We’ve seen this scenario (one too) many times before: the business/marketing team comes to the in-house legal team and wants to run a sweepstakes or contest to promote a brand or a new product line. Surprise! They are hoping to launch it as soon as possible – maybe even tomorrow. But in the request to the legal team for approval, details are sparse, and it isn’t clear exactly what the business team intends to do.
In case you’re faced with an “emergency” like the one described above, this blog post is intended to provide a quick tool kit for in-house lawyers to keep things on track by asking the following questions:
Keep in mind that promotions can be nuanced, so the above questions are not an exhaustive list. However, asking the business team to provide the above information can help expedite the legal review process, minimize correspondence between in-house and outside counsel, and put the legal team in a position to draft or revise an Official Rules document quickly. For more details on the items and concepts mentioned above, check out our more in-depth blogs here, here, and here.