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Purpose of this Privacy Policy
This privacy policy describes how Hearst Communications, Inc., its affiliates and Communications Data Services, Inc. (the company that fulfills magazine subscriptions for Hearst) treat the personally identifiable information that is collected about you when you visit the web sites to which this policy is linked. For purposes of this policy, Hearst Communications, Inc., its affiliates and Communications Data Services, Inc. are referred to collectively as "Hearst".
What is Personally Identifiable Information
"Personally identifiable information" is information that we can use to identify you as an individual. Personally identifiable information includes your name, address, telephone number and any other information that is connected with you personally.
Information This Privacy Policy Does Not Apply To
This privacy policy does not apply to information collected about you by anyone except Hearst and only applies to the web sites to which this policy is linked. Any information you provide when you visit web sites other than those covered by this policy (including other web sites affiliated with Hearst) or when you purchase any products or services, or enter contests, that may be linked to or advertised on our web site by companies other than Hearst is subject to the privacy policies posted on those sites. Except as specified herein, this policy also does not apply to information you may provide to us offline; however please do be aware that if you subscribe offline to one of the magazines published by Hearst ("Magazines"), from time to time we make our subscriber lists available to companies that sell goods and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings, please send a current mailing label or exact copy to Mail Preference Service, PO Box 7024, Red Oak, Iowa 51591-0024.
Collection of Personally Identifiable Information
Hearst generally collects personally identifiable information with your specific knowledge and consent. For instance, when you enter a sweepstakes or contest, complete a survey, participate in a reader panel, register for those portions of our sites that may require registration, make a purchase, participate in our social networking features, request back issues, subscribe to our magazines or subscribe to our newsletters, and other electronic services you will be asked to provide information such as your e-mail address, name, phone number, and shipping address. Information such as your age, gender, hobbies or interests may also be requested. This information may sometimes be collected by third party service providers with whom Hearst contracts to host the web site or to fulfill requests for services; in that event, Hearst asks such service providers to make the personal information available only to Hearst for Hearst to use in accordance with the terms of this policy and not to use the information for any other purpose. Hearst uses this information to provide you with the service you have requested. If you subscribe to any of our Magazines, we may use your e-mail address to send you a confirmation notice and your mailing address to send you your magazine. Similarly, if you enter online sweepstakes, we will use this information to notify you if you are a winner. We might also send out e-mails to users and sweepstakes/contest entrants to announce special offers, services and announcements from our sites and/or our advertisers. If you provide personal information for use in any of our social networking channels or tools (which may include services such as match-ups, dating, friendships, instant messaging and the like), we will use that information in the manner contemplated by the particular networking channel. Please check each channel for a description of how networking is conducted.
When you provide us with personal information, if you are not already a registered user of some of our sites, we will assign you a user name and password so that we can enhance your user experience by facilitating easy entry into other features and offers on the sites, saving your preferences, and so that we may contact you for marketing and promotional purposes. The user name and password will also enable us to display for you advertising messages that we believe may be of interest. (Certain areas on our sites require registration, and in those areas, you will be asked to establish your own user name and password). Your user name and password will function across many of our sites, regardless of brand, and will be held in confidence. You may elect to change them at any time by logging in and editing your registration (each of our branded sites will contain log-in information). You may also log in to cancel any user name and password that you may have selected or that we may have assigned. If you cancel your registration, we will retain your email address, user name and assigned user ID on file and use them only for the purpose of assuring you are not automatically registered again, against your wishes. Your user registration will also be recognized at some sites with which we are affiliated so that you may easily access features on those sites; however your actions on those sites will be governed by the separate privacy policies of those affiliates. A list of those affiliates with separate privacy policies will appear here, and may be updated from time to time. Current affiliates are: RealAge.
