINNER SELECTION: (100) potential Second Prize winners, (5) potential First Prize winners and (1) potential Grand Prize winner will be selected on or about Thursday, March 28, 2008 by Project Support Team, Inc., an independent judging agency, in one random drawing from among all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period. Odds of winning any prize depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Potential winners will be notified by electronic mail, telephone, overnight delivery, and/or United States postal mail.

PRIZES/ODDS:
(100) Second Prizes: One t-shirt (Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") = $12 each) and one Microsoft SQL Server training voucher (ARV = $30 each). Shirt color, size and style are the sole discretion of Sponsor and may not be exchanged. (5) First Prizes: A 4GB Zune Media Player (ARV = $150 each) and a Microsoft SQL Server training voucher (ARV = $30 each). (1) Grand Prize: One 40" LCD Television (ARV = $1,500), one Xbox 360 console (ARV = $350) and one SQL Server Training Voucher (ARV = $30 each). Total ARV of all prizes = $6,980. All prizes will be awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. All federal, state and local taxes and all other costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance, setup and use are the sole responsibility of the winners. Voucher redemption may be subject to certain terms and conditions.

MISCELLANEOUS: No transfer, cash redemption or substitution of any prize by any winner (unless approved in writing by Sponsor), except that Sponsor may at its discretion substitute a prize (or portion thereof) with a prize of comparable or greater value. All prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. If, despite reasonable efforts, a potential winner does not respond within seven (7) days of date of the issuance of first notification, or if a prize or prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to such potential winner, such potential winner will forfeit his or her prize and, at Sponsor's sole discretion, an alternate winner may be selected. Each potential winner may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release and (where legal) Publicity Release within eight (8) days of date of issuance of notification. Failure to return such documents fully executed within the specified time period or noncompliance with these rules will result in disqualification and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, an alternate winner may be selected. If any potential winner is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, prize may, at Sponsor's discretion, be awarded in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian, and such parent or legal guardian will be required to fulfill all requirements imposed on winners set forth herein. Potential winners may also be required to provide Sponsor with proof (to Sponsor's satisfaction) that they are employed in the IT industry. By entering, all participants agree to these Official Rules and to the decisions of the Sponsor and/or judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Promotion, and further agree that 1.) the Released Parties and their designees and assigns may use (unless prohibited by law) their name, city and state of residence, photograph and/or other likeness for advertising and/or trade and/or any other purpose in any media now or hereafter known, worldwide, in perpetuity, without further compensation, permission or notification and 2.) the Released Parties shall have no liability and will be held harmless from any liability, loss, injury or damage to participant or any other person or entity, including personal injury or death to entrant or any other person or damage to personal or real property due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by reason of the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a prize (or any travel/activity related thereto) or participation in this Promotion. It is the sole responsibility of each entrant to review and understand the policies of his or her employer regarding his or her eligibility to participate in trade promotions such as this. If participation is in violation of such policies, the entrant at issue may be disqualified from entering this Promotion or receiving prizes. Sponsor disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and their employer related to this matter and prizes will only be awarded in compliance with the employer's policies. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant and to void all associated suspect entries and/or cancel, terminate, modify or suspend any portion of this Promotion should virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, tampering, fraud or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of this Promotion and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the winners from among all eligible non-suspect entries received prior to the event requiring such action be taken. Entrants waive all claims against the Released Parties for the suspension, modification, termination or cancellation of this Promotion.

WINNERS LIST: For the names of the winners, available from April 7, 2008 through May 9, 2008, visit www.databasetastechallenge.com.