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BKFK Website Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to Site Visitors as of September 4,
2007. The prior version of the Privacy
Policy continues to apply to Site Visitors who registered on our Site prior
to September 5, 2007, unless and until they agree to this new Privacy Policy.
At BKFK, we respect the privacy rights of all visitors to the bkfk.com Web site (referred to in this Privacy Policy as
our "Visitors" and our "Site," respectively). Use of the Site and the activities
and services available on and through the Site (referred to in this Privacy
Policy, together with the Site, as the "Services") is governed by our Terms of
Use. In this Privacy Policy, we state our policies and practices with respect to
your privacy. In particular, we respect the concerns of parents and guardians
regarding their children's visits to and use of our Site, and have
special privacy
rules for children who we have knowledge are under 13
As a Visitor to our Site, we want you to know what kind of
personalized information we may collect on the Site, how we collect such
information, how we intend to use the information, and how we intend to keep the
information secure. Generally, some of this will depend on what type of Visitor
you are:
- Teenagers (ages 13-17) and Adults
Teenagers are encouraged to check with their
parents or guardians before submitting any personally-identifiable information
to this Site. As a teenager or adult Visitor to this Site, you may be asked to
provide certain personally-identifiable information. We use the information we
collect largely for Visitor participation in our Services and promotional or
marketing purposes, which may include disclosing such information to others
(click here to see examples of such purposes). Teenage and adult Visitors are
also subject to the General terms of our Privacy Policy, which apply to all
Visitors to our Site regardless of age, and which include the opportunity for
you to opt out of permitting certain uses of your personally-identifiable
information (such as our disclosure of it to third parties for their marketing
purposes).
With a few exceptions, before a child who we
have knowledge is under 13 may participate in certain Services on the Site (in
particular, those in the course of which personally-identifiable information
will be collected from the child), we will first notify the child's parent or
guardian and/or seek the permission of the child's parent or guardian. We use
the information we collect in connection with the child's participation in the
Services provided on the Site and for promotional purposes (click here to see
examples of such purposes). We do not disclose the personally-identifiable
information of children who we have knowledge are under the age of 13 to
third parties, other than under certain limited situations in which it is used
on our behalf. A parent or guardian has ultimate control over the
personally-identifiable information collected from his or her child under the
age of 13 (click here to see how). A child under 13 is also subject to the
General terms of our Privacy Policy, which apply to all Visitors to our Site
regardless of age, and which include the opportunity for the child under 13 (or
his or her parent or guardian) to opt out of permitting certain uses of his or
her personally-identifiable information.
TEENS!!
Welcome to our Web Site! As you will see, there are many fun and
exciting activities available to all Visitors to our Site, such as games,
competitions, other interactive activities, magazine articles, and various
inventing tools and resources. In order to participate in some of these
activities, you may be asked to provide, for example, your e-mail address or
other contact information, or create a screen name and password. When you create
a screen name, we suggest that you DO NOT use your real name or any other
information (including words and numbers) that may allow someone to contact or
locate or identify you. Try to think of something special and different to use
for your screen name and secret password. If you are asked to provide your
e-mail address or other personal information, this Privacy Policy tells you what
we will do with this information. If you are ever unsure about using this Site
or any Service on or available through the Site (or any other web site), be sure
to check with your parent or guardian.
PARENTS AND GUARDIANS
NOTICE
It is important for you to talk with your teen or child about using
the Internet safely. Here are just a few things to keep in mind when talking to
your kids about the Internet:
- Remind your kid (whether a teen or a child under
the age of 13) to never give out his or her full name, address, or phone
number, or any other information that would enable someone to locate,
contact or identify him or her, without your permission. Help them make up
a creative and unique username and password and advise them to keep their
password secret.
- Tell your kid that if they receive something
that they are not sure about, or if another user says or does something that
they don’t like, to let you know.
- Impress upon your kid the
importance of never engaging others in a communication or activity that
would put them at risk.
Parental Consent for Children Under 13.
With a few exceptions, before a child who we have knowledge is under 13 may
register for and participate in certain Services on the Site, we will first
notify the child's parent or guardian and/or seek the permission of the child's
parent or guardian. We will do this by requesting that the child provide an
e-mail or physical address for his/her parent or guardian, and we will send a
notice to that person, in some cases seeking permission to allow the child to
participate in the stated activities. Where permission is required, if no
response is received by us, the child may not participate in those activities.
Teenagers (ages 13-17) and Adults
Teenagers are encouraged to check with their parents or guardians
before submitting any personally-identifiable information to this Site.
1. Information
Collected.
