Prize help..

**cyphix** · 08-22-2003, 05:38 AM

Is there any law restricting a certain age people can receive prizes at?

18, 13? 13 with parent consent? ??

Thanks.

**Rocket2Uranus** · 08-22-2003, 06:03 AM

Probably varies state to state, which means a web promo would have to conform to the most restrictive guidelines....

I am NOT a lawyer, but I'll bet the answer is 18

**cyphix** · 08-22-2003, 06:06 AM

Well, that raises another question... I'm in Australia but host my sites on US servers, so which law would I follow?

**jberryhill** · 08-22-2003, 10:43 AM

Are you under 18 and seeking to win a prize? Or are you seeking to award prizes to persons under 18?

If you are seeking to communicate with persons 13 or younger, then you have quite a bit more with which to concern yourself, since you will have to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. That alone is not at all simple.

What is the prize for? Is a fee required to enter? Is this a lottery, a competitive contest of chance or of skill or talent? Is it some form of gambling?

As far as which law you would need to follow, where do you plan to solicit your entrants/contestants/whatever?

**cyphix** · 08-22-2003, 11:16 AM

Ok... I'm over 18 & want to give prizes to others.

It's not likely any of the audience would be under 13, most likely 15+ to adults; so I would prefer to stay away from giving prizes to people under 13 as you say it's a hassle anyway.

As for what the prize is for & how you get it..

Well, there is no fee required, not a lottery, not gambling & no real skill or talent required.

I'm trying to get a forum started & in a attempt to generate posters I want to give away prizes to like member of the month, longest thread, most interesting thread or what have you. However, I don't want to screw myself & only get a few people posting & then have to give the prizes away anyway.... there will have to be a minimum amount of registered users/posts/threads or something to that affect for the prize giveaway to be valid.

Depending on what I give away, it may or may not only be open to US residents because of shipping restrictions/cost.

So basically, they would need to register on the forum, that in it's self will have them agree they are over 13 years old or more & then they would have to most likely reply to a thread showing their interest in being in the running for the prizes & by doing so agree to terms of the original post.

**cyphix** · 08-25-2003, 04:07 AM

:huh:

**DotLeader** · 08-25-2003, 07:26 AM

:clown:

**cyphix** · 08-26-2003, 05:32 AM

No-one here can guide me in the right direction? If not, can anyone link me to any legal services online where you can get quick responses for a reasonable fee? ($20 or under)

**DotLeader** · 08-26-2003, 05:50 AM

on this site: http://www.craftfinder.com/html/feltfree.html
it says:
Must be 18 to win (sorry, contest law again!)

**cyphix** · 08-26-2003, 07:56 AM

Thanks DotLeader; but since I'm in Australia I gotta find out about that too.

**jberryhill** · 08-26-2003, 10:00 PM

If you want a reliable answer, then go to www.promolaw.com and hire an attorney who specializes in that field. The idea that you are going to find someone who knows the law in Australia and any other jurisdiction in which you might offer prizes, and that someone with this amazingly precise expertise is going to offer you a question on the spot for $20 is, um, unrealistic.

Any other lawyer, and even one moderately familiar with online constests (I've dealt with two) is going to have to do at least some research, and still engage another attorney for questions offshore.

The proposition of "I want to give things away for free to adults who have consented to receive those things" appears, at least on the surface, to be fairly innocuous as a general proposition. To the extent that you are going to establish conditions on whether you give things to people, or to require something of them in order to receive things from you - that's where things can get sticky, and in which you run into a patchwork of local regulations based on experience with people running "contests" out of motives undoubtedly less pure than your own.

When you say something like "member of the month" or "most interesting post", there is always going to be someone who feels that their post is the most interesting, or that they are the most valued member that month, and if they don't get their freebie in exchange for the deal they thought they were making, then they will be sure to let you know.

Take dnforum.com - a fairly innocuous idea of "I want to have a place where people can offer things for sale, and interested buyers can communicate with them". Now, in a thread in the legal forum, we have someone who is screaming bloody murder about how the operators of dnforum are engaging in some heinous illegality by not policing what people choose to buy and sell.