We may use cookies or "clear GIFs" (aka "web beacons" or "pixel tags") or similar technologies, in the sites and in our communications with you to enable us to know whether you have visited a web page or received a message. A clear GIF is typically a one-pixel, transparent image (although it can be a visible image as well), located on a web page or in an e-mail or other type of message, which is retrieved from a remote site on the Internet enabling the verification of an individual's viewing or receipt of a web page or message. A clear gif may enable us to relate your viewing or receipt of a web page or message to other information about you, including your personal information.
We may combine personal information that you provide to us online with outside records to enhance our ability to market products or provide services that we believe may be of interest to you. Additionally, we may share your personal information with third parties who may choose to contact you to promote their own goods and services. If you want us to stop sharing your email address with third parties in this way, click here and let us know at http://hearst.ed4.net/profile/login.cfm. If you do not wish us to share information with companies who would otherwise contact you at your mailing address, you may notify us in writing by sending a notice to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 7024, Red Oak, Iowa 51591 or contacting us at customercare@hearstmags.com. Also, you may elect to stop receiving email messages from a Hearst magazine (other than transactional messages relating to any accounts you may have with us) by notifying us at http://hearst.ed4.net/profile/login.cfm.
In addition, we may use information you provide us through emails, Q & A, blogs, forums, in response to polls, or though any other user-generated submission for editorial purposes, and may use your name and any stories you provide us in articles published online and in our Magazines. Please be advised that any such submissions become the property of Hearst and may be used by Hearst for any lawful purpose. If you provide us with personal anecdotes, they may be attributed to you. Hearst can edit, rewrite, use, and reuse the content, including your name, likeness, photograph, and biographical information you provide, in any way and any media whether now known or invented in the future, with or without attribution, including publication in the Magazines, and in trade media, and advertising. You agree that any content you send us will not violate any rights of any third party and that you will only send us content for which you own the rights.
Some of our sites may from time to time partner with a retailer or other third party to offer online shopping opportunities, games, services, subscriptions and other applications on a co-branded or cross-promotional basis. Those transactions may take place on a Hearst site, or the site of the third party. In either case, personal information you provide in connection with the transaction may be shared with the third party, as well as with any participating sponsors or advertisers of such opportunities and features. Some of our sites may offer you the ability to access a third-party site with whom we have a relationship to access both sites through a co-branded registration or password; in that event, your applicable registration information may be shared with the third-party partner and used by them in accordance with their own privacy policy. We will notify you at the applicable point of sign up if any such co-branded registration or password practices will be in effect.
In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your personal information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you of that development. If a notification is appropriate, we would endeavor to do so as promptly as possible under the circumstances, and, to the extent we have your e-mail address, we may notify you by e-mail.
In addition to the foregoing, Hearst may share or disclose personally identifiable information about you to other companies or individuals when:
Cookies
Hearst (or third party service providers on our behalf) may set and access cookies on your computer. A cookie is a small amount of data (often including a unique identifier), that is sent to your browser from a web site's computers and stored on your computer's hard drive. Hearst uses cookies to understand site usage and to improve the content and offerings on our site.
We may use cookies to control the display of ads, to track usage patterns on the sites, to deliver editorial content, to record requests for subscriptions and to personalize information.
Our cookies may contain personally identifiable information and such cookies may be shared with others to the same extent indicated above.
Hearst (or third party service providers on our behalf) may also use cookies to collect aggregate information about web site users on an anonymous basis. We may share aggregate demographic and usage information with our prospective and actual business partners, advertisers and other third parties for any business purpose.
Some of our advertisers may serve you cookies as well. We do not have control over cookies placed by advertisers.
If you don't want cookies, most Web browsers include an option that allows you to not accept them. However, if you set your browser to refuse cookies, some portions of our sites may not function efficiently.
IP Address
Your Internet Protocol ("IP") address is usually associated with the place from which you enter the Internet, like your Internet Service Provider, your company or your university. Our server may also record the referring page that linked you to us (e.g., another Web site or a search engine); the pages you visit on our sites, the Web site you visit after this Web Site; the ads you see; the ads you click on; other information about the type of Web browser, computer, platform, related software and settings you are using; any search terms you have entered on this Web Site or a referral site; and other Web usage activity and data logged by our Web servers. We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our servers, gather broad demographic information, and administer our website. We may also link this information with your personal information when we feel that it is necessary to enforce compliance with our rules and policies or terms of service or to protect our Sites, customers or others.
