NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PRIZE IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1.  ELIGIBILITY: The Structural Engineering Blog Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are eighteen (18) years or older at the time of entry (“Eligible Participants”). Not eligible are employees of Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. (“Sponsor”), or any of its parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, advertising or promotion agencies, and the immediate families and persons living in the households of any of these employees, whether related or not. Any web pages, advertisements and promotional materials relating to the Sweepstakes are intended for viewing only within the geographic area described above and by Eligible Participants. You are not authorized to participate in the Sweepstakes unless you are located within the geographic area described above and are an eligible participant. By entering, you agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding in all respects. This Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and is void where prohibited.

2.  SPONSOR AND ADMINISTRATOR: The Sponsor and administrator of the Sweepstakes is Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., 5956 West Las Positas Boulevard, Pleasanton, CA 94588.

3.  PROMOTIONAL PERIOD: The Sweepstakes begins on April 30, 2012, at 12:01 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time (“PDT”), and ends on June 1, 2012, at 11:59 P.M. PDT (the “Entry Period”).

4.  ENTRY:  You can enter the Sweepstakes two ways: 1. Sign up to have new posts automatically emailed to you. Go to http://seblog.strongtie.com and under the “Subscribe by Email” area, enter your email address and click Subscribe. 2. Comment on a blog post by June 1. By subscribing to blog updates and posting a comment, you will double your chance of winning. All entries must be received before the end of the Entry Period.

5. RESTRICTIONS. A maximum of two entries per person or e-mail address (regardless of whether more than one person uses the same e-mail address) per household. Multiple entries may disqualify you from eligibility to enter the Sweepstakes. In the event multiple entries are received from any person or e-mail address, the first entry processed will be considered the only valid entry received unless Sponsor, in its sole discretion, determines that you are not eligible as a result of your submission of multiple entries. In the event of a dispute, online entries will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. The authorized account holder is the natural person who is assigned to the e‑mail address by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses or the domain associated with that e-mail address. Sponsor, each of its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, agents and advertising and promotion agencies, and each of its respective officers, directors, agents and employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”), are not responsible for failure for any reason of online entries, including without limitation: failures of any software or hardware of any kind, telecommunications and/or transmissions failures of any kind, incomplete or garbled telecommunications transmissions resulting from any reason, problems with Internet network servers or providers including, without limitation, problems resulting from technical malfunctions or telecommunications congestion on the Internet or on any website, or any combination thereof.

6.  PRIZES: A total of five (5) winners will be awarded a prize in the Sweepstakes. The prize is a Simpson Strong- Tie® Prize Pack including one (1) canvas folding chair, one (1) baseball cap, one (1) 100%  cotton T-Shirt, one (1) 16 oz. thermal travel mug and one (1) 16 oz. double wall clear acrylic tumbler with straw (estimated retail value $50 total for the Prize Pack). Any prize shown or described in any promotional materials are for illustration purposes only. The actual prize delivered may differ. As provided below, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize for a similar prize of equal or greater verifiable retail value.

7.  RANDOM DRAWINGS AND NOTIFICATION: Potential winners will be selected in a random drawing conducted by Sponsor on or around June 18, 2012, from all eligible entries received. All decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding. The potential winners will be notified by e-mail within 15 days of the drawing. Winner will have 15 days from notification to accept the prize and verify eligibility by email or by U.S. mail to the address specified in the notification. The Sponsor is not responsible for and shall not be liable for any late, lost or misdirected notification, or for a winner’s unsuccessful efforts to claim any prize. If any potential winner cannot be reached after three (3) notification attempts, that potential winner may be deemed ineligible and an alternate potential winner will be randomly selected from the remaining eligible entries.

8.  PRIZE CONDITIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS: (a) Sponsor is responsible for any shipping and handling charges or other incidental costs related to delivery of the prizes. (b) Prize winners are responsible for all expenses not attributable to Sponsor in these Official Rules that are incurred as a result of claiming a prize, including without limitation, all federal, state, provincial, local or other taxes or fees, and any other expenses of whatever sort. Prizes must be accepted as delivered. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash or credit and no prize substitutions are allowed

9.    ODDS: The odds of winning a prize depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

10. GENERAL CONDITIONS:  By participating, you: (a) agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final in all respects; (b) agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Released Parties from any and all obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, actions, suits, costs and other expenses of any kind whatsoever for any property damage, injury or death to you or any third person arising therefrom, or in connection with your participation in the contest, or from the acceptance, use or misuse of any prize awarded in the Sweepstakes; and (c) acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including without limitation, its quality. By accepting a prize, each winner thereby agrees, except where otherwise prohibited by law, to Sponsor’s use of such winner’s name, voice, photograph, likeness, biographical information and city, street and state or province address on a worldwide basis and in all forms of media in perpetuity, without compensation. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be in violation of the Official Rules. Sponsor may deem ineligible any potential Sweepstakes entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if it determines in its sole discretion that the potential entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any Sweepstakes participants or any representatives of Released Parties. Entries generated by robotic, programmed script, macro or other mechanical or automated means will be disqualified. If for any reason this Sweepstakes is not capable of being conducted as planned, including for reason of computer virus, technical failure, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, legal prohibition, human error or any other reason beyond the control of Sponsor which corrupts the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes, Sponsor in its sole discretion reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. ANY ATTEMPT BY A PARTICIPANT OR POTENTIAL PARTICIPANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH PARTICIPANT OR POTENTIAL PARTICIPANT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

11.  DISPUTES: Each Sweepstakes entrant agrees (a) that any dispute arising out of or relating to this Sweepstakes or these Official Rules shall be resolved individually and without resort to any class action, and any judicial proceeding shall take place in a federal or state court within the State of California, Alameda County, and (b) to waive all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages (including attorneys’ fees), other than actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., expenses associated with participating in this Sweepstakes) and any and all rights to have such claims multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues, questions or controversies concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participants in this Sweepstakes shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of laws rules or provisions (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than that of the State of California.

12.  RULES/WINNER INFORMATION: For a copy of these Official Rules send a self-addressed stamped envelope specifying “2012 Structural Engineering Blog Sweepstakes Official Rules,” to Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., 5956 West Las Positas Boulevard, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Winner information will be available on or about July 16, 2012.