Hoffman Communications recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by users of our web sites, registrants for our activities, recipients of our e-mail newsletters and enduring goods customers. We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our users’ right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our users.

Information Collection and Use

Hoffman Communications collects information from our website users, subscribers and customers. In this section of our privacy policy, we will describe the type of information we collect and how we use it to provide better services to our customers.

Registration and Ordering

When participating in our webcasts, applying for continuing education credit, purchasing enduring materials online and signing up for certain services (such as free e-mail newsletters), users must first register. During registration, users are required to give their contact information (such as name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number). We also may collect demographic information (such as job title, employer and professional status). For internal purposes, we use this information to communicate with users and provide requested services, and, for our website visitors, to provide a more personalized experience on our sites. We use aggregate demographic information about our audience to improve our service, for marketing purposes and/or industry reporting purposes.

Our web sites contain areas and forms that require user and member registration to give us contact information (e.g. name and email address), unique identifiers (e.g. social security number), financial information (e.g. account or credit card numbers), and demographic information (e.g. zip code, age, or income level). We use customer contact information from the registration form to send the user information about our company.

For our services that require payment (such as certain activities, enduring materials, and subscriptions), we also collect credit card information (such as account name, number and expiration date), which is used for billing purposes only, and is not otherwise shared.

For our products and services that require mailing of certificates or shipping of enduring materials, we also collect shipping address information (such as street, city, state, and zip code).

E-mail Newsletters

If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact information (such as name, e-mail address and, occasionally, demographic information). We use this information in the same manner as we use contact information in the registration and ordering process described above. Recipients of our newsletters can unsubscribe using the instructions listed at the end of the e-mail newsletter.

Surveys

From time to time we invite users to provide information via surveys. Participation in these surveys is completely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether to disclose requested contact information (such as name and mailing address) and demographic information (such as zip code or job title). In addition to other uses set forth in this policy, contact information collected in connection with surveys is used to monitor or improve the use and satisfaction of our web sites, products, and services.

Interactive Features

At some of our sites, we offer interactive and community features such as webcasts that include real-time chat and polling. Note that all personal information sent or posted via such features becomes public information for which we are not responsible.

Communications with Us

Some of our sites have features where users can submit information to us (such as our feedback forms). Requests for service, support or information may be forwarded as needed to best respond to a specific request. We may retain e-mails and other information sent to us for our internal administrative purposes, and to help us to serve customers better.

Communications from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers

In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain important information about our sites and services. For example, we send new members a welcoming message, and verify password and username for our password-protected sites. We may also communicate with a user to provide requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular mail.

We offer our users the option to receive information about our company, related products, services and special deals. Users can choose not to receive these communications, as set forth in our Permission section.

Automatic Data Collection

Our web sites have features that automatically collect information from users, to deliver content specific to users' interests and to honor their preferences. This information assists us in creating sites that will serve the needs of our users.

We use "cookies," a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Cookies benefit the user by requiring login only once, thereby saving time while on our site. If users reject the cookies, they may be limited in the use of some areas of our site. The use of cookies enables us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our sites.

For our internal purposes, we gather from all visitors to our sites and record in a web log file:

This information does not contain anything that can identify users personally. We use this information for our internal security audit log, trend analysis and system administration, and to gather broad demographic information about our user base for aggregate use.

We may combine demographic information supplied by a subscriber at registration with site usage data to provide general profiles, in aggregate non-personally identifiable form, about our users and their preferences in the content of the site and advertising. We may share this composite information with our advertisers and business affiliates to help them better understand our services.

With Whom Your Information is Shared

Please note that information collected in connection with educational activities supported by unrestricted educational grants is not shared with the organization providing the grant.

Other than as set forth above, we do not share personally identifiable information with other companies; apart from those acting as our agents in providing our product(s)/service(s), and which agree to use it only for that purpose and to keep the information secure and confidential. Also, our subsidiary and affiliate companies, entities into which our company may be merged, or entities to which any of our assets, products, sites or operations may be transferred, will be able to use personal information.

As part of our record-keeping and reporting of continuing education credit will disclose information we maintain when required to do so by the bodies that approve our status as an accredited provider of continuing education.

We will also disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for example, in response to a court order or a subpoena or other legal obligation, in response to a law enforcement agency's request, or in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) our rights or property. Users should also be aware that courts of equity, such as U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, might have the authority under certain circumstances to permit personal information to be shared or transferred to third parties without permission.

We may share aggregate information, which is not personally identifiable, with others. This information may include usage and demographic data, but it will not include personal information.

Correcting and Updating Personal Information

If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code), or if a user no longer desires our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data.

Permission

Our users may be given the opportunity to choose whether to receive information not directly related to the registered services. Instructions for how to exercise this choice are contained in e-mails sent by us and on our product websites. Please note that we will endeavor to implement requests within a reasonable time, although for a time users may continue to receive mailings, etc., transmitted based on information released prior to the implementation of the request. Users will continue to receive information directly related to their registered services, so they always are kept informed.

Security

We use reasonable precautions to protect our users' personal information against loss, misuse or alteration and to store it securely. Sensitive information that is transmitted to us online (such as credit card number) is encrypted and is transmitted to us securely. In addition, access to all of our users' information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Finally, the servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

Links

Our web sites may contain links to other sites. Hoffman Communications is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each web site to which we may link that may collect personally identifiable information.

Notification and Changes

If we change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page so our users are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under which circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Users should check this policy frequently to keep abreast of any changes.

Contacting Hoffman Communications

For questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site or any dealings with Hoffman Communications, contact us at:

Hoffman Communications
2900 Washington Avenue North
Minneapolis MN 55412

admin@hoffmancommunications.com

Liability Limitation Notice

The materials that may be accessed via this web site may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors that are the sole responsibility of the author(s), and are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-violation or non-infringement of rights. In no event shall Hoffman Communications be responsible for any damages whatsoever, including special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, resulting from the dissemination or use of such materials.

Copyright

Providers of continuing education content own copyright to their materials. Hoffman Communications owns the copyright to all other contents of our web sites unless otherwise indicated. We present all such copyrighted material here for personal use only as long as the copyright notice and permission notice is included in your reproduction. We expressly prohibit reprints or electronic reproduction of any document in part or in its entirety, unless you obtain prior written consent from the Hoffman Communications. Address all applications and inquiries to the contact cited on a particular page or to:

Hoffman Communications
2900 Washington Avenue North
Minneapolis MN 55412

admin@hoffmancommunications.com

All U.S. and international rights reserved. © Hoffman Communications.

HOFFMAN COMMUNICATIONS MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE CONTENT IN OUR WEB SITES OR THAT OF ANY OTHER WEB SITE TO WHICH OUR SITES PROVIDE LINKS. HOFFMAN COMMUNICATIONS, SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR AGAINST INFRINGEMENT. HOFFMAN COMMUNICATIONS, SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM OR CAUSED BY THIS WEB SITE OR ITS CONTENT OR ANY OTHER WEB SITE OR ITS CONTENT OR THE NEGLIGENCE OF HOFFMAN COMMUNICATIONS, OR ITS AGENTS. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE PROVISIONS.

All U.S. and international rights reserved. © Hoffman Communications.