Wireless Addresses
If the email address you provide to us is a wireless email address, you agree to receive messages at such address from Hearst and the Magazines, entities affiliated with the Magazines (unless and until you have elected not to receive such messages by notifying us at mobile@hearst.com). You understand that your wireless carrier's standard rates apply to these messages. You represent that you are the owner or authorized user of the wireless device on which messages will be received, and that you are authorized to approve the applicable charges.
Short Message Services and Wireless Internet
We may make available services through which you can receive messages on your phone or wireless device via short message service ("SMS Service") or wireless internet ("WAP Services"). We may also make available content and versions of our websites available via WAP and mobile phone service. If you subscribe to one of our SMS, WAP or mobile services, you thereby agree to receive such service at the address you provide for such purposes. Such messages may come from Hearst, or from third parties who we believe may have goods or services of interest to you (unless you have elected not to receive such messages at the time you subscribe). Our wireless carriers and providers are not responsible for the content of our wireless services or any of the messages you may receive from us.
You understand that your wireless carrier's standard rates apply to these messages, and that you may opt-out of receiving them by notifying us at mobile@hearst.com. You represent that you are the owner or authorized user of the wireless device you use to sign up for the SMS, WAP or mobile service, and that you are authorized to approve the applicable charges. To use the SMS, WAP or mobile service, you must reside in the United States. You must register and provide all required Personal Information, which may include, for example, your name, SMS, WAP or mobile address, wireless carrier and, if fees are applicable to the SMS, WAP or mobile service you subscribe to, billing information (either your credit card information or mobile service carrier information if applicable fees will be billed through your carrier). We may also obtain the date, time and content of your messages in the course of your use of the SMS, WAP or mobile service. We will use the information we obtain in connection with these services in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If fees are charged to your wireless account invoice, we may provide your carrier with your applicable information in connection herewith. Your wireless carrier and other service providers may also collect data about your wireless device usage, and their practices are governed by their own policies.
You acknowledge and agree that the SMS, WAP and mobile services are provided via wireless systems which use radios (and other means) to transmit communications over complex networks. We do not guarantee that your use of such services will be private or secure, and we are not liable to you for any lack of privacy or security you may experience. You are fully responsible for taking precautions and providing security measures best suited for your situation and intended use of the services. We may also access the content of your account and wireless account with your carrier for the purpose of identifying and resolving technical problems and service-related complaints.
By signing up for any SMS, WAP or mobile service, you consent to receiving, from time to time, further messages which may include news, promotions and offers from us, our affiliates and partners, and unless and until you have opted-out of these activities by notifying us at mobile@hearst.com. Please follow the instructions provided to you by third parties to unsubscribe from their messages.
Advertising Disclosure
In addition to ads that we serve you directly, we use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our websites. Both we and our advertising companies may use information about your visits to this website and other sites you may visit to serve ads to you. In the course of serving advertisements to you, a unique third-party cookie may be placed or recognized on your browser. In addition, we and our advertising companies may use Web beacons to help manage our online advertising. These Web beacons enable us and our third-party ad serving companies to recognize a browser's cookie when a browser visits this site and to learn which banner ads bring users to our website and to serve you ads that you may find of interest elsewhere on the internet. Both Hearst and these companies may use information (not including your names, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to these sites and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by other companies, please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp.
Kids And Parents
The sites covered by this policy are not intended for use by children, especially those under age 13. No one under age 13 is allowed to provide any personal information or use our public discussion areas, forums and chats. To subscribe to newsletters and to participate in other activities where personal information is divulged on our teen oriented sites, you must be 13 or older. Minors between the ages of 13 and 17 should get the permission of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before subscribing to any Magazines on our sites. Some areas of our sites require that you identify yourself by age category when registering and in those areas, if you register as an adult, you represent that you are 18 years of age or older.
