Terms and Privacy
Overview
At the Cougar Mountain Software Network ("Cougar Mountain
Software"), protecting our users' privacy and security is a top
priority. For this reason, we have adopted the following policy to
advise you of your choices regarding the use of your personal
information online. This policy describes what types of information we
gather about you, how we use it, under what circumstances we disclose it
to third-parties, and your rights to update or correct it.
Scope of Policy
This Policy applies to all sites in the Cougar Mountain
Software Network. This Policy also applies to Cougar Mountain Software'
Newsletters. It does not apply to other companies' or organizations' web
sites to which we link. You should carefully review the privacy
policies of those web sites in order to determine how they treat your
personal information.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Information Gathered From All Visitors - Aggregate Data
We gather certain generic information with respect to customers'
use of our web site, such as the number of unique visitors, the
frequency with which they visit, and the areas on the web site that they
favor. These statistics are very much like television ratings that tell
the networks how many people tuned in to a program. We only use this
type of data in aggregate-that is, we look at the data on a collective
basis, in summary form, rather than on an individual basis. This data
helps us determine the extent to which our customers use certain parts
of our web site, which, in turn, enables us to make it as appealing as
possible. We may also provide statistical "ratings" about how our
customers collectively use our web site to advertisers, sponsors, and
other companies with which we do business ("Business Partners"). We do
this so they, too, can understand how often people use their areas of
the site in order for them to provide you with the best possible
experience. These statistical ratings do not contain any personally
identifiable information about you or any of our users.
Cookies
We use a technology nicknamed "cookies" on our web site.
Cookies are pieces of information or data sent to your browser from a
web server and stored on your computer's hard drive for record-keeping
purposes. We use cookies to make your visit to our web site easier. For
example, cookies allow us to recognize you when you re-enter our web
site so that you will not have to sign-in each time you visit. Cookies
also allow us to count the number of unique and return visitors who use
our site.
Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. If you
prefer, you can reset your browser to notify you when you've received a
cookie or, alternatively, to refuse to accept cookies. It is important
to note that you may not be able to use certain features on our web site
if you choose not to accept cookies, such as automatic sign-in, Create
& Print, address book, outbox, and reminders. In addition, you will
not be able to participate in any of our sweepstakes, contests or
monthly drawings. Cookies can also enable us to track and target the
interests of our users to enhance their experience on our site.
Third Party Advertiser Cookies
We use third-party advertising companies to serve our ads
on the Internet. These third-party advertising companies employ cookie
and Clear Gif technology (aka 1x1 Pixel .gifs, Web bugs) to measure and
improve the effectiveness of ads for their clients. To do so, these
companies may use anonymous information about your visits to our Web
site and other Web sites. This information can include: date/time of
banner ad shown, the banner ad that was shown, their cookie, the IP
address. This information can also be used for online preference
marketing purposes. Cougar Mountain Software does not use or have access
to this information.
If you want to prevent a third-party advertiser from setting
and/or reading cookies on your computer, currently you may either visit
each ad network's web site individually and opt out or visit the web
site of the National Advertising Initiative ("NAI") to opt-out of all
network-advertising cookies. This site will also allow you to review the
third-party advertising companies' privacy policies.
IP Addresses
We collect and analyze traffic on our web site by keeping
track of the IP addresses of our visitors. An IP address is a unique
number assigned to your computer when you are using your browser on the
Internet. We log this information so that we can monitor things like the
number of visitors visiting the web site; however, we do not link your
IP address to any personally identifying information.
Personalizing Your Experience on the Web Site
We examine customer traffic patterns and web site usage to
help us enhance the design and layout of the site and make it easier to
navigate.
From time to time, we may send you surveys or solicit your
feedback. We use surveys to gauge user interest in new products and
premiums we may offer. We will ask for your feedback on greetings and
other site features. We will use the information we gather to improve
our sites and provide a more meaningful experience for our users. We may
also use the information to alert you to offers and products in which
you have expressed an interest.
Subscribing to the Cougar Mountain Software Newsletter
We send to all of our users our exclusive Cougar Mountain
Software Newsletter, which alerts you to new features, content, and
services, premiums available on our site. From time to time, we will
also send you invitations to enhance your Cougar Mountain Software
membership. These communications are sent to you directly by Cougar
Mountain Software. We do not share your personally identifiable
information with any third parties in connection with the Newsletter.
You can always decline the Newsletter by un-checking the opt-out
box on the "Personalize this Card" pages or registration pages on our
site. If you are already receiving the Newsletter and you want to
unsubscribe, you can simply follow the "unsubscribe" links at the bottom
of each edition. For other ways to unsubscribe, see Opt-Out/Changing
Your Status, below.
Offers from Our Business Partners
Cougar Mountain Software also offers you the opportunity to
receive money-saving offers, discounts, and promotions from our Business
Partners. These communications may come from Cougar Mountain Software
or directly from the Partners themselves. We may also share with them
certain demographic, geographic, preference, and other personally
identifiable information we have gathered about you. This will help them
in directing to you offers that are more likely to be of interest.
This program is conducted strictly on an opt-in basis. In order
to receive the offers, you must affirmatively check the clearly marked
box on our "Personalize this Card" pages and registration pages on our
site. If you leave the box unchecked, you will not receive any offers.
If you do sign up for the program but later change your mind, you are
free at any time to opt-out by following the procedures outlined in
Opt-Out/Changing Your Status, below.
Information Gathered From Members
If you elect to purchase Cougar Mountain Software products and
services, you may be required to provide us with certain personal
information, including your name, e-mail address, credit card number,
expiration date, and billing address (this required information is
subject to change from time to time). There will also be opportunities
for you to provide us with additional information regarding your
preferences and interests. This information, however, is not required
and is completely optional on your part.
USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
If you have provided us your consent, we will use the information we have collected about you in five ways:
- To send personalized, targeted information that we think our
users will find relevant, either from Cougar Mountain Software or
directly from its Business Partners
- To include targeted advertising within such messages
- To send promotions and coupons based on the user's interests
- To contact the user for feedback and surveys, and
- To send the user other information about Cougar Mountain Software.
These communications may come via e-mail, postal mail, or telephone.
On-Site Advertising
Cougar Mountain Software may also use information about you to
target advertising while you are visiting our site. We may also use
geographic or other information we have collected from you to make sure
that the ads you see are for goods and services that are actually of
interest to you or are available in your area. We may use cookie files
to assure that you will not be served the same ads repeatedly.
Order Fulfillment
From time to time, you may be given the opportunity to order
products and services directly on the Cougar Mountain Software site, the
Newsletters, or in other communications you may receive from Cougar
Mountain Software. These orders are typically fulfilled by Cougar
Mountain Software' Business Partners directly. To process your order,
Cougar Mountain Software may provide these Partners with your name,
street address, e-mail address, phone number, and credit card
information. Cougar Mountain Software will limit the types of
information shared to the minimum necessary to efficiently process your
order. However, in accepting these offers, you become a customer of the
Business Partner and therefore subject to its privacy policy. Cougar
Mountain Software will alert users whenever a Business Partner will be
fulfilling an order for products or services ordered on our site. We
encourage you to review these companies' privacy policies and only do
business with those who adhere to personal information practices with
which you are comfortable.
Disclosure Exceptions
Notwithstanding the above policies, we reserve the right to
disclose your personal information to appropriate third parties if we
are required to do so by law or we believe that such action is
necessary:
- To comply with legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order
- To protect the company's rights and property
- To investigate reports of users sending material using a
false e-mail address or users sending harassing, threatening, or abusive
messages
- To protect against misuse or unauthorized use of our web site and/or the Cougar Mountain Software service; or
- During emergencies, such as when we believe someone's physical safety is at risk.
OTHER MATTERS
Protection For Children - COPPA Compliance
We are committed to protecting the privacy and rights of children
online. We believe that children should be able to use the Internet in a
safe, productive, and efficient manner and should be afforded the
highest protection available with respect to their personal information.
To that end, we have made it our policy to not collect any individually
identifiable information from users whom we know are under the age of
13. Our registration process blocks the registration of users under 13
years old and will automatically delete all individually identifiable
information collected from such users.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") imposes
certain requirements upon web sites and online services that are
directed toward children. To learn more about COPPA, click here for the Federal Trade Commission COPPA Web Site.
Contests and Promotions
Occasionally, Cougar Mountain Software may sponsor contests
and/or promotions on our sites or in our e-mail products. Participation
in such contests is purely voluntary. In order to enter a contest or
promotion, you may be asked to provide personally identifiable
information. By entering, you agree to all of its terms and conditions,
which will be clearly outlined in the rules. Where a contest or
promotion is not sponsored by Cougar Mountain Software, the identity of
the sponsor will be clearly disclosed in the rules. Cougar Mountain
Software cannot be responsible for actions or policies of third-party
contest sponsors. Users are encouraged to review the relevant privacy
policy of the sponsor before entering.
Sale of Assets
In the event that Cougar Mountain Software and/or its units or
subsidiaries are ever sold, acquired, merged, liquidated, reorganized,
or otherwise transferred, we reserve the right to transfer our user
databases together with any personally identifiable information
contained therein, to a third-party acquiring Cougar Mountain Software'
assets. In the event we do so, we will place a prominent notice of the
sale on the homepage of our site, with links to information as to how
you can change your privacy preferences.
Data Security
When you place orders for purchased products or access your
payment information, we use an advanced encryption technology known as
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to protect the storage and transfer of your
data from unauthorized parties. While on a secure page, such as our
registration form, a lock or key icon appears on the bottom of your web
browser.
In addition to our online security efforts, we take steps to
protect your personal data offline, as well. All of your information,
not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our
offices. Employees are granted access on a need-to-know basis (for
example, our billing clerk or a customer service representative).
Furthermore, ALL employees are kept up-to-date on our security and
privacy practices. Finally, the servers on which we store personally
identifiable information are kept in a secure environment, behind a
locked cage.
Cougar Mountain Software' main servers are operated from a
dedicated Internet hosting facility with state-of-the-art physical
security features, including smoke detection and fire suppression
systems, motion sensors, and 24x7 secured access, as well as video
camera surveillance and security breach alarms.
Changes to the Privacy Policy
Cougar Mountain Software will occasionally update this Privacy
Policy in response to changing business circumstances and legal
developments. When Cougar Mountain Software posts changes to this
Policy, you will see the word "updated" next to the Privacy Policy link
on the front page of Cougar Mountain Software Sites. If there are
material changes to this Policy or in how Cougar Mountain Software uses
your personally identifiable information, Cougar Mountain Software will
prominently post such changes prior to implementing the change. Cougar
Mountain Software encourages you to periodically review this Policy to
be informed of how we are protecting your information.
Return Policy
- Cougar Mountain Software offers a 30-day return policy on all
new purchases of software and hardware. The 30-day period begins on the
invoice date
- No refunds on upgrades (including upgrades from DOS), Customer Support, or Software Assurance.
- Any refunds given are subjected to restocking fees of 15% on software and 25% on hardware.
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