When using this
Site and its Services, Visitors may be asked to provide certain
personally-identifiable-information (for example, name, address, phone number
and e-mail address) and general, non-personal demographic information (e.g.,
occupation, hobbies, zip code, etc.). Visitors may be required to provide
personally-identifiable information when registering for a specific Service on
the Site, participating in a contest, requesting information from us, or
searching our magazine articles.
If a Visitor opts (or has opted) to enter one of our invention
competitions, or otherwise opts to submit an invention idea to us, we will also
collect school information, invention ideas, research and details about his or
her invention ideas, photos, drawings and other materials regarding such ideas,
patent information (as applicable) and other information relevant to the
invention or competition. The terms and conditions of our invention competitions
will be presented when a Visitor enters the competition. We will use the
information received from the Visitor in connection with such competition, if
applicable, and otherwise to evaluate the Visitor’s invention ideas.
2. Use of
Information.
We will use the
information we collect on the Site, for example, to provide and enable the
Visitor to participate in the Services requested, to provide e-mail accounts, to
send newsletters and updates regarding our Site and Services, to send
announcements of invention competitions, to respond to inquiries and requests,
for our internal market research activities, and to otherwise promote our and
our business partners' (such as, for example, our competition sponsors')
activities and products.
Any information we collect on the Site may be used, for example, to
provide a Visitor with periodic marketing and promotional notices and other
correspondences from us. We may also make this information available to other
persons or entities whom we believe offer goods or services that may interest
that Visitor. This information may also be shared with others for the purpose of
completing transactions arising from the Site or the Services. A Visitor may
elect to "opt-out" of certain uses of their personally-identifiable information
as set forth below.
See
the "General" section for more terms of our Privacy Policy that apply to all of
our Visitors, including Teenagers (ages 13-17) and Adults.
Children Under 13
1. Personally-Identifiable Information.
With a few
exceptions, before a child who we have knowledge is under 13 may provide us with
personally-identifiable information through this Site or any of our Services, we
will first notify the child's parent or guardian and/or seek the permission of
the child's parent or guardian. We consider the following information to be
personally-identifiable: a first and last name; a home or other physical address
including a street name and name of city or town; an e-mail address; a telephone
number; and any other personal information that would allow a child to be
contacted, located or identified in person or online.
2. Information Collected.
Some Services on the Site may require Visitors to
submit personally-identifiable information, such as: (i) first and last name,
(ii) phone number and e-mail address, (iii) parent's or legal guardian's name
and e-mail address, (iv) age and birth date, (v) zip code and/or
City/State/Country, (vi) grade level and name of school, (vii) favorite and
least favorite class or subject in school, (viii) inventing experience, and (ix)
interests. Children may be required to provide personally-identifiable
information when registering for a specific Service on the Site, participating
in various Services on the Site, participating in a contest, requesting
information from us, or searching our magazine articles. If a child opts (or has
opted) to enter one of our invention competitions, or otherwise opts to submit
an invention idea to us, we will also collect invention ideas, research and
details about his or her invention ideas, photos, drawings and other materials
regarding such ideas, patent information (as applicable) and other information
relevant to the invention or competition. The terms and conditions of our
invention competitions will be presented when a child enters the competition.
3.We respect the privacy of children , and do not collect any more
personally-identifiable information than reasonably necessary to enable them to
participate in the activities we offer at our Web site. We will not condition a
child's participation in a game, offering of a prize, or any other activity or
Service on the child's disclosing more personally-identifiable information than
is reasonably necessary to participate in an activity.
4. Use of Information.
We will use the
information we collect on the Site, for example, to provide and enable the
Visitor to participate in the Services requested, to provide e-mail accounts, to
send newsletters and updates regarding our Site and Services, to send
announcements of invention competitions, to respond to your child's inquiries
and requests, for our internal market research activities, and to otherwise
promote our and our business partners' (such as, for example, our competition
sponsors') activities and products. If a child opts (or has opted) to enter one
of our invention competitions, or otherwise opts to submit an invention idea to
us, we will also use the information received from the child in connection with
such competition, if applicable, and otherwise to evaluate the child's invention
ideas.
5. Disclosure of Information.
We do not disclose
the personally-identifiable information of children who we have knowledge are
under the age of 13 to third parties, other than under certain limited
situations such as: (i) in connection with some of our Services that may enable
Visitors to share their invention ideas with other Visitors, in which event we
will obtain the verifiable permission of such child's parent or guardian, (ii)
to a company that provides support for the internal operations of our Site or
Services (such as, for example only, a shipping fulfillment company if we want
to ship a prize or gift to your child) and that does not disclose or use such
information for any other purpose, (iii) in connection with a sale or
acquisition of our Site or assets, or (iv) as required by law or court order or
in connection with a legal proceeding.