If your children disclose information about themselves in our public discussion areas, they may get unsolicited messages from other parties. Accordingly, you should tell them not to do so. There are also commercially available tools to help you limits your children's exposure to material online.
If you're worried about your children's activities or their privacy on our site, we encourage you to e-mail Hearst at customercare@hearstmags.com.
Blogs, Video and other user-generated Postings; Social Networking
If you elect to post material to any blogs, forums, participate in our social networking channels or other community boards that may be offered on our sites, or if you elect to upload any photographs, audio or video, you will be solely responsible for all content, messages, text, files, images, graphics, photos, audio clips, sounds, video or other materials (the "Postings"). You agree and warrant that any Postings you post to the sites will be true and accurate, will not defame any person or invade any person's privacy, and will not infringe the proprietary rights of any person. You agree not to furnish any Postings to which you do not own the rights. By furnishing Postings, you give Hearst the right to use such Postings in any manner and in any media now known or hereafter invented, including, without limitation, the right to combine your Postings with Postings of third parties in varied combinations. You also acknowledge that visitors to the sites may post comments about your Postings which may be derogatory, and that Hearst has no obligation to monitor or delete any such postings.
Please be aware that Hearst does not and cannot monitor all of the Postings made to the sites, and therefore Hearst will not be responsible for the content of any Postings. Hearst has no obligation to verify the accuracy of any personally indentifying information that is posted to our sites. However, Hearst does reserve the right to delete or edit any material in any Posting that is obscene, harassing, offensive or otherwise objectionable and not in keeping with the community standards of the Magazines and websites and to terminate access to the sites to offenders of the guidelines. If Hearst elects to edit any Postings, it nonetheless assumes no responsibility for the content of the Postings. Under no circumstances will Hearst be liable for any inaccuracy or defect in any Postings. We also expect our users to adhere to certain rules of the road. Therefore, you agree not to post, email, or otherwise make available Postings:
Because Hearst does not monitor the Postings, you agree to use and rely on them at your own risk. Hearst cannot make any representation or warranty about the material contained in the Postings. Hearst likewise assumes no responsibility for any contact you may have with other users of our sites, either online or offline. If you elect to meet in person with someone you may meet on our sites, you do so at your own risk, and under no circumstances will Hearst be liable for any activity or injury that may occur.
California and Canadian Users
California and Canadian residents have the right to know how their information may be shared with third parties who engage in direct marketing activities and this policy explains our practices and how you can opt out of having your information shared for such purposes. From time to time we may make our customer lists available to companies that sell goods and services that we believe would be of interest. We may compile these lists from customer orders placed both offline and online. Customers have the option of having their names and identifying information removed from those lists (subject to certain exceptions and limitations in applicable laws) by contacting us at http://hearst.ed4.net/profile/login.cfm, or, in the case of information you have provided to us offline, by sending a current mailing label or exact copy to: Mail Preference Service, PO Box 7024, Red Oak, Iowa 51591-0024.
We may also from time to time make our customer lists available for direct marketing purposes to other entities that are affiliated with us. If you would like to be removed from those lists, contact us at http://hearst.ed4.net/profile/login.cfm, or, in the case of information you have provided to us offline, by sending a current mailing label or exact copy to: Mail Preference Service, PO Box 7024, Red Oak, Iowa 51591-0024.
If you enter a contest or sweepstakes sponsored by a third party, information may be shared with that third party for their use in their discretion, including direct marketing (Some of our contests and sweeps will ask you at the time of entry whether you would like your personal information to be shared with the sponsor. Other contests will not give you that option and in that event, if you do not want your information to be shared, you should not enter the contest.)
Non-U.S. Users
If you are located outside of the United States, please note that the information you provide to us will be transferred to the United States. By using this web site, you consent to this transfer. You also consent to the adjudication of any disputes arising in connection with this website in the federal and state courts of, and in accordance with the laws of, the state of New York.
