https://twitter.com/Microsoft/status/491991389530750977
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on July 23-12:01 a.m. PT on July 28
Winner Selected: Approx. 12:20 p.m. PT on July 28
Prize Period 2
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on July 31 – 12:01 a.m. PT on August 4
Winner Selected: August 5
Prize Period 3
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on August 7 – 12:01 a.m. PT on August 11
Winner Selected: August 11
Prize Period 4
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on August 14 – 12:01 a.m. PT on August 18
Winner Selected: August 19
Prize Period 5
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on August 21 – 12:01 a.m. PT on August 25
Winner Selected: August 26
Prize Period 6
Entry Dates: 10:01 a.m. PT on August 28 – 12:01 a.m. PT on September 2
Winner Selected: September 3
Entries must be received within the dates listed above to be eligible for each Prize Period. Non-winning entries will not be carried forward into subsequent Prize Periods.
To enter, you must do all of the following within the Prize Periods listed above:
• Sign into your Twitter account and follow the links and instructions to become a follower of @Microsoft [twitter.com]
• From your own account, tweet an essay describing what you see in the provided photo and include the hashtag #8WordEssay to be eligible (your “Entry”).
Limit one unique Entry per person and per Twitter account per Prize Period. Non-winning entries will not be carried over; you must enter each Prize Period separately.
To be eligible your Entry must meet the following requirements:
your Entry must be your own original work; and
your Entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other Sweepstakes; and
your Entry may not violate or infringe the intellectual property, proprietary or other rights of any third party; and
your Entry must contain exactly 8 words, not including the hashtag “#8WordEssay” or account name “@Microsoft”; and
your Entry may not contain content that is profane or pornographic, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group, that promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco (or the use of any of the foregoing) or a particular political agenda or that defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or any content that Microsoft would not want to associate with
You are eligible to enter this Sweepstakes if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:
You are a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, and are 16 years of age or older.
If you are 16 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Sweepstakes; and
You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes; and
You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes.
WINNER SELECTION: On the dates / times described above, we will randomly select a First Prize Winner for each Prize Period.
PRIZES:
Prize Period 1
First Prize: Surface Pro 3 – 128GB / Intel i5, Surface Pro Type Cover, Office 365 Home, $25 in Skype Credit
Approximate Retail Value: $1,254
Prize Period 2
First Prize: HP ENVY TouchSmart 15-j152nr Touchscreen Notebook, Office Home, $25 in Skype Credit, $100 Windows Store Gift Card
Approximate Retail Value: $1,023
Prize Period 3
First Prize: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Convertible Ultrabook, Wedge Touch Mouse, Office Home, $25 Windows Store Gift Card
Approximate Retail Value: $1,193
Prize Period 4
First Prize: Dell Venue 8 Pro, Fitbit, Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition, Jawbone Jambox (RED), $100 Windows Store Gift Card
Approximate Retail Value: $1,160
Prize Period 5
First Prize: Surface Pro 3 – 128GB / Intel i5, Office 365 Home, Surface Pro Type Cover, $100 Windows Store Gift Card, Nokia WH-920 Purity Stereo Headset by Monster
Approximate Retail Value: $1,428
Prize Period 6
First Prize: Surface Pro 3 – 128GB / Intel i5, Arc Touch Mouse (Surface Edition), Surface Pro Type Cover, Fitbit, BIG Jambox (Red Dot), Office Home & Student 2013, $25 in Skype Credit, Nokia Lumia Icon, Nokia WH-920 Purity Stereo Headset by Monster, $50 Windows Store Gift Card
Approximate Retail Value: $2,514
Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of this Package is $8,572.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/microsoft/microsoft-back-to-school-8wordessay-sweepstakes-2014-official-rules/10152297167488721