Last updated: May 14, 2014
Thank you for visiting the Authorgraph website. To The Reader, Inc. ("To The Reader," "we" or "us") owns and operates the website, www.authorgraph.com (the "Website") through which we offer various services and software, including personal digital inscriptions for e-books and analytics for authors and readers (the "Authorgraph Service").
Please be assured that the privacy of our visitors and registered users is of utmost importance to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we treat the information we collect via the Website.
By using our Website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please delete all cookies from your browser cache after visiting our Website and do not visit or use our Website. Your continued use of our Website will signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy is integrated into and is a part of our Terms of Service. Please review your Terms of Service agreement with To The Reader, which shall govern your relationship with us in the event of any inconsistency with this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect And How We Use It
The term "Personal Information" as used in this Privacy Policy refers to information that can be used to identify, locate, or contact an individual or entity, for example, name, email address, or social networking screen name, such as Twitter. Additionally, we may automatically collect information about the authors and genres of books that you read or express interest about through the Authorgraph Service. Personal Information also includes other information that may be associated with Personal Information, such as an internet protocol ("IP") address, browser type, internet service provider, and operating system. Personal Information does not include information that has been aggregated, made anonymous, or reduced to a statistical metric such that it can no longer be reasonably associated with a specific person or specific entity.
Generally, we collect Personal Information when you provide it directly to us and through website technology known as "cookies," as further described in Section 5 below. The types of information we collect and our use of that information depends on whether you are a visitor to our Website or are a registered user, such as a commercial broker and/or building owner, as further described below.
1.1 Registered Users
As an author or reader, in order to gain full access to the services we offer through our Website, you must first register for an account. During registration, we collect Personal Information about you when you provide it to us or as a result of logging in via a third party service, such as Twitter, which may include your name, email address, and third party or social networking screen name or handle.
Once you begin using the Website through your account, we will keep records of your transactions related to the Website, such as billing address, amounts and related receipts. Additionally, we may collect and aggregate information you submit through the Website, such as the following authors and genres of books that you read or express interest in. We use this information:
(i) To identify and authenticate your account when you log in to the Website and to managed your account details; (ii) To provide the products and services you have requested, such as to provide anonymized market performance, statistical metrics, or trend analyses that do not disclose Personal Information; (iii) To contact you about your use of the services on the Website and to provide notifications; and (iv) To improve our services.
We will not disclose this information or in any way display it or share it with any third party through the Website without your consent.
1.2 Visitors
You are not required to register with the Website or provide any Personal Information to us to simply visit and browse our Website. However, we may gather non-personal information about your visit solely for the purposes of monitoring and improving the Website. We will not share this information with third parties or use it to target any advertisements to you.
2. Security
Although no data transmission can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, we maintains strict physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to guard your Personal Information. These safeguards are reasonably designed to:
(i) Insure the security and confidentiality of user records and information; (ii) Protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of user records and information; and (iii) Protect against unauthorized access to or use of user records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any user.
Your information is located on secure servers and encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL). We use transport layer security (TLS) when you sign into the Website.
For additional information regarding our security practices please review our Data Security Policy.
3. Information We Disclose
We will not disclose your Personal Information to third parties except to:
(i) Affiliated companies (e.g., subsidiaries and other companies owned by or controlled by us) who may only use the Personal Information for the purposes described above. (ii) Our trusted service providers that are integral to the operation of the Website and provide services to you, including but not limited to payment processors, verification services, and third parties that you have directly authorized to receive your Personal Information. Our service providers are bound by law or contract to protect your Personal Information and are only allowed to use your Personal Information in accordance with the terms of our service agreements with them. (iii) Effect a merger or acquisition or to support the sale or transfer of business assets. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, you will be notified via email and/or prominent notice on our Website of any change in ownership or uses of your Personal Information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your Personal Information. (iv) Enforce our rights or protect our property; protect the rights, property or safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request; or as needed to support auditing, compliance, and corporate governance functions. We may also disclose Personal Information to defend ourselves in litigation or a regulatory action, and when required or advised to do so by law, such as in response to a subpoena, or similar legal process, including to law enforcement agencies, regulators, and courts in the United States and other countries where we operate.
4. Aggregated Data
While your Personal Information is protected as outlined above, we reserve the right to use, transfer, sell and share aggregated, anonymous data about our users and use of the Authorgraph Service for any business purpose.