Copyright
Everything you see or read on the Hearst sites is owned by us or used with permission. You may not copy, use, or retransmit anything from or for our site without our permission. Any commercial or promotional distribution, publishing or exploitation of the sites, or any content, code, data or materials on the sites is strictly prohibited. You are not allowed to post or distribute any material you do not own or which you do not have permission to use. You are also prohibited from engaging in any conduct that interferes with the technological operation of the sites or that tampers with any copyright protection mechanisms applicable to content on any sites. Ignoring this policy may result in copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights violations.
Copyright Infringement
In accordance with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 USC sec. 512, our magazine sites have designated an agent to receive notices of claims of copyright infringement: Debra S. Weaver, Esq., 300 West 57th Street, New York, New York, 10019, tel: 212-649-2047; copyright@hearst.com. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, you may provide us with notice. To be effective, the notification must be a written communication that includes the following:
We may give notice to our users that we have received a notice of infringement by means of a general notice on our site, electronic mail to a user's e-mail address in our records, or by written communication sent by first-class mail to a user's physical address in our records. If you receive such a notice, you may provide counter-notification in writing to the designated agent that includes the information below. To be effective, the counter-notification must be a written communication that includes the following:
We reserve the right to terminate access to our sites of any user who infringes the proprietary rights of any third party.
User Names and Passwords
Some areas of our sites require you to select a user name and password. Users will be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any user name and password, and we will not be responsible for misuse of any user names or passwords by any third party, whether authorized by a user or not. Some of our sites also have a policy of requiring that you not include certain identifying characteristics (such as street address or last name) in your public profile. Please check each site for any such restrictions.
Disclaimers
Hearst is not responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, of any user of the sites. Hearst takes reasonable steps to protect the security and integrity of all personal information you provide to the sites; however, due to the inherent nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee that information, during transmission through the Internet or while stored on our system or otherwise in our care, will be absolutely safe from intrusion by others, such as hackers. Hearst assumes no liability for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, any user Posting. Hearst is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or players due to technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or on any of the sites or combination thereof, including any injury or damage to users or to any person's computer related to or resulting from participation in any activities on the sites or downloading materials. We make no warranties that the services will be timely, secure, uninterrupted, or error-free. You understand that if you download any material, you do so at your sole risk. Under no circumstances shall Hearst be responsible for any loss or damage, including personal injury or death, resulting from use of the sites, any content posted on or through the sites, or conduct of any users of the sites, whether online or offline. We can, whenever we want, edit or delete any content displayed on the sites. You use the sites at your own risk. Some areas of our sites offer advice from a variety of providers, who may be affiliated with Hearst or member of the user community; such advice is for entertainment only and not as treatment or remedy for an individual circumstance. Everything you see on our sites is provided to you "as is." The sites are provided "AS-IS" and as available and Hearst expressly disclaims any warranty of fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Hearst cannot guarantee and does not promise any specific results from use of the sites. Hearst reserves the right to terminate access to these sites for by anyone for any reason, including violation of these terms of service and/or any terms contained in the Privacy Policy.
Limitation on Liability
IN NO EVENT SHALL HEARST BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF HEARST HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Disputes
If there is any dispute about or involving the sites, you agree that the dispute shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict of law provisions and you agree to exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue in the state and federal courts of the United States located in the State of New York, City of New York. Hearst may demand that any dispute between Hearst and you about or involving the sites must be settled by arbitration utilizing the dispute resolution procedures of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in New York, New York, USA
Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold Hearst, its subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their respective officers, agents, partners and employees, harmless from any loss or liability arising out of your use of the sites or from any claim, or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of your use of the sites in violation of these terms of service and/or any breach of your representations, warranties and obligations set forth above and/or if any content that you post in Postings on the sites or through the sites causes Hearst to be liable to another.
Changes to Privacy Policy and Notice
Hearst may change this policy from time to time in its discretion. Your continued use of our sites indicates your consent to this privacy policy and any amended versions of it.
This policy was last updated on August 24, 2009.