Privacy
Policy
Last
Updated: 06/28/02
CMP MEDIA LLC ("CMP"), the parent company of Gamasutra, recognizes
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 of our customers.
We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our users
right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our users. This privacy
statement discloses the privacy practices for all products and services
owned by CMP. A current list of our publications, web sites, online webcasts
and trade shows can be found at http://www.cmp.com.
INFORMATION
COLLECTION AND USE
CMP collects information from our website users, subscribers and customers.
In this section of our privacy policy, we will 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, 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). We also may
collect demographic information (such as job title and purchasing responsibilities,
company information and professional certification). 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 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 mothers 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 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 users to provide information via surveys or
contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary
and the user 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 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, to monitor
or improve the use and satisfaction of the site, and may be shared with
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 users 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. CMP 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 users can submit information to us (such as our
feedback forms). Letters to the editor and similar submissions may be
made public. Requests for service, support or information may be forwarded
as needed to best respond to a specific request. We may retain e-mails
and other information sent to us for our internal administrative purposes,
and to help us to serve customers better.
Communications
from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain
important information about our sites and services. For example, we send
new members a welcoming message, and verify password and username for
our password-protected sites. We may also communicate with a user to provide
requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or
regular mail.
We
offer our users the option to receive information about our company, related
products, services and special deals. Users can choose not to receive
these communications, as set forth in our Permission section below.
Automatic
Data Collection
Our web sites have features that automatically collect information from
users, to deliver content specific to users' interests and to honor their
preferences. This information assists us in creating sites that will serve
the needs of our users.
We
use "cookies," a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive
containing information about the user. On Gamasutra, this cookie contains
information about what country you reside in and your job role, and possibly
some information about the types of products for which you have purchasing
authority. Cookies benefit the user by requiring login only once, thereby
saving time while on our site. If users reject the cookies, they may be
limited in the use of some areas of our site. For example, the user may
not be able to read articles, participate in sweepstakes, etc. Cookies
also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance
the experience on our sites.
Some
of our business affiliates use cookies on our sites 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.
For
our internal purposes, we gather date, time, browser type, navigation
history and IP address of all visitors to our site. 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 subscriber at registration
with site usage data to provide general profiles, in aggregate non-personally
identifiable form, about our users 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, we may share (provide and receive) personal information with
them. We do not share credit card information with such third parties.
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). 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.
At
ChipCenter.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.
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. We give users the option of not having their
name or contact information disclosed to third parties, as set forth in
the Permission section.
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 a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code),
or if a user no longer desires our product(s)/service(s), we provide a
way to correct or update that user's personal data. The user should contact
Customer Support for the applicable product or service.
PERMISSION
Our users are given the opportunity to choose whether to receive information
from our affiliates and us not directly related to the registered services.
Users also have the opportunity to choose whether to have personal information
shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Instructions for how
to exercise this choice are contained in e-mails sent by us, on our product
websites and in each of our publications.
For
Gamasutra, you can change your permissions from your profile
page.
In
addition, users can go to the CMP Media Feedback page at http://www.cmp.com/feedback/permission.html
to change their options.
Please
note that we will endeavor to implement requests within a reasonable time,
although for a time users may continue to receive mailings, etc., transmitted
based on information released prior to the implementation of the request.
Users will continue to receive information directly related to their registered
services, so they always are kept informed.
SECURITY
We use reasonable precautions to protect our users' 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 users' 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. CMP 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.
NOTIFICATION
and CHANGES
If we change our privacy policy, 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, the practices of this site or
any dealings with CMP Media LLC, contact us at:
Corporate
Communications
CMP Media LLC
600 Community Drive
Manhasset NY 11030
516-562-5000 Ext. 5107
cmp@cmp.com
For
questions specific to the Gamasutra site, contact the site's producer,
Alex Dunne.
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