[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3573-3575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01085]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Announcement of Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge Under the 
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2011

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: To raise awareness of recalls of consumer products and of 
consumer product safety reports submitted to the U.S. Consumer Product 
Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC), the Commission announces a 
prize contest under section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization 
Act of 2011, 15 U.S.C. 3719 (Act).

DATES: Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 28, 2014. 
Judging will be complete on or about June 30, 2014. Winners are 
expected to be announced during an awards ceremony in the July or 
August 2014 time frame.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacey Palosky, Public Affairs 
Specialist, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7648; [email protected].

[[Page 3574]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 
(CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of 
injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the 
agency's jurisdiction. CPSC has issued more than 13,000 consumer 
product recalls since the agency's creation in 1973.
    Through CPSC's Web site www.SaferProducts.gov, consumers, child 
service providers, health care professionals, government officials, and 
public safety entities can submit reports of harm involving consumer 
products. Manufacturers (including importers) and private labelers 
identified in reports receive a copy of the report and have the 
opportunity to comment on the report. Completed reports and 
manufacturer comments are published online at www.SaferProducts.gov for 
anyone to search.
    Through the Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge, the CPSC seeks 
applications and innovative tools that raise awareness of consumer 
product safety reports and recalls of consumer products. Because many 
consumers get consumer product safety information online, CPSC seeks 
apps and tools that combine recalls and safety reports with online 
auction sites, online product reviews, search engines and other 
innovative places where consumers get product information.
    CPSC intends to promote the winning applications and tools. Except 
as set forth in this Notice, CPSC does not plan to retain any 
intellectual property rights, or assert ownership rights relating to 
any Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge submissions, applications or 
tools.

Contest Requirements and Rules

    1. Subject of the Contest: A key goal of the CPSC is to empower 
consumers with safety information about consumer products. CPSC is 
challenging developers to create applications (apps) and innovative 
tools that raise awareness of consumer safety reports submitted to CPSC 
through its Web site, SaferProducts.gov, and inform the public of 
recalls of consumer products.
    2. Amount of the prize: CPSC will award $1,000 to one winner in 
each of the following four categories: Best Mashup with Online Auction 
Sites; Best Mashup with Online Product Reviews; Best Mashup with 
Search; and Most Innovative. CPSC, in consultation with the judges, 
reserves the right in its discretion not to make an award in one or 
more categories based on factors such as quality, quantity or nature of 
eligible entries.
    3. Participation in the contest will be through the Consumer 
Product Safety Apps Challenge on productsafetyapps.challengepost.com. 
CPSC will administer the challenge according to the rules and 
requirements posted on productsafetyapps.challengepost.com.
    4. The rules in this Notice supplement the rules on the 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com Web site. If there is a conflict 
between or among any requirement stated on 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com and the provisions of this Notice, 
the provisions of this Notice will govern.
    5. Important: Entries must be made through the 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com Web site. Registration through 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com constitutes ``registration to 
participate in the competition,'' required by Section 105(g)(1) of the 
Act.
    6. Entries must comply with form, content, accessibility, platform, 
security, privacy, eligibility, and other requirements set forth on the 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com Web site.
    7. Basis on which a winner will be selected:
    a. Contestants must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the judges: 
Usefulness, innovativeness, usability, and potential reach and impact.
     ``Usefulness'' is defined as the ability to empower users 
to engage with, and act on, consumer product safety information on an 
ongoing basis. The best apps will provide this safety information, 
tailored to the needs of the user.
     For innovativeness, each entry will be rated for the 
degree of creativity the entry brings to applications focused on 
consumer product safety. Innovative approaches to reaching large 
numbers of consumers will score highest. Bonus points will be given for 
entries that add a ``fun factor'' to enhance users' knowledge about 
consumer product safety.
     ``Usability'' is defined as user-friendly and interactive. 
These capabilities will be awarded the highest marks. Entries should be 
applicable and attractive to people who are not necessarily ``high 
tech.'' Additional consideration will be given for usability by people 
in diverse populations.
     For potential reach and impact, the top tools will prove 
that they can engage a large number of consumers on a regular basis and 
will engage consumers in a way that encourages consumers to act upon 
the consumer product safety information.
    b. Apps must be designed for the Web, a personal computer, a mobile 
device (e.g., mobile phone, portable sensor), tablet, console, or any 
platform broadly accessible on the open Internet.
    c. Applications developed for mobile phones must specify the 
specific operating system(s) on which the app runs and provide a site 
where the app can be downloaded.
    d. Applications must upload data within 24 hours of its release by 
CPSC to keep information current.
    8. Eligibility: To be eligible to participate in the Consumer 
Product Safety Apps Contest and win a prize:
    a. A contestant must create an account on the 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com Web site by supplying his/her name 
and email address. Creating an account will constitute ``registration 
to participate in the competition,'' as provided in the Act.
    b. A contestant who is an individual must be at least eighteen (18) 
years of age, and be a citizen of or permanent resident of the United 
States. If the contestant is an entity, the entity must be incorporated 
in, and maintain a primary place of business in the United States.
    c. No contestant can be a federal entity or federal employee acting 
within the scope of the federal entity or federal employee's 
employment.
    d. No application submitted in the Contest may use CPSC's logo or 
official seal or the logo of SaferProducts.gov in any manner, nor may 
any contestant, application or submission claim or imply federal 
government endorsement or approval. Applications must make clear to 
consumers who access the application that use of the application 
establishes a relationship between the creator of the application and 
the consumer and that no user of the application will have any rights, 
whether contractual or otherwise, against or with respect to, CPSC. 
CPSC will merely provide a link or access to winning applications and 
CPSC will have no obligation to promote or advertise any application. 
The following disclaimer must be displayed on all applications or tools 
submitted to the Contest: This product is not developed or endorsed by 
CPSC.
    e. Each contestant must agree to assume any and all risks and waive 
any claims against the U.S. government and its related entities (except 
in the case of willful misconduct) for any injury, death, damage, or 
loss of property, revenue or profits, whether direct, indirect, or 
consequential, arising from their participation in the Consumer Product 
Safety Apps Challenge, whether

