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Privacy

Data protection according to the requirements of the DSGVO

Our basic principles

We take the protection of your data very seriously. Your data is therefore processed with great care and in strict compliance with applicable data protection laws.

You can use all non-access-protected parts of our website without disclosing your identity. By default, we log every use of our website to prevent attacks, troubleshoot and resolve security incidents. More about log data and the scope of processing can be found below.

This data protection declaration informs you about the type, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as "data") within our online offer and the websites, functions and content connected with it, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter jointly referred to as "online offer"). With regard to the terms used, such as "processing" or "controller", we refer to the definitions in Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, we inform you below about the third-party components used by us for optimization purposes as well as to increase the quality of use, insofar as third parties process data through this, again under their own responsibility.

The responsible party within the meaning of data protection laws, in particular the EU General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO), is:  
BRANDCODE GmbH  
Gaßnerstr. 23  
80639 Munich

You can exercise the following rights at any time using the contact details provided:

  • Information about your data stored by us and its processing (Art. 15 DSGVO),
  • Correction of incorrect personal data (Art. 16 DSGVO),
  • Deletion of your data stored by us (Art. 17 DSGVO),
  • Restriction of data processing if we are not yet allowed to delete your data due to legal obligations (Art. 18 DSGVO),
  • objection to the processing of your data by us (Art. 21 DSGVO) and
  • Data portability, provided that you have consented to the data processing or have concluded a contract with us (Art. 20 DSGVO).

If you have given us consent, you can revoke it at any time with effect for the future. You may at any time lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, e.g. the competent supervisory authority in the federal state of your residence or the authority responsible for us as the controller.

A list of supervisory authorities (for the non-public sector) with address can be found at: https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html.

Type of data processed

  • Inventory data (e.g., names, addresses)
  • Contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers)
  • Content data (e.g., text entries, photographs, videos)
  • Usage data (e.g., web pages visited, interest in content, access times)
  • Meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses)

Categories of data subjects

Visitors and users of the online offer (hereinafter, we also refer to the data subjects collectively as "users").

Purpose of the processing

Provision of the online offer, its functions and content Answering contact requests and communication with users Security measures Reach measurement/marketing.

Terminology used

"Personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter "data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

"Processing" means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and includes virtually any handling of data.

"Pseudonymization" means the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures which ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

"Profiling" means any automated processing of personal data which consists in using such personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects relating to that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or change of location.

"Controller" means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data. "Processor" means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the Controller.

Relevant legal basis

In accordance with Article 13 of the GDPR, we inform you of the legal basis for our data processing activities. If the legal basis is not mentioned in the privacy statement, the following applies:

The legal basis for obtaining consent is Art. 6(1)(a) and Art. 7 DSGVO, the legal basis for processing to fulfill our services and carry out contractual measures and respond to inquiries is Art. 6(1)(b) DSGVO, the legal basis for processing to fulfill our legal obligations is Art. 6(1)(c) DSGVO, and the legal basis for processing to protect our legitimate interests is Art. 6(1)(f) DSGVO. In the event that vital interests of the data subject or another natural person make processing of personal data necessary, Art. 6 (1) lit. d DSGVO serves as the legal basis.

Security measures

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with Art. 32 DSGVO, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing, as well as the varying likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical access to the data, as well as access to, entry into, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subjects' rights, deletion of data, and response to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account during the development or selection of hardware, software and processes, in accordance with the principle of data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings (Article 25 of the GDPR).

Cooperation with processors and third parties

If, in the course of our processing, we disclose data to other persons and companies (processors or third parties), transmit it to them or otherwise grant them access to the data, this will only be done on the basis of a legal authorization (e.g. if a transfer of the data to third parties, such as to lettershops, is necessary for the performance of a contract pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b DSGVO), you have consented, a legal obligation provides for this or on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. when using agents, web hosts, etc.).

If we commission third parties to process data on the basis of a so-called "order processing agreement", this is done on the basis of Art. 28 DSGVO.

Right of revocation

You may object to the future processing of data relating to you in accordance with Art. 21 DSGVO at any time. The objection can be made in particular against the processing for purposes of direct advertising.

Cookies and right of objection in the case of direct advertising

Cookies" are small files that are stored on users' computers. Various data can be stored within the cookies. The primary purpose of a cookie is to store information about a user (or the device on which the cookie is stored) during or after his or her visit to an online offer. Temporary cookies, or "session cookies" or "transient cookies", are cookies that are deleted after a user leaves an online offer and closes his browser. Such a cookie may store, for example, the contents of a shopping cart in an online store or a login status. Cookies that remain stored even after the browser is closed are referred to as "permanent" or "persistent". For example, the login status can be stored if users visit them after several days. Likewise, the interests of users can be stored in such a cookie, which is used for range measurement or marketing purposes. Third-party cookies" are cookies that are offered by providers other than the responsible party that operates the online offer (otherwise, if they are only its cookies, they are referred to as "first-party cookies").

We may use temporary and permanent cookies and explain this in our privacy policy.

If you as a user do not want cookies to be stored on your computer, you will be asked to deactivate the corresponding option in the system settings of your browser. Stored cookies can be deleted in the system settings of the browser. The exclusion of cookies can lead to functional restrictions of this online offer.

A general objection to the use of cookies used for online marketing purposes can be declared for a large number of the services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US website http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU website http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. Furthermore, the storage of cookies can be achieved by disabling them in the browser settings. Please note that in this case not all functions of this online offer can be used.

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted or restricted in its processing in accordance with Articles 17 and 18 DSGVO. Unless expressly stated within the scope of this data protection declaration, the data stored by us will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their intended purpose and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory retention obligations. If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing will be restricted. I.e. the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law.

According to legal requirements in Germany, data is stored in particular for 10 years in accordance with §§ 147 para. 1 AO, 257 para. 1 nos. 1 and 4, para. 4 HGB (books, records, management reports, accounting vouchers, commercial books, documents relevant for taxation, etc.) and 6 years in accordance with § 257 para. 1 nos. 2 and 3, para. 4 HGB (commercial letters).

Business-related processing

In addition we process

  • Contract data (e.g., subject matter of the contract, term, customer category)
  • Payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history) of our customers, prospective customers and business partners for the purpose of providing contractual services, service and customer care, marketing, advertising and market research.

Agency services

We process the data of our customers within the scope of our contractual services, which include conceptual and strategic consulting, software and design development/