That was the first thing I thought. Turning over IP and offering indemnification... for what exactly? That indemnification clause is utterly ridiculous in this

That was the first thing I thought. Turning over IP and offering indemnification... for what exactly? That indemnification clause is utterly ridiculous in this context. Our company works with a lot of governments, and indemnification clauses of this type are extremely common any time there is software involved. What's crazy about this circumstance is that the participants aren't contractors writing code for the city... Or are they? Based on the indemnification requirement, it seems that's how the city views it. It appears un-enforcable to me (IANAL, but I do deal with this shit a lot). However, just because a contract can't be enforced doesn't mean it won't cause you trouble. I'd walk before I signed a contract like this at a hackathon. No "chance" at a prize is worth this kind of exposure.