Kode-U PRIVACY STATEMENT
Kode-U (collectively referred to in this Privacy Statement as "we" or
"Kode-U") recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of all information
provided by users of our web sites, subscribers to our magazines, registrants
for our events, recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all other customers of
our products and services. We created this policy with a fundamental respect for
our customers' right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our
customers. This Privacy Statement discloses the privacy practices for all
products and services owned by Kode-U. A current list of our publications, web
sites, online webcasts, newsletters and trade shows can be found at
http://www.KodeU.com/.
INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE
Kode-U collects information from our website users, subscribers and other
customers. In this section of our Privacy Statement, we describe the type of
information we collect and how we use it to provide better services to our
customers.
Registration and Ordering
When attending our trade shows and other in-person events, participating in our
customer-sponsored webcasts, using some of our websites and signing up for
certain selected services (such as free subscriptions), users must first
register. During registration, users are required to give their contact
information (such as name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number).
For internal purposes, we use this information to communicate with users and
provide requested services, and, for our website visitors, to provide a more
personalized experience on our sites. We also may collect demographic
information (such as job title and purchasing responsibilities, company
information and professional certification). We use aggregate demographic
information about our audience to improve our service, for marketing purposes
and/or industry reporting purposes.
Many of our products and services are free to subscribers who meet certain
demographic criteria. Independent auditors may need to certify the eligibility
of these subscribers. In order to do that, we may collect unique identifiers
(such as mother's maiden name) that we disclose to the auditors strictly for
industry reporting and audit verification purposes.
For our services that require payment (such as certain events, products and
subscriptions), we also collect credit card information (such as account name,
number and expiration date), which is used for our or our agent's billing
purposes only, and is not otherwise shared.
E-mail Newsletters
If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact
information (such as name, e-mail address and, occasionally, demographic
information). We use this information in the same manner as we use contact
information in the registration and ordering process described above. Recipients
of our newsletters can unsubscribe using the instructions listed at the end of
the e-mail newsletter.
Surveys and Contests
From time to time we invite web site users and other customers to provide
information via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests
is completely voluntary and the website user or other customer therefore has a
choice whether to disclose requested contact information (such as name and
mailing address) and demographic information (such as zip code or job title). In
addition to the other uses set forth in this policy, contact information
collected in connection with surveys and contests is used to notify the winners
and award prizes and to monitor or improve the use of, and satisfaction with the
website or other Kode-U product or service. Subject to the given customer's
preferences (as described in the "Permission" section below), such information
also may be shared with third party sponsors of such surveys or contests.
Interactive Features
At some of our sites, we offer interactive and community features such as
discussion boards, webcasts and user profiles. Note that all personal
information sent or posted via such features becomes public information for
which we are not responsible.
Tell-A-Friend
If customers elect to use our referral service for informing a friend about our
sites and services, we may ask them for the friend's name, job title and e-mail
address. Kode-U will store and use this information to send the friend an
invitation. This information may also be used to provide information about our
company and related products and services. The friend may contact us as
specified in the tell-a-friend message to request that no further communications
be sent.
Communications with Us
We have features where our customers can submit information to us (such as our
feedback forms). Where such submissions include requests for service, support or
information, we may forward them to our agents, as needed, to best respond to
the specific request. In addition, we may retain e-mails and other information
sent to us for our internal administrative purposes, and to help us to serve
customers better. Please note that letters to the editor and similar submissions
may be made public.
Communications from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain important
information about our products and services. For example, we send new members a
welcoming message, and verify password and username for our password-protected
web sites. We may also communicate with a customer to provide requested services
and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular mail. In addition to
such service and product-essential messages, we offer our customers the option
to receive information about our company, related products, services and special
deals. Users, however, can choose not to receive these communications from us,
as set forth in the "Permission" section below.
Automatic Data Collection
Our web sites, newsletters and, from time to time, certain other products and
services have features that automatically collect information from customers, to
deliver content specific to customers' interests and to honor their preferences.
This information assists us in creating products and services that will serve
the needs of our customers.
For example, we use "cookies," a piece of data stored on the user's hard
drive containing information about the user. Cookies benefit the user by
requiring login only once, thereby saving time while on our web site. If users
reject the cookies, they may be limited in the use of some areas of our web
site. For example, the user may not be able to participate in sweepstakes,
contests or drawings. Additionally, we may note some of the pages the user
visits on our web sites and via our email newsletters through the use of pixel
tags (also called clear gifs) and web beacons. The use of cookies, pixels and
web beacons enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance
the experience on our sites and via our email newsletters.
In addition, some of our business affiliates use cookies on our web sites and
in our email newsletters, in ads or promotions. However, we have no access to or
control over these business affiliates' cookies; we urge users to read their
privacy policies for information. In particular, we use third-party advertising
technology to serve ads for Kode-U products and services when you visit certain
Kode-U Web sites. This technology uses information about your visits to these
Kode-U Web sites (not including your name, address, or other personal
information), to serve our ads to you. In the course of serving our
advertisements to you, a unique third-party cookie may be placed or recognized
on your browser. In addition, we use web beacons, provided by our ad serving
partner, to help manage our online advertising for Kode-U products and services.
These web beacons enable our ad server to recognize a browser's cookie when a
browser visits these sites and to learn which banner ads bring users to our Web
sites. The information used in this process is not personally identifiable. To
learn more about our third party ad serving partner, cookies, and how to
"opt-out," please {click
here}.
