This hackathon (the "Contest") is sponsored by Napster Corporation ("Napster," "Sponsor," "we," or "us"), with offices located at 1279 W. Palmetto Park Rd., PO Box 272504, Boca Raton, Florida 33427. By submitting an entry, each participant ("Entrant," "you," "your," or "yours" and collectively, the "Entrants") agrees to be bound by these Official Rules (the "Rules").
This Contest is a skill-based competition. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of qualified judges against a published rubric (see Section 7). Winners are determined by judging on the merits, not by chance. This Contest is not a sweepstakes, lottery, or game of chance.
To enter, you must satisfy all of the following:
The Contest entry period (the "Entry Period") begins on May 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time and ends on June 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Entries received outside the Entry Period will not be considered.
To enter, complete the following steps during the Entry Period:
(i) a hosted, runnable demonstration of your build (URL or deployable repository);
(ii) a video demonstration not exceeding three (3) minutes in duration;
(iii) a link to a code repository containing your source code;
(iv) a written summary not exceeding 500 words; and
(v) optionally, a category nomination indicating which Award Category you believe your submission best fits.
Limit one (1) entry per person. Entries that are incomplete, late, illegible, or that do not include all required components may be disqualified. Submissions are final once the Entry Period closes; however, entrants may edit their submissions any number of times before the deadline.
As between the entrant and Napster, the entrant retains all right, title, and interest in and to the entrant's submission, including all intellectual property rights therein.
By entering, the entrant grants to Napster a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, perform, and create derivative works of the submission solely for promotional, marketing, public-relations, and educational purposes related to Napster, the Napster Omniagent API, and the Contest. Napster will use commercially reasonable efforts to credit the entrant when publicly displaying the submission.
The entrant represents and warrants that: (a) the submission is the entrant's original work; (b) the entrant has the right to grant the license described above; (c) the submission does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights; and (d) the submission does not contain malicious code, viruses, or other harmful elements.
Four (4) prizes will be awarded, one (1) per Award Category:
Each prize consists of a prize package containing the following components, with an approximate retail value ("ARV") of one thousand nine hundred sixty-five U.S. dollars (USD $1,965) per prize. The total approximate retail value of all prizes awarded is seven thousand eight hundred sixty U.S. dollars (USD $7,860).
Prizes are not transferable, redeemable for cash, or substitutable, except by Sponsor in the event of unavailability, in which case Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value.
An entrant may win at most one (1) prize. If a single submission is selected as the top entry in more than one Award Category, judges will award the prize in the category where the submission is most differentiated, and the runner-up in the other category will receive the prize in that category.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to withhold a prize in any Award Category if no submission in that category meets the minimum quality threshold established by the judging panel.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of qualified judges selected by Sponsor (the "Judges"). The judging panel consists of Edo Segal (Napster Chief Technology and Product Officer), serving as lead judge; Ziv Navoth (Napster); and Marius Bratu (Napster, Product Manager for the Napster Omniagent API).
Judging takes place between June 8, 2026 and June 14, 2026. Submissions are evaluated against the following criteria, each weighted as indicated:
The Judges score each submission independently. Scores are aggregated and discussed by the panel. The submission with the highest aggregated score in each Award Category is selected as the winner for that category, subject to Sponsor's right to withhold prizes per Section 6.
In the event of a tie, the lead judge, Edo Segal, shall break the tie. All judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Winners will be notified by email no later than 12:00 PM Pacific Time on June 15, 2026, and announced publicly via Sponsor's channels on the same day.
Winners will be notified by email at the address provided at registration. Winners must respond within seven (7) calendar days of notification to confirm acceptance of the prize and provide any information required for prize fulfillment, including a valid shipping address.
If a winner cannot be reached, declines the prize, or fails to respond within seven (7) calendar days, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to the runner-up in the same Award Category, at Sponsor's discretion.
Prizes will be shipped to confirmed winners within thirty (30) days of acceptance, subject to availability and any export-control or other legal restrictions.
Each winner is solely responsible for any and all federal, state, provincial, local, and foreign taxes, duties, and assessments arising from the receipt of a prize.
The approximate retail value of each prize awarded under these Rules is less than two thousand U.S. dollars (USD $2,000), which is the federal reporting threshold for prizes awarded during calendar year 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act amendments to IRC Sections 6041(a) and 6041A(a)(2). Accordingly, Napster does not anticipate any obligation to issue a Form 1099-MISC for any single prize under these Rules. The fair market value of the prize remains taxable income to the recipient, and U.S. winners are solely responsible for reporting prize income to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and paying any taxes due, regardless of whether a Form 1099-MISC is issued.
If a winner receives additional taxable payments from Napster in the same calendar year that, together with the prize, meet or exceed the federal reporting threshold then in effect, Napster may issue a Form 1099-MISC and require the winner to provide a valid taxpayer identification number before the prize is released.
