SHAREKNOW.NET PRIVACY POLICY

Most recently amended August 1, 2008.

Scope And Application Of The ShareKnow.net Privacy Code:

The ShareKnow.net Privacy Code applies to Personal Information about ShareKnow.net Employees and non-employee Persons who interact with ShareKnow.net that is collected, used or disclosed by ShareKnow.net.

  1. Employees in this context includes past and present employees and independent contractors of ShareKnow.net.
  2. Non-employee Persons in this context includes Individuals who are viewers, readers, subscribers, advertisers, contest participants, job applicants, Internet users who are exposed to the media content of ShareKnow.net or a ShareKnow.net Company and about whom ShareKnow.net collects Personal Information.

The ShareKnow.net Privacy Code applies to the management of Personal Information in any form whether oral, electronic or written. ShareKnow.net reserves the right to amend this ShareKnow.net Privacy Code from time to time.

The application of the ShareKnow.net Privacy Code is subject to the requirements or provisions of any applicable legislation, regulations or agreements (such as collective agreements), or the order of any court or other lawful authority.

Exclusions from privacy protection:

The ShareKnow.net Privacy Code does not impose any limits on the collection, use or disclosure of the following information by a ShareKnow.net Company: a) information that is publicly available, such as a Person's name, address, telephone number and electronic address, when listed in a directory or made available through directory assistance; b) business-contact information, such as the name, title or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization; c) information collected, used or disclosed in the course of journalistic, literary or artistic activities; or d) aggregate information that cannot be associated with a specific person, such as demographic statistics about ShareKnow.net customers, or number of visitors and average time spent on a website.

Purposes for Collection of Personal Information:

ShareKnow.net has collected and collects Personal Information for the following purposes: a) to establish and maintain responsible commercial relations with Individuals and to provide ongoing service; b) to understand Individual needs; c) to develop, enhance, market or provide products and services; d) to manage and develop its business and operations, including personnel and employment matters; and e) to meet legal or regulatory requirements, including to protect or defend a legal interest, and in connection with an actual or possible ShareKnow.net corporate re-organization, merger or amalgamation with another entity, or an actual or possible sale of all or a substantial portion of the assets of ShareKnow.net, provided that the Personal Information disclosed continues to be used by the entity acquiring the information either for evaluation of the possible transaction, or, on completion of any such transaction, for the purposes permitted by this Privacy Policy.

As examples of the above:

  1. ShareKnow.net may from time to time use a Person's Personal Information to contact the Person about changes, enhancements or similar notices related to ShareKnow.net products and services;
  2. if a Person indicated that he/she was interested in receiving offers or information from ShareKnow.net or certain of our selected sponsors or advertisers, ShareKnow.net may send the Person materials about products and services that ShareKnow.net feels may be of interest to the Person; and
  3. if a Person enters a contest or other promotion offered on a ShareKnow.net website, ShareKnow.net may, under the rules of the promotion, use the Person's name and certain other information to administer the promotion, such as contacting, announcing and promoting the winners of the promotion.

Obtaining Consent:

ShareKnow.net will make a reasonable effort to make sure Persons understand how their Personal Information will be used by ShareKnow.net. ShareKnow.net will obtain consent from Persons before or when it collects or uses the Personal Information. ShareKnow.net will not attempt to deceive Persons into giving consent.

A Person's consent can be express, implied, or given through an authorized representative. A Person can withdraw consent at any time, with certain exceptions noted herein. ShareKnow.net, however, may collect, use or disclose Personal Information without the Person's knowledge or consent in exceptional circumstances where such collection, use or disclosure is permitted or as required by law.

Note: If any Person at any time has any questions or concerns about ShareKnow.net's privacy practices, the Person can contact ShareKnow.net to inquire about such concerns through the contact section of this website.

Refusing or withdrawing Consent:

Subject to legal and contractual requirements, a Person can refuse to consent to ShareKnow.net's collection, use or disclosure of Personal Information about the Person, or a Person may withdraw the Person's consent to ShareKnow.net's further collection, use or disclosure of Personal Information at any time in the future by giving ShareKnow.net reasonable notice, unless: i) the consent relates to certain information required for credit approval which a Person applies for or accepts, ii) the consent is otherwise required by law or iii) the use or disclosure is permitted by law or is related to the legal or regulatory requirements described herein. If a Person refuses or withdraws the Person's consent, ShareKnow.net may not be able to provide the Person or continue to provide the Person with some products, services or information which may be of value to the Person.

Internet Aspects:

Personal Information may be collected when a user conducts activities on or related to all websites of ShareKnow.net Companies (“ShareKnow.net Companies Sites”) or related to services made available on the ShareKnow.net Companies Sites (“ShareKnow.net Companies Services”). Although information collected, used or disclosed on the Internet as described below often does not constitute Personal Information (and to the extent that such is the case, then the obligations under the ShareKnow.net Privacy Code do not extend to such information), ShareKnow.net provides the details below about Internet aspects of ShareKnow.net Companies Services for the purposes of disclosure about ShareKnow.net Companies Services.

Internet Protocol Address (IP Address)

When the user's web browser requests a web page from another computer on the Internet, it automatically gives that computer the address where it should send the information. This address is called the computer's “IP address.” For most users accessing the Internet from a dial-up Internet service provider (ISP), the IP address will be different every time the user logs on.