6. Parental Consent for Children Under 13.
With a few
exceptions, before a child who we have knowledge is under 13 may register for or
participate in certain Services on the Site, we will first notify the child's
parent or guardian and/or seek the permission of the child's parent or guardian.
We will do this by requesting that the child provide an e-mail or physical
address for his/her parent or guardian, sending a notice to that person, and in
some cases seeking permission to allow us to collect and use the child’s
personal information in order for the child to participate in the stated
activities and Services. Where permission is required, if no response is
received by us, the child may not participate in those activities.
7. Parental Requests for Information.
If a
child who we have knowledge is under 13 has provided any personally-identifiable
information to the Site, his or her parent or guardian may request a description
of what personally-identifiable information has been collected from that child
through the Site, the specific personally-identifiable information collected
about the child through the Site, and either limit or restrict any further
maintenance or use of the child's personally-identifiable information, and/or
direct us to delete it. Also, a parent may decline to allow any future
collection of personally-identifiable information from that child. Such requests
can be made by contacting us here. We will take reasonable measures to verify
that the requestor is, in fact, the parent or guardian of the child in question
before providing a child's personally-identifiable information.
8. See the "General" section for more terms of our Privacy Policy
that apply to all of our Visitors, including children under the age of 13.
Kid
Advisory Board Members
1. Information Collected.
BKFK collects certain personally-identifiable information from members of the
BKFK Kids Advisory Board, such as the member's full name, nickname, home phone
number, cell phone number, alternative phone number, fax number, e-mail address,
birthdate, age, photograph, grade in school, name of school, postal address,
family information (including parents name(s) and names and ages of siblings),
invention information, club memberships, awards received, sports and other
hobbies and interests, "favorites," and role models. Kids Advisory Board Members
also contribute to BKFK their suggestions, feedback and opinions regarding
BKFK's Web Site, Kid's Club, other activities, products, packaging and
marketing, as well as their evaluations of other kids' inventions. Such
information may be obtained by BKFK online through the BKFK Web Site and/or by
e-mail, and/or through offline means such as phone, fax, postal mail, live
meetings, and the like. All of this information may be attributable to the
particular Kids Advisory Board member. Kids Advisory Board members who are at
least 13 years old may also attend board meetings at which they may provide
additional feedback, opinions and other information to BKFK and other Kids
Advisory Board members.
2. Use of Information.
BKFK may use the information collected or
derived from or regarding members of the BKFK Kids Advisory Board, for example,
in connection with improving its Web Site, Kids' Club and other activities,
evaluating invention ideas submitted from other kids, and to publicize BKFK and
its Web Site, Kids' Club, competitions and other activities.
3. Disclosure of Information.
Any or all of this
information may be disclosed by the child him or herself and, if the kid member
is at least 13 years old, by BKFK to other Kids Advisory Board members and/or to
third parties, provided that BKFK will not publish the full home address, phone
number or personal e-mail address (other than a BKFK e-mail address which may be
assigned to the member) of kid members to third parties who are not members of
the Kids Advisory Board or BKFK. For example, such information may be included
in the BKFK Web Site, marketing and publicity materials, and other publications.
4. Parental Consent for Kid Advisory Board Members.
Before a
child may become a member of the BKFK Kids Advisory Board, we will first seek
the permission of the child's parent or guardian. We will do this by requiring
the child's parent or guardian to sign a Parent Permission Form.
5. Parental Requests for Information.
If a child member
under the age of 13 has provided any personally-identifiable information to BKFK
through the Site, his or her parent or guardian may request a description of
what personally-identifiable information has been collected from that child
through the Site, the specific personally-identifiable information collected
about the child through the Site, and either limit or restrict any further
maintenance or use of such personally-identifiable information, and/or direct us
to delete it. Also, a parent may decline to allow any future collection of
personally-identifiable information from that child through the Site. Such
requests can be made by notifying BKFK in
writing to BKFK at: By Kids For Kids Company, 1177 High Ridge Road,
Stamford, CT 06905, Attn: Laura Ploss. We will take reasonable measures to
verify that the requestor is, in fact, the parent or guardian of the child in
question before providing a child's personally-identifiable information.
6. Kids Advisory Board members who are
under the age of 13 also have the rights
set forth in Sections 3 and 5 of the "Children Under 13" Section above.
7. See the "General" section for more terms of our Privacy Policy
that apply to all of our Visitors, including Kids Advisory Board Members.
General (Applicable to Visitors of All Ages)
1. IP Addresses.
We passively collect IP addresses for the
purpose of system administration and to maintain and report aggregate Visitor
information. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to a
Visitor's computer. Web servers can automatically identify individual computers
by their IP address. We may link IP addresses to personally-identifiable
information.