5. Cookies
When you use our Website, we may collect certain information by automated or electronic means, using technologies such as cookies, pixel tags and web beacons, browser analysis tools, and web server logs. As you use our Website, your browser and devices communicate with servers operated by us, our business partners, and services providers to coordinate and record the interactivity and fill your requests for services and information.
The information from cookies and related technology is stored in web server logs and also in web cookies kept on your computers or mobile devices, which are then transmitted back to our Website by your computers or mobile devices. These servers are operated and the cookies are managed by us, our business partners, or our service providers. For example, when you visit our Website, we and our service providers may place cookies on your computers or mobile devices. Cookies allow us to recognize you when you return to the Website, and to track and target your interests in order to provide a customized experience. They also help us to detect certain kinds of fraud. A "cookie" is a small amount of information that a web server sends to your browser that stores information about your account, your preferences, and your use of the Website. Some cookies contain serial numbers that allow us to connect your Website activity with other information we store about you in your profile or as related to your interactions with the Website.
Some cookies are temporary, whereas others may be configured to last longer. "Session" cookies are temporary cookies used for various reasons, such as to manage page views. Your browser usually erases session cookies once you exit your browser. "Persistent" cookies are more permanent cookies that are stored on your computers or mobile devices beyond when you exit your browser. We use persistent cookies for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (such as your user id if you asked to be remembered), and storing your preferences (e.g., the way Website pages or information is displayed).
Pixel tags and web beacons are tiny graphic images placed on website pages or in our emails that allow us to determine whether you have performed specific actions. When you access these pages or open email messages, the pixel tags and web beacons generate a notice of that action to us, or our service providers. These tools allow us to measure response to our communications and improve our web pages.
We collect many different types of information from cookies and other technologies. For example, we may collect information from the devices you use to access our Website, your operating system type or mobile device model, browser type, domain, and other system settings, as well as the language your system uses and the country and time zone of your device. Browsers routinely send these types of information to web servers. Our server logs also record the IP addresses of the devices you use to interact with the Website. An IP address is a unique identifier that devices use to identify and communicate with each other on the Internet. We may also collect information about the website you were visiting before you came to our Website and the website you visit after you leave our Website, if this information is supplied to us by your browser.
In many cases, the information we collect using cookies and other tools is used in non-identifiable ways and without any reference to Personal Information. For example, we use information we collect about users to optimize our Website and understand its traffic and usage patterns. In other cases, we associate the information we collect using cookies and related technologies with Personal Information. In that case, this Privacy Statement governs how we use that information.
Additionally, if the settings on your location-aware device allow us to receive location information, we may collect that automatically after you have authorized us to do so. If we associate location information with other Personal Information, this Privacy Policy will govern how we would use that information.
If you wish to opt out of having cookies set on your browser as described above, the only way to ensure that this happens is to manage the settings on your web browser to delete all cookies and disallow further acceptance of cookies. Note that disabling cookies on your browser may prevent us from tracking your activities in relation to our Website and services. However, it may also disable some of the features available through our Website.
6. Choice and Opt Out
We provide you with the opportunity to opt out of having your Personal Information used for certain purposes when we ask for this information; however, this may limit your ability to fully use our Website. You may update your personal and security preferences by signing in to the Website with your account. You may also opt out of email and promotional communications by following the instructions included in each such communication or by emailing us as support@authorgraph.com.
7. Changes
We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to make changes to this Privacy Policy from time to time. Please review this Privacy Policy periodically to check for updates. If any changes are material, we may provide additional notice and/or an opportunity for you to opt-in as appropriate under the circumstances.
We will provide you with disclosures and alerts regarding this Privacy Policy by posting them on our Website or by emailing the email address listed in your account (if you are a registered user). You agree that electronic disclosures and notices have the same meaning and effect as if we had provided you with a paper copy. Such disclosures and notices in relation to this Privacy Policy are deemed received by you within 24 hours of the time they are posted to our Website or emailed to you (unless we receive notice that the email was not delivered).
8. Questions
If you have any comments or questions about this Privacy Policy, you may address them to: To The Reader, Inc., 3417 Evanston Ave. N. #313, Seattle, WA 98103, or by email at support@authorgraph.com.