ShareKnow.net may use the user's IP Address to:

  1. facilitate the diagnosis and remedy of a technical problem reported by the user's or ShareKnow.net Company's technical team.
  2. display (or allow the display by Third Party advertising providers of) more appropriate and relevant content and advertising, such as content and advertising based on the user's geographic area.
  3. estimate user traffic from specific countries or organizations. Many IP addresses are commonly associated with Internet service providers, universities, or major corporations in specific regions or localities. Aggregate information derived from IP addresses may also be reported to advertisers.

Cookies

A cookie is a small text file, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier, that is sent to the user's web browser from a website's computers and is stored on the user's computer's hard drive. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to a user's computer.

ShareKnow.net Companies may use cookies to:

  1. improve the operation and performance of the ShareKnow.net Companies Services and to make ShareKnow.net Companies Services easier and more convenient to use. For example, cookies help ShareKnow.net Companies provide more personalized services by recalling user preferences on subsequent visits (e.g. language preference). Cookies also allow ShareKnow.net Companies to save passwords and preferences for a user so that the user will not have to re-enter them on the next visit to a ShareKnow.net Companies Site;
  2. measure aggregate user traffic and demographic statistics related to ShareKnow.net Companies Services and advertisements (e.g. number of users, average time spent, average age and similar statistics). This information helps ShareKnow.net Companies to better understand when to update, change or offer new services and provides ShareKnow.net Companies with details as to the performance of Third Party advertisements and content. This information may be reported, in aggregate form only, to ShareKnow.net Companies' current and prospective sponsors, advertisers and business partners. No Personal Information will be disclosed in such reports;
  3. display advertisements. ShareKnow.net Companies and Third Party advertising providers may use cookies when serving advertisements on ShareKnow.net Companies Sites. In some cases, advertisements from Third Party advertisers are delivered to users (in conjunction with ShareKnow.net Services) by such Third Party advertisers, or by separately contracted advertising providers on their behalf, and not by ShareKnow.net Companies; as such, the Third-party advertisers' use of cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, not the ShareKnow.net Privacy Code , and users should consult the privacy policies of such Third Party advertisers.

Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. If a user prefers, the user can reset his/her browser either to notify the user when the user has received a cookie, or to refuse to accept cookies. The user should understand that while ShareKnow.net Companies do not require a user to use cookies, certain ShareKnow.net Companies Services will not function properly if a user sets his/her browser to not accept cookies.

Links To Other Sites And Advertisements

A ShareKnow.net Companies Service may contain links to other websites and services. While ShareKnow.net Companies try to link only to sites and services that share ShareKnow.net Companies' high standards and respect for privacy, a user should understand that ShareKnow.net Companies are not responsible for the content of, or the privacy practices employed by, other companies or websites. This ShareKnow.net Privacy Code applies only to the ShareKnow.net Companies Services related to this ShareKnow.net Privacy Code.

Additional Information

ShareKnow.net Companies automatically collect certain information about the user's computer hardware and software. This information may include: browser type, operating system type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used by ShareKnow.net Companies to operate the service, to maintain the quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the ShareKnow.net Companies Sites.

Certain ShareKnow.net Companies Services may be co-branded and offered in conjunction with another company. If a user registers for or uses such services, both ShareKnow.net Companies and the other company may receive information collected in conjunction with the co-branded services.

The ShareKnow.net Privacy Code in Detail

Definitions

  • ShareKnow.net Companies - all companies providing communications services under The ShareKnow.net media brands, including Intelligent Investor, Global Resource Reference, and exploRESOURCES.
  • Collection - the act of gathering, acquiring, recording or obtaining Personal Information from any source, including third parties, by any means.
  • Consent - voluntary agreement with the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information for defined purposes. Consent can be either express or implied and can be provided directly by the Person or by an authorized representative. Express consent can be given orally, electronically or in writing but is always unequivocal and does not require any inference on the part of ShareKnow.net. Implied consent is consent that can reasonably be inferred from a Person's action or inaction.
  • Disclosure - making Personal Information available to a Third Party.
  • Employee - an employee or independent contractor (including freelancers*) of ShareKnow.net. *The inclusion of independent contractors, including freelancers, within the definition of “Employee” is for convenience of reference only, and does in no manner imply that such individuals are employees of the company within the meaning of employment legislation or are in an employee-employer relationship with the company.
  • Individual - an individual other than an Employee who (a) corresponds with ShareKnow.net, including complaints and including applications for employment; (b) enters an contest sponsored by ShareKnow.net; or © uses, or applies to use, the products or services of ShareKnow.net.
  • Person - an Employee or an Individual.
  • Personal Information - information about an identifiable Person, but not: a) information that is publicly available, such as a Person's name, address, telephone number and electronic address, when listed in a directory or made available through directory assistance; b) business-contact information, such as the name, title or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization; c) information collected, used or disclosed in the course of journalistic, literary or artistic activities; or d) aggregate information that cannot be associated with a specific person, such as demographic statistics about ShareKnow.net customers, or number of visitors and average time spent on a website.
  • Third Party - a person other than the Person or his agent, or an organization other than a ShareKnow.net Company.