[[Page 3575]]

the injury, death, damage or loss arises through negligence, or 
otherwise. Participants will not be required to waive claims against 
CPSC that arise from the unauthorized use or disclosure by the agency 
of the intellectual property, trade secrets, or confidential 
information of the contestant.
    f. Each contestant may join more than one team, corporation, or 
nonprofit organization, if the contestant is an individual.
    g. The Chairman of the CPSC will determine whether contestants will 
be responsible for obtaining insurance to cover claims by any third 
party for death, bodily injury, or property damage or loss resulting 
from an activity carried out in connection with, or participation in, 
the Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge. Insurance requirements will 
be set forth in the rules and requirements provided on 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com.
    h. Each contestant must comply with all requirements of this 
Notice, the rules and requirements posted on 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com, and all requirements established 
by the Act.
    9. Procedures for obtaining additional information:
    a. During the period of the Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge, 
CPSC will operate and maintain a moderated discussion board at 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com, to which potential contestants may 
submit questions to CPSC.
    b. CPSC may choose not to respond to any question or comment or to 
delete questions or comments that CPSC determines are not relevant to 
the competition. CPSC's responses to questions on the discussion board 
are not official guidance.
    c. CPSC may also maintain a blog on the 
productsafetyapps.challengepost.com Web site, on which CPSC may post 
official guidance related to the Consumer Product Safety Apps 
Challenge. All contestants are bound by official guidance on the blog 
that is posted before submission of a participant's entry.
    10. Intellectual Property:
    a. CPSC does not accept any responsibility for a registered 
contestant's lack of compliance with intellectual property or other 
federal law. Contestants are subject to the Competition's Intellectual 
Property policies set forth on productsafetyapps.challengepost.com.
    b. Each winner of the Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge, in 
consideration of the prize to be awarded, will be required to grant to 
CPSC, an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide 
license to post, link to, and display publicly on the Web the winning 
application(s), for the purpose of the Challenge, during the duration 
of the Challenge, and for a period of one (1) year after announcement 
of the winner(s).
    c. All contestants will retain all other intellectual property 
rights over their submissions.
    d. CPSC, in its sole and exclusive discretion, may choose to 
negotiate with any registered contestant to acquire a license to use 
any intellectual property developed in connection with the Consumer 
Product Safety Apps Challenge.
    11. Judges and Judging Procedures:
    a. Subject to the requirements of Public Law No. 111-358, Sec 24 
(k), CPSC's Office of Communications, acting on behalf of, and with the 
authority of the Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, will appoint one or more qualified individuals to act as 
judges of the CPSC Consumer Product Safety Apps Challenge. Judges may 
include individuals from outside CPSC, including individuals from the 
private sector and individuals nominated by the Competition. Judges 
will operate in a transparent manner.
    b. A judge may not have a personal or financial interest in, or be 
an employee, officer, director, or agent of, any entity or individual 
that is a registered contestant in the Consumer Product Safety Apps 
Challenge. No judge may have a familial or financial relationship with 
any individual who is a registered contestant.
    c. A judge may not have any matter pending before CPSC or represent 
anyone in any matter pending before the agency.
    d. Specific tasks related to the judging process may be delegated 
to CPSC employees or employees of a collaborating federal agency.
    e. Judges shall have the authority to disregard any minor error in 
an entry that does not create any substantial benefit or detriment to 
any contestant.
    f. Decisions of the judges are final.
    12. Payment of Prizes, Use of Prize Money, and Post-Award 
Performance:
    a. Prize money will be paid after the announcement of the winners, 
in a time frame consistent with the award ceremony, which will be held 
approximately in July or August 2014.
    b. CPSC may pay prize money directly. In such a case, the winner 
will provide CPSC with sufficient information to support payment 
transactions in accordance with CPSC fiscal policy and the issuance of 
Internal Revenue Service Form 1099.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719.

    Dated: January 15, 2014.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-01085 Filed 1-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P