Privacy Policy
Effective December 13, 2010
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes the information that Countdown Entertainment LLC (“Countdown”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects through its TimesSquareBall.net (“TSB.net”) web domain and the Times Square Ball mobile applications (“TSB mobile applications” or “mobile applications”) for the Apple and Android operating systems, and how we collect and use it.
1. General
Countdown cares about your privacy. The following Policy covers how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, and store your information when you visit TSB.net or use its services, including the TSB mobile applications and the Photo Display Service (“PDS”) associated with those applications (collectively, “Services”). Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our Privacy Policy.
By visiting TSB.net or using its Services (collectively, the “Site”), you are consenting to our use and disclosure of the information that you provide, as described below in this Policy. This Policy applies to all visitors to the Site.
2. Collection Of Personal Information
Personally identifiable information is data that can be used to uniquely identify or contact a single person.
We collect some personally identifiable information such as your e-mail address to facilitate your use of our Site. You can choose not to provide us with your e-mail address, but then you may not be able to take advantage of some of our Site’s features.
3. Use Of Personal Information
The personally identifiable information you provide is used for such purposes as identifying your photographs, answering your questions, sending you product updates, enforcing the legal terms that govern your use of the Site, and communicating with you about our products and services, including specials and new features.
We do not use any e-mail addresses you provide on the Site for direct marketing purposes nor do we compile e-mail addresses to build mailing lists to rent, sell or share with marketers. We do have an e-mail newsletter and periodically send e-mail to our subscribers. When you receive e-mail or our e-newsletter from us, you can opt out of receiving further communications by following the included instructions to “unsubscribe”.
4. Collection Of Non-Personal Information
Non-personally identifiable information is data that does not permit direct association with any specific individual. We, our service providers, advertisers and partners may collect various types of non-personally identifiable information when you visit our Site. We may collect, use, transfer, and disclose non-personal information for any purpose.
The following is a non-exclusive list of the types of non-personally identifiable information we may collect: current Internet protocol address, the type of browser you are using (e.g., Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer), the type of operating system you are using, (e.g., Microsoft Windows or Mac OS), and the domain name of your Internet service provider (e.g., America Online, Earthlink).
When you use our Site, we may automatically collect further information such as: the frequency and scope of your use of the Site, the duration of your sessions, the web pages that you visit, advertisements that you view or click on, and the geographic location of the computer system that you are using .
5. Use Of Non-Personal Information
We may share non-personal, statistical or aggregated information collected through the Site with third-parties in connection with actual or prospective business relationship, such as advertisers, content distributors, suppliers, business partners, affiliates. For example, we may disclose the number of users that have been exposed to, or clicked on, advertising banners. We will not knowingly, or intentionally use such information to reveal your identity without your consent, except under the terms of this policy.
We may also use anonymous, statistical or aggregated information to properly operate and administer the Site, to improve the quality of the Site, to enhance your experience and customize the Site, to create new services, to change or cancel existing content or services and to facilitate other internal, functional and statistical purposes.
6. Information Sharing And Disclosure
Investigations. We reserve the right to investigate abuses on the Site, and enforce and apply our Terms and Conditions of Use, Privacy Policy and End-User License Agreements. We may disclose information about you to third parties if we have a good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to (a) take action regarding suspected illegal activities; (b) enforce or apply our Terms of Service and Statement; (c) comply with legal process and law enforcement instructions and orders, such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, judicial proceeding, or other legal process served on us; or (d) protect our rights, reputation, and property, or that of our users, affiliates, or the public.
Business transfers. We may share your information with subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under a common control that we may have now or in the future, in which case we will require them to honor this Statement. If another company acquires our company or all or substantially all of our assets, that company will possess your information, and will assume the rights and obligations with respect to that information as described in this Policy.
Third-party service providers. We may use third-parties to provide technical and customer support, perform tracking and reporting functions, conduct quality assurance testing, perform payment processing and provide other services in connection with the Site. We may share information about you with them so that they can perform the services they are required to perform, but they are not permitted to use your personal information other than to provide the services requested by you.