Winners outside the United States are solely responsible for compliance with their local tax obligations and may be required to provide documentation of receipt of the prize, including any applicable tax forms (such as IRS Form W-8BEN) where withholding obligations or treaty benefits apply.
Entrants may use artificial intelligence ("AI") tools, models, or services in connection with the development of a submission, provided that: (a) the entrant discloses any material use of artificial intelligence tools in the creation of their submission; (b) the entrant has the legal right to use any such tools; (c) the submission complies with the policies applicable to the Napster Omniagent API and any third-party tools used; and (d) the entrant meaningfully contributed to the creation, design, and implementation of the submission.
Entrants remain solely responsible for the legality, originality, safety, and compliance of their submissions, including any AI-generated content, code, audio, images, text, or other materials incorporated therein.
Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any submission that violates applicable law, infringes third-party rights, or is determined by Sponsor to have been generated primarily through fully automated means without meaningful human contribution.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant or submission for any reason, including but not limited to:
In the event of disqualification, any prize awarded may be revoked.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest at any time for any reason, including without limitation if the Contest cannot be conducted as planned due to technical failures, force majeure, public health events, regulatory action, or any other cause beyond Sponsor's reasonable control. In the event of cancellation or material modification, Sponsor will use reasonable efforts to provide notice via the Contest website and to entrants via email.
Sponsor reserves the right to extend any deadline (including the submission deadline) in the event of significant technical issues affecting the API or the Contest website.
Personal information collected from entrants will be used by Sponsor for the purposes of administering the Contest, communicating with entrants and winners, and (where lawful and consented to) for marketing communications related to the Napster Omniagent API.
Sponsor will administer the Contest in accordance with applicable privacy and data-protection laws, including applicable U.S. state privacy laws and international data-protection requirements. Sponsor's privacy practices are described in its Privacy Policy at napster.com/privacy-policy.
Except where prohibited by law, by accepting a prize, each winner consents to the use of their name, GitHub handle, country of residence, submission, photograph, and likeness by Sponsor for promotional purposes related to the Contest, the Napster Omniagent API, and Sponsor's business, without further notice, compensation, or approval.
Winners who do not consent to publicity may decline the prize. A winner may also request that their name not be used in promotional materials, in which case Sponsor will use reasonable efforts to honor that request.
By entering, each entrant releases and holds harmless Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives from any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses arising out of or relating to the entrant's participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, except to the extent caused by Sponsor's gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Sponsor is not responsible for technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to malfunctions of the Contest website, the Napster Omniagent API, hosting providers used by entrants, or internet connectivity issues affecting the entry, judging, or notification process.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Sponsor's total liability to any entrant in connection with this Contest shall not exceed the value of the prize that entrant could have won.
These Rules, the Contest, and any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to the Contest, any submission, any prize, the Napster Omniagent API, or these Rules, including the interpretation, breach, termination, enforcement, validity, or scope thereof (collectively, "Disputes"), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.
Except where prohibited by applicable law, any Dispute shall be resolved exclusively by confidential, final, and binding arbitration administered by JAMS before a single arbitrator in New York County, New York, pursuant to the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures then in effect. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve all threshold arbitrability issues, including any dispute concerning the existence, validity, enforceability, or scope of this arbitration provision. Judgment on any award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
The parties agree that arbitration shall be conducted solely on an individual basis and not as a class, collective, coordinated, consolidated, mass, or representative action. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each entrant irrevocably waives any right to participate in any class action, class arbitration, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding against Sponsor or any Released Party. The arbitrator may not consolidate claims of more than one person and may not otherwise preside over any representative or class proceeding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sponsor may seek temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property, confidential information, platform integrity, or other proprietary rights, without the necessity of posting bond or proving actual damages.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each entrant agrees that any claim arising out of or relating to the Contest must be brought within one (1) year after the claim arises, failing which such claim shall be permanently barred.
If any provision of this Section is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be severed, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Sponsor is committed to administering this Contest in a fair and equitable manner. The Contest will be conducted without discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected under applicable local, state, and federal law.
This Contest is sponsored by Napster Corporation and is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Corporation has no responsibility for the conduct of this Contest, the awarding of prizes, or any other aspect of this Contest. References to Microsoft Build 2026 are descriptive only and do not imply Microsoft sponsorship or endorsement of the Contest.
A list of winners will be made available on the Contest website on or before July 1, 2026, and will remain available for at least thirty (30) days. Entrants may also request a copy of the winners list by emailing [email protected] within ninety (90) days of the announcement.
These Rules constitute the entire agreement between Sponsor and each entrant with respect to the Contest. In the event of any conflict between these Rules and any other Contest materials (including the public hackathon brief), these Rules shall control.
© 2026 Napster Corporation. All rights reserved.