We also use an email delivery and marketing company to send emails (including
newsletters) for which you have registered (or otherwise agreed to receive). Web
beacons and cookies may be used in such email messages to help us measure the
effectiveness of our advertising and how customers use our web sites and other
products and services.
For our internal purposes, we gather date, time, browser type, navigation
history and IP address of all visitors to our web sites. This information does
not contain anything that can identify users personally. We use this information
for our internal security audit log, trend analysis and system administration,
and to gather broad demographic information about our user base for aggregate
use.
We may combine demographic information supplied by a customer at registration
with web site usage data to provide general profiles, in aggregate
non-personally identifiable form, about our customers and their preferences in
the content of the site and advertising. We may share this composite information
with our advertisers and business affiliates to help them better understand our
services.
WITH WHOM YOUR INFORMATION IS SHARED
When we have co-branded, customized, private label, "powered by" or sponsored
products and services, or when we join with other parties to provide specific
services (however we do not share credit card information with such third
parties), then we may share (provide and receive) personal information with such
third party, subject to (other than with respect to users of Techonline.com and
related sites) the customer's preferences (as described in the "Permission"
section below). In particular, please note that information collected in
connection with online webcasts, such as at
www.netseminar.com, will be shared with the sponsor of the particular
webcast(s)/seminar(s), subject to (other than with respect to users of
Techonline.com and related sites) the given customer's preferences (as described
in the "Permission" section below).
These sponsors will use the information according to their own privacy
policies, and we urge participants to read those policies and be aware of their
privacy practices before registering.
On Techonline.com and related sites, if a user affirmatively clicks through
to access sponsored content or materials at those sites, that user's information
may be shared with the sponsor.
In addition, at kodeu.com and related sites, information may be shared with
selected advertisers if a user affirmatively clicks through on a link/ad to such
advertiser at those sites or in e-mails.
Finally, on occasion, we may provide targeted lists of names and offline and
online contact information for marketing purposes to third parties, subject to
our Permission policies, as described below, pursuant to which we give customers
the option of not having their name or contact information disclosed to third
parties.
Other than as set forth above, we do not share personally identifiable
information with other companies, apart from those acting as our agents in
providing our product(s)/service(s), and which agree to use it only for that
purpose and to keep the information secure and confidential. Also, our parent,
subsidiary and affiliate companies, entities into which our company may be
merged, or entities to which any of our assets, products, sites or operations
may be transferred, will be able to use personal information. We will also
disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for example, in
response to a court order or a subpoena or other legal obligation, in response
to a law enforcement agency's request, or in special cases when we have reason
to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or
bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference
with (either intentionally or unintentionally) our rights or property. Users
should also be aware that courts of equity, such as U.S. Bankruptcy Courts,
might have the authority under certain circumstances to permit personal
information to be shared or transferred to third parties without permission.
We may share aggregate information, which is not personally identifiable,
with others. This information may include usage and demographic data, but it
will not include personal information.
CORRECTION/UPDATING PERSONAL INFORMATION
If your personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code), or if
you no longer desire our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or
update your personal data: you may either contact Customer Support for the
applicable product or service or, to change your preferences, complete the
"Feedback" page as described in the "Permission" section below.
PERMISSION
Our customers are given the opportunity to choose whether to receive information
from our affiliates and us not directly related to the product or service for
which they registered (or which they otherwise agreed to receive). Other than
the sharing of user information with certain sponsors by Techonline.com and
related sites, as set forth in the "With Whom Your Information Is Shared"
section above, Customers also have the opportunity to choose whether to have
personal information shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Customers
also can go to our "Feedback" page at any time, at
http://www.KodeU.com
to change their preferences. In addition, for those customers that are
California residents, you may have additional rights, as described in the "Your
California Privacy Rights" section below.
Please note that we will endeavor to implement your permission requests
within a reasonable time, although for a time you may continue to receive
mailings, etc., transmitted based on information released prior to the
implementation of your request. In addition, please note that even after such
request is implemented, you will continue to receive information directly
related to the product or service for which you registered (or which you
otherwise agreed to receive), so you always are kept informed.
YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
Beginning on January 1, 2005, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits
those customers that are California residents to request that Kode-U not share
your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing use.
Write us at: Legal Department - Privacy Officer
Kode-U
2131 Knollwood Drive
Martinez, CA., 94553
SECURITY
We use reasonable precautions to protect our customers' personal
information and to store it securely. Sensitive information that is transmitted
to us online (such as credit card number) is encrypted and is transmitted to us
securely. In addition, access to all of our customers' information, not just the
sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need
the information to perform a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a
customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable
information. Finally, the servers on which we store personally identifiable
information are kept in a secure environment.
LINKS
Our web sites contain links to other sites. Kode-U is not responsible for the
privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage our users to be
aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each web
site to which we may link that may collect personally identifiable information.
CHILDREN
Kode-U websites are not directed at individuals under thirteen years of age, and
Kode-U does not intend to collect any personally-identifiable information from
such individuals.
NOTIFICATION and CHANGES
If we change our Privacy Statement, we will post those changes on this page so
our users are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under
which circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Users should check this policy
frequently to keep abreast of any changes.
For questions about this Privacy Statement, contact:
Legal Department - Privacy Officer
Kode-U
2131 Knollwood Drive
Martinez, CA., 94553
For all other questions concerning the practices of this site or any dealings
with Kode-U, contact us at:
Corporate Communications
Kode-U
2131 Knollwood Drive
Martinez, CA., 94553
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