Third party advertising. Third parties serve some of the ads on the Site. We do not send any individualized personal information to them, but they may have access to information that they obtain through cookies or that you share with them yourself. Note that we do not rent, share, sell or trade personally identifiable information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
The Site may contain links to third party websites with which we have no affiliation. Except as set forth herein, we do not share your personal information with those third parties, and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We suggest you read the privacy policies on all such third party websites.
7. Your Affirmative Contributions To The Site
You can contribute to the Site in a number of different ways, including uploading photos, posting comments, participating in talk threads, sending Kisses, “liking” us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and voting on other users’ contributions. We may store your contributions, display them to other users, and use them for promotional purposes. Note that if you include personally identifiable information in your contributions, it can be used and viewed by others. We are not responsible for the information you choose to include in your contributions.
8. Removing User Contributions From The Site
Should you wish to have any contributions to the Site, such as a photograph, removed from the Site, please e-mail Countdown at remove@timessquareball.net with your request to have any photographs associated with your e-mail address removed. Countdown will remove your contribution, if possible, as soon as practicable.
If you believe that a photograph infringes your copyright, please e-mail a Takedown Notice which complies with 17 U.S.C. § 502(c)(3) to remove@timessquareball.net.
9. Cookies
We send cookies to your computer in order to uniquely indentify your browser and improve the quality of our service. “Cookies” refer to small pieces of information that a website sends to your computer’s hard drive while you are viewing the Site. We may use both session cookies (which expire once you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them). Persistent cookies can be removed by following your browser help file directions. If you choose to disable cookies, some areas of the Site may not work properly or at all.
10. Linked Sites
The Site may contain links to other websites (each, a “Linked Site”) whose information practices may be different than ours. Except as set forth herein, we do not share your personal information with those third parties, and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We suggest you read the privacy policies on all such third party websites.
The Site sometimes may offer content (e.g., contests, sweepstakes, or promotions) that is sponsored by or co-branded with identified third parties. By virtue of these relationships, the third parties may obtain personally identifiable information that visitors voluntarily submit to participate in the site activity. We have no control over these third parties’ use of this information. The site will notify you at the time of requesting personally identifiable information if these third parties will obtain such information.
11. Social Networking Applications/Services
The Site may allow you to access third-party social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, or foursquare to share your affirmative contributions to the Site, including photographs you upload via the TSB mobile applications. These third-party social media networks are considered “Linked Sites” as described above.
For your convenience, in order to facilitate the sharing of your photographs on social media networks, the TSB application may store your social media network information on your mobile device, but that information is not shared with Countdown.
Some social media networks may use cookies in conjunction with your use of the Site. We have no access to or control over the use of these cookies.
Location Based Information. You will have the ability to utilize social media network location services which inherently share personally identifiable location-based data, and are governed by End User License Agreements, Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies specific to those services. While Countdown does not collect personally identifiable location-based data through the TSB mobile applications, it does collect non-personally identifiable location-based data.
12. Policy Towards Children
The Site is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at support@timessquareball.net. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without parental consent, we will take steps to remove such information.
13. Security
We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure, however. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
14. International Transfer
It may be necessary to transfer your information internationally. In particular, your information will likely be transferred to and processed in the United States where many of our databases operate. The data protection and other laws of other countries, such as the United States, may not be as comprehensive as those in your country. Please be assured that we take reasonable steps to ensure that your privacy is protected. By using this site you consent to your information being collected and used as set forth in this privacy statement.
15. Changes To The Policy
This policy may be revised over time. If we are going to use or disclose your personally identifiable information in a manner materially different from that stated at the time we collected the information, we will post a notification that the Policy has been amended on TSB.net so you can always review what information we gather, how we might use that information, and under which conditions we will disclose it to anyone. By continuing to access or use the Site after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Statement.
We encourage you to periodically check back and review this policy so that you always will know what information we collect, how we use it, and with whom we share it.
16. Contact/Questions/Comments
You should feel free to contact us with requests, comments or questions; to give us feedback; to register a complaint; or to ask questions concerning the Site at the following mail address: support@timessquareball.net.
We may store your communications, including any personal information you include in them, so that we can effectively respond to you.