2. Cookies. "Cookies" are pieces of information that are
passively placed on an individual's computer hard drive to enable the individual
to more easily communicate and interact with a web site. We may use cookies to
customize your experience on the Site and with the Services. We use cookies to
deliver content specific to your interests, to save your password (if you have
registered with us) so you don't have to re-enter it each time you visit our
Site or use the Services, and for other purposes. You may, however, disallow
receiving cookies at any time through your web browser.
We may use a third party advertising service to display advertisements on our
Site. Sometimes these advertising services will utilize cookies to display
specific advertisements to Visitors based on, among other things, their surfing
habits. We do not have access to these cookies nor do we know what information
is contained in these cookies. As stated above, you may restrict the placement
of cookies on your computer through controls available in your web browser.
3. Links. The Site may include links to other third party Web sites
and other third party Web sites may link to the Site (the "Linked Sites"). We
are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of the Linked Sites
and hereby expressly disclaim all responsibility and liability which may arise
from there .
4. Technical Information. Settings, technical and other
information concerning a Visitor's computer, such as an operating system,
browser version, connectivity, various communication parameters and other
information related to the operation and interaction of the Site and the
Services may be passively collected by us.
5. Tracking Usage Patterns. We also may passively gather information
and usage patterns related to our Visitors' use of the Site and the Services,
including without limitation, real time tracking of other Web sites linked to
and from this Site, to better understand how our Visitors, as a group, use the
Site and Services, and the various features thereof, as well as to help us
provide personalized offerings, and to conduct market research and other
commercial activities.
6. Public Forums. When you contribute to certain community areas of the Site and certain of our
Services, such as a chat room, bulletin board or other similar open forum, the
information that you submit may be made available to other Visitors to the Site
who have registered on the Site or for such Service. For this reason, we
recommend that you do not submit any sensitive information, including your full
name, home address, phone number, financial information or other information
that would enable other users to locate you. Instead, make up a username that
does not disclose your personal identity.
7. Security.
We strive to protect our Visitors'
personally-identifiable information and privacy, however no data transmission
over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Thus, although we will
exercise great care to provide secure transmissions of personally-identifiable
information, we cannot guarantee the security of information disclosed online,
and Visitors use the Site at their own risk.
You may be able to create an account on our Site with a username
and password. If so, you are responsible for maintaining the strict
confidentiality of your account password and you shall be responsible for any
access to or use of the Site or the Services by you or any person or entity
using your password, whether or not such access or use has been authorized by or
on behalf of you, and whether or not such person or entity is your employee or
agent. You agree to (a) immediately notify BKFK of any unauthorized use of your
password or account or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that you
exit from your account at the end of each session. It is your sole
responsibility to control the dissemination and use of your password, control
access to and use of your account, and notify BKFK when you desire to cancel
your account on this Site. We will not be responsible or liable for any loss or
damage arising from your failure to comply with this provision.
In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your
personally-identifiable information in our possession or control may have been
compromised, we may seek to notify you of that. 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. You consent to our use of e-mail as a means of such
notification. If you prefer for us to use another method to notify you in this
situation, please e-mail us at info@bkfk.com with the alternative
contact information you wish to be used.
8. Consent to Processing. All Visitors of the Site and users of
the Services fully understand and unambiguously consent to the collection and
processing of their personally-identifiable information in the United States.
9. Legal Disclosure; Acquisition.
We shall, pursuant to valid legal process, such as a search warrant, subpoena or
court order, allow access to relevant Visitor information, in order to comply
with such process and to protect our rights and property. If warranted, we may
also allow access to this information in special emergencies where physical
safety is at risk. We may also disclose or transfer personally-identifiable
information regarding Visitors in connection with a merger, acquisition, change
of control or sale of all or substantially all of our assets related to the
Site.
10. Opt-Out/Access.
We provide Visitors the opportunity to opt-out of permitting certain uses of
their personally-identifiable information at the time the information is
requested and/or through the Site, including, without limitation, our sharing of
certain Visitors' information with third parties for marketing purposes, as
further discussed above in this Privacy Policy. To "opt-out" or to modify any
information previously provided, or to contact us regarding this Privacy Policy,
the Site or the Services, please:
- Send email to:
privacy@bkfk.com
- Send certified/return receipt requested mail to:
BKFK, 1177 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06905. Attn:
Customer Service
.
Thanks for visiting our Site.
BKFK
1177 High Ridge Road
Stamford, CT 06905
(203) 321-1226
info@bkfk.com
If there are changes or additions to this Privacy Policy, we will
notify Visitors by posting those changes here. Changes and additions to this
Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted. Please check this web page
periodically to see any changes we have made to our Privacy Policy. We will
obtain parental consent to material changes to our Privacy Policy before
applying such changes to children under the age of 13.
Version Date:
August 23, 2007
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