USPTO Examiners
PRIVACY POLICY
USPTO Examiners respects users' privacy rights and believes that privacy protections
are fundamental to a viable and safe Internet Community. Our goal is to provide
Internet services, such as an Internet "public square," in
which people can discuss issues
relating to the practice of law. To achieve this goal, we need to collect certain
information.
The USPTO Examiners’ website collects information on users in several ways
I. Registration
You may provide us with certain information, such as your name, e-mail address
and postal address when you are registering for a user name. Once you register for a new
user account, you are no longer anonymous to USPTO Examiners.
II. Cookies
1.
We
may track your visit to our site by giving you a "cookie" when you enter.
USPTO Examiners sometimes uses cookies for record keeping purposes and to store
and track information about users for internal use.
A cookie is a small piece of
information sent by a web server to a web browser and stored on your computer's
hard drive so it can later be read back from that browser.
2.
Cookies are a standard Internet technology that allow us to both store and retrieve
login information on a user's system to remind us of who you are and to allow you
to register for a new user account, access your account, and post messages. This
cookie is set when you register for a new account or login to your account, and
is modified when you logout of our site.
3.
Cookies are also used to estimate the number of users of USPTO Examiners to measure
user traffic patterns and measure visiting patterns in the aggregate.
Other companies that place advertising on our site may also use their own cookies.
4.
The use of cookies is now an industry standard and most major websites use them.
The majority of web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies.
If you prefer,
you can reset your browser so that it notifies you when you have received a cookie,
or allows you to reject cookies.
However, areas of many websites will not function
properly if you set your browser to reject cookies and you will be unable to register
for a user name with USPTO Examiners, login to an existing account, or post messages
on USPTO Examiners’
message boards, or register on Job Board.
5.
For more information on cookies, please visit the Electronic Privacy Information
Center's web page http://www.epic.org/privacy/internet/cookies
III. IP Addresses
USPTO Examiners may collect
IP addresses for system administration and may provide aggregate information to our advertisers.
IV. Other User Information
1.
We may collect demographic information such as user preferences, ZIP code, age,
gender, and interests.
2.
In addition, we may indirectly collect information about you when you use certain third-party
services available on the USPTO Examiners’ website.
3.
We
may also collect information about your use of USPTO Examiners’ website, such as
what web pages you visit and what services you use, as well as information about your computer
hardware and software. This information may, include, without limitation, IP addresses
(which identify) the location of your computer on the internet), domain name/page
URLs, type of computer browser, time of access, and referring websites.
4.
Search engines affiliated and not affiliated with USPTO Examiners’ website (i.e., Google.com,
Yahoo.com, Archive.org) may archive or make available on non-USPTO Examiners’
websites posts placed in publicly accessible areas of the USPTO Examiners’ website.
5.
Any feedback and comments you provide to us become our property, and we can use such
information for marketing purposes or to contact you for further information.
6.
The
information we collect on the USPTO Examiners’ website may be shared with
companies affiliated with USPTO Examiners’ website in order to deliver products and
services that you have selected in order to undertake an analyses of our database such
as aggregate profiling of our registered users.
7.
We may share aggregated anonymous information about users of the USPTO Examiners’ website
(for example, the number of visitors to any particular area of the USPTO Examiners’
website and the web pages visited on the USPTO Examiners’ website and other websites,
including third-party websites) with our clients, partners and other third-parties
for marketing and/or other purposes.
V. Use of Information
Any information you provide to USPTO Examiners when registering for a user name
is maintained and accessible by USPTO Examiners and USPTO Examiners' affiliated
sites. USPTO Examiners and its affiliated sites may use this information to offer
you the opportunity to receive USPTO Examiners’ notices regarding other USPTO Examiners’
products or services and to further personalize your USPTO Examiners’ experience.
At the time of such offer, you may opt out of receiving such notices. We may use
anonymous click stream data to help our advertisers deliver better targeted advertisements.
VI. Sharing of Information
USPTO Examiners may share its information, including information regarding users
(i) with such users’ permission; (ii) when the law or legal process requires
it to protect USPTO Examiners' or third-party
property, interests or rights or
to protect the personal safety of our users or the public, to enforce the Terms
of Use which can be found at http://www.USPTO Examiners/legalnotices.php,
or
to respond to claims that any posting or other content violates the rights of third-parties; (iii) for administrative and other purposes that we deem necessary to maintain,
service, or improve products and services; or (iv) in the event of a joint venture,
merger, acquisition, bankruptcy (whether voluntary or involuntary) or change of
control; or (v) in connection with the offering or provision of services to users
by USPTO Examiners or third-parties (users may opt out of communications directed
at such users regarding such services).
VII. Security
1.
Your
USPTO Examiners’ Account Information is password-protected so that only you
and USPTO Examiners have access to this personal information. Your Public Profile
is available for others to view. You may edit your Account Information and Public
Profile by using your User ID and password.
2.
For your protection, please do not share your password with anyone.
3.
Please note that data transmission over the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be
100% secure. Although we make a good faith effort to store information that we collect
in a secure environment, we cannot guarantee that such information is completely
secure. Certain information that we collect may be stored in our databases, even
after its "deletion".
4.
Account information is password protected. Please keep your passwords safe and make
sure to log out when you are not using our service.
VIII. Other Privacy Concerns
1.
Please note that when you disclose personal information online, such information
can be collected and used by others. You are solely responsible for maintaining
the secrecy of your passwords and/or any account information. Please use caution
and be responsible when using the Internet, especially when posting information
online.
2.
Please be aware that USPTO Examiners’ advertisers or any websites that have links on
our site may collect personal information about you. The information collection
and dissemination practices of websites linked to USPTO Examiners’ website are not covered
by our privacy policy.
IX. Children
USPTO Examiners’ website is a website directed at adults and is not intended for children
under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children
under the age of 13 and such persons are strictly prohibited from using USPTO Examiners’ website
and services.
X. Accessing and Changing Personal Information
You may update, manage, correct, or change your account information by contacting
us at the following:
contact us
XI. Changes to Privacy Policy
USPTO Examiners may change, alter, amend, modify, add or
remove any of the provisions of its Privacy Policy with or without notice to any
User, without liability to any User or any third-party.
XII. Additional Terms.
Additional privacy policies
may apply to purchases of goods and services and other uses of portions of the USPTO
Examiners’ website, and you confirm and agree that you have read and abide by such
other privacy policies.
XIII. Contact Us
If you have any comments or
questions, please contact us at the following link:
contact us
XIV. Additional Information
Useful resources on privacy and the Internet can be found at the following sites:
How to Protect Your Privacy - the Federal Trade Commission.
http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html.
Electronic Privacy Information Center. http://www.epic.org