It's a big world, and there will always be someone to find fault with what you do. As a lawyer, it would be very easy to take $20 bills in exchange for telling people "No, if you do that, you'll get into trouble. Don't do that" all day long in response to just about any question. But the real world is one in which decisions need to be made by balancing risks and rewards, and in which an assessment of your total picture is a necessary component of any decision about an answer that is appropriate to your perceptions of risk and reward. That doesn't happen for $20.

**Ya Swedish Girl!** · 08-26-2003, 11:36 PM

Ya!, I know this may surprisen you, but if du live in Australia bara host my sites on US servers, you follow the laws of Sweden!

I know of this as my brother Helmar has Swedish girlfriend who has brother like yourself.

Do you visit Sweden...?

It will be kulen soon..!!

Ya Swedish Girl!

**GiantDomains** · 08-26-2003, 11:40 PM

Swedish girl one day, french guy the next, why don't you grow up.

**Ya Swedish Girl!** · 08-27-2003, 12:31 AM

domain -

You are very strange man, with strange ideas, please do not come to Sweden... Ya..!!

I will tell my other two flick|vÃ¤n (girlfriends) Katarina and Cristina that you have been saying bad things and have apparently come under the influence of le diavolo

hneu

Katarina and Cristina should warn all the churches to have the crucifix ready to shield the evil thoughts that le diavolo

hneu has cast in your mind..

Have you also had evil thoughts toward le mouton

as similar to those of

hneu...???

If you have the priest should be notified...

The village is in unexpected danger from

hneu...!!

The Crucifix shall protect....!! God Bless...!!!

Ya! Swedish Girl!

**GiantDomains** · 08-27-2003, 12:32 AM

Originally posted by Ya Swedish Girl!
domain -

You are very strange man, with strange ideas, please do not come to Sweden... Ya..!!

I will tell my other two flick|vÃ¤n (girlfriends) Katarina and Cristina that you have been saying bad things and have apparently come under the influence of le diavolo hneu

Katarina and Cristina should warn all the churches to have the crucifix ready to shield the evil thoughts that le diavolo hneu has cast in your mind..

Have you also had evil thoughts toward le mouton as similar to those of hneu...???

If you have a priest should be notified immediately...!!!

The village is in danger from evil:hneu

The Crucifix shall protect....!! God Bless

Ya! Swedish Girl!

get well soon.

**lotsofissues** · 08-27-2003, 12:52 AM

I still want to know how to join the John Zuccarini personality cult...

**Ya Swedish Girl!** · 08-27-2003, 12:58 AM

domain -

The priest can help you.....but you must tell him if you have dreams of le mouton

and

hneu.....

In the dream the thoughts have entered your mind....

Look for any papers in your house with name of le diavolo

hneu on them..

Take the papers outside and burn them, but do not let the ashes fall towards the house...

If the ashes get inside the house, then you will have to burn the house...to remove

hneu.....

The Crucifix Shall Protect....!!!

Make sure though the Crucifix is nice and hot..!!!!

This is very necessary...!!!

Do not delay.....!!!!!

Ya! The Swedish Girl!

**DNWizardX9** · 08-27-2003, 01:08 AM

Originally posted by cyphix
No-one here can guide me in the right direction? If not, can anyone link me to any legal services online where you can get quick responses for a reasonable fee? ($20 or under)

hire a laywer for 20$? Is that a joke? wow i'm going to move to austrailia where they charge less then lol

I doubt you can get professional legal help for 20$

**DNWizardX9** · 08-27-2003, 01:10 AM

ya swedish girl you definitely need to get some counseling...

**cyphix** · 08-27-2003, 03:10 AM

Swedish girl: Please stop trashing my thread; this is a serious thread, please go post your trash elsewhere.

Jeff & anyone else: Please try & put what I am asking into perspective; I am not seeking to hire a lawyer, just ask a simple question.. there are sites that exist like this for medical questions etc but of course aren't supposed to replace going to your doctor.

I found some sites by asking @ google answers.

jberryhill: I can restrict this to people over 18 & only US residents if you think that would make things a lot easier to get an answer/require less research.