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From the rules and judging page > This contest is open to United States residents only. Why do this? Surely the aim is to make something cool. Why limit to th

From the rules and judging page > This contest is open to United States residents only. Why do this? Surely the aim is to make something cool. Why limit to the US ? Wufoo is not limited to the USA only so why apply this to the comp ? People in other countries also understand REST you know !

prodigal_erik 16y ago
For what it's worth, after a history of scams there are now a lot of regulations in the US around contests and lotteries. I've see "US residents only" in fine print before, and I wouldn't be surprised if they would risk legal or tax problems if they let anyone else participate.
- unfoldedorigami 16y ago
  For what it's worth, here's a bit more information. There are tax and legal reasons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweepstakes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweepstakes "Because of their potential for abuse, sweepstakes are heavily regulated in many countries. The U.S., Canada, and individual U.S. states all have laws covering sweepstakes, resulting in special rules depending on where the entrant lives. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission exercises some authority over sweepstakes promotion and sweepstakes scams in the United States." While this isn't a sweepstakes, the same comission also oversees rules and laws about contests and have equally annoying restrictions. Obviously, we would love the talent and potential of the international community to work on this.
Devilboy 16y ago
There's probably all sorts of complications when sending a battle axe around the world. I don't think it would get past Australian customs without some additional documentation for example.
- tomerico 16y ago
  I'm not sure whether you're sarcastic or not...
  - noodle 16y ago
    he is not. for example, i know for a fact that denmark as a country will not accept equipment for the sport of fencing (they are not actually dangerous blades, all are totally safe) under the premise that they appear to be weapons.
troels 16y ago
I guess they aren't allowed to export weapons.
GavinB 16y ago
There are very different regulations in each separate country, and sometimes even in regions within countries. For instance, you can run a contest of skill (which this is) in Canada, but you have to exclude Quebec. Also, the laws are always changing. For instance, we used to have to exclude Puerto Rico, but it's now okay to include them. To do a worldwide contest, you'd need to have a lawyer who knows the local rules in every country in which you want to operate. Allowing U.S. residents only is just much cheaper and less expensive. If you ever think about running a contest for substantial prizes, be sure to consult a lawyer who knows something about it. The FTC and its overseas equivalents are not shy about making sure the rules are enforced.
brunoc 16y ago
Too bad.. :/ I had a decent idea. Where I live (Quebec) this happens constantly - contests are often open to everyone except Quebec.

prodigal_erik 16y ago

For what it's worth, after a history of scams there are now a lot of regulations in the US around contests and lotteries. I've see "US residents only" in fine print before, and I wouldn't be surprised if they would risk legal or tax problems if they let anyone else participate.

unfoldedorigami 16y ago
For what it's worth, here's a bit more information. There are tax and legal reasons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweepstakes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweepstakes "Because of their potential for abuse, sweepstakes are heavily regulated in many countries. The U.S., Canada, and individual U.S. states all have laws covering sweepstakes, resulting in special rules depending on where the entrant lives. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission exercises some authority over sweepstakes promotion and sweepstakes scams in the United States." While this isn't a sweepstakes, the same comission also oversees rules and laws about contests and have equally annoying restrictions. Obviously, we would love the talent and potential of the international community to work on this.

Devilboy 16y ago

There's probably all sorts of complications when sending a battle axe around the world. I don't think it would get past Australian customs without some additional documentation for example.

tomerico 16y ago
I'm not sure whether you're sarcastic or not...
- noodle 16y ago
  he is not. for example, i know for a fact that denmark as a country will not accept equipment for the sport of fencing (they are not actually dangerous blades, all are totally safe) under the premise that they appear to be weapons.

troels 16y ago

I guess they aren't allowed to export weapons.

GavinB 16y ago

There are very different regulations in each separate country, and sometimes even in regions within countries. For instance, you can run a contest of skill (which this is) in Canada, but you have to exclude Quebec. Also, the laws are always changing. For instance, we used to have to exclude Puerto Rico, but it's now okay to include them. To do a worldwide contest, you'd need to have a lawyer who knows the local rules in every country in which you want to operate. Allowing U.S. residents only is just much cheaper and less expensive. If you ever think about running a contest for substantial prizes, be sure to consult a lawyer who knows something about it. The FTC and its overseas equivalents are not shy about making sure the rules are enforced.

brunoc 16y ago

Too bad.. :/ I had a decent idea. Where I live (Quebec) this happens constantly - contests are often open to everyone except Quebec.