In this Website Privacy Statement (“Statement”), we, Via Licensing Corporation, provide information about how we collect, use and transfer personally identifiable data from you, a visitor to our www.vialicensing.com website or other websites that we operate and on which we post a direct link to this Statement (collectively the “Site”).
Scope
This Statement covers only data collected through the Site and not any other data collection or processing, including, without limitation, data collection practices of other web pages to which we link or data that we or our affiliates collect offline or through websites that do not display a direct link to this Statement. Occasionally, we may refer to this Statement in notices and consent requests related to surveys and special-purpose web pages; under such circumstances, this Statement applies as modified in the particular notice or consent request (e.g., with respect to types of data collected or purposes of collection).
Types of Data and Collection Methods
Through the Site, we receive data that you actively submit as well as data that we track:
Actively Submitted Data: When you sign up to receive certain types of information, such as patent call announcements, responses to patent license requests, other license-related documents, or use the Site to make inquiries or submissions regarding our Licensing Programs, or otherwise actively send us data, you are providing, and we collect, data such as your name, email address(es), mailing address(es), telephone number(s), and in certain instances, business details. In each such instance, you will know what data we collect through the Site, because you actively submit it.
Passively Tracked Data: When you visit the Site, we also passively track information on your computer and Internet connection, which may include the IP address of your computer and/or Internet service provider or country of origin, the date and time you access our websites, the Internet address of websites from which you link to our Site, the computer technology you are using and your movements and preferences on our Site. We use technology that many other websites employ, including, without limitation, “cookies” or small data files stored on your computer’s hard drive, to collect information such as the aforementioned. In some instances, we also may use cookies to collect information in connection with future visits from that Site, to recognize you as a previous visitor and to track your activity on the Site. You do not need to have cookies turned on to visit our Site. You can refuse cookies by turning them off on your browser.
Combinations: Unless you also actively submit personal information such as your name or address, passively tracked data does not typically allow us to identify you personally (even though it can theoretically be done, we do not have the means or an interest to find out who you are, unless you identify yourself voluntarily through an active submission of data). To the extent permitted by applicable law, we reserve the right to combine passively tracked data with personal data that you actively submit.
Collection Purposes, Use of Data
We collect passively tracked data primarily for purposes of administering, protecting and improving our Site and our systems, to better understand the preferences of our Site visitors, to identify server problems, to compile aggregated statistics about Site usage, and to help personalize your experience of our Site.
We collect actively submitted data primarily for a few purposes: for the purpose for which you originally sent us the data (e.g., to send information to you), we may use this personal information internally as research data to improve our products and services, and for purposes of informing you about products and services; you can opt out of receiving marketing emails as explained below.
Where We Store and Process Data
We keep data in California and also have servers, contractors and employees around the world in various locations, including, without limitation, other parts of the United States of America.
Disclosures of Personal Information
We are not in the business of selling or renting your information to telemarketers and do not share your personally identifiable information with others, except as follows: We may freely share your information with our affiliates. We also share your information with agents and service providers who use the data only on our behalf and for our purposes under confidentiality agreements. We may share your information as required by law or in the interest of protecting or exercising our or others’ legal rights, e.g., without limitation, in connection with requests from law enforcement officials and in connection with court proceedings. We may share or transfer your information in connection with a prospective or actual sale, merger, transfer or other reorganization of all or parts of our business. Also, we reserve the right to fully use and disclose any information collected via the Site that is not in personally identifiable form.
Opt-Out
In connection with promotions or other projects, we may ask you specifically whether you have objections against a certain kind of data use or sharing. If you opt-out under such circumstances, we will respect your decision. To opt-out of receiving further commercial emails or to unsubscribe from services, please contact us at unsubscribe@vialicensing.com or reply to the individual sender of the email you received with “unsubscribe” in the header or body of the email. Please note that other data recipients have their own data privacy policies, which may differ from ours and you would have to contact them separately with respect to opt-out requests.
Access
If personal information you have submitted through the Site is no longer accurate, current, or complete, and you wish to update it, please send an e-mail to update@vialicensing.com. Upon appropriate request we will usually be glad to update or amend your information, but we reserve the right to use information obtained previously to verify your identity or take other actions that we believe are appropriate.
Security
Transmissions over the Internet are never 100% secure or error-free. However, we take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. It is your responsibility to safeguard any password and User ID you use to access any password-protected areas of the Site (e.g., ViaSecure) and you are solely responsible for any unauthorized use of the Site conducted via your password and User ID.
Childrens's Privacy
The Site is intended for adults in the United States. We do not intentionally or knowingly collect, personally-identifiable information from children under the age of 13 and we request that individuals under the age of 13 not submit any personal information on the Site.
Effective Date, Amendments
This Statement is effective as of February 21, 2011. We reserve the right to change this Statement from time to time and in our sole discretion. We reserve the right to change, modify, add or remove portions of this Statement at any time, but will alert you that changes have been made by indicating on the Statement the date it was last updated. When you visit the Site, you are accepting the current version of this Statement as posted on the Site at that time. We recommend that users revisit this Statement on occasion to learn of any changes.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions, complaints or suggestions you might have regarding the information practices described in this Statement. You may send us an e-mail at privacy@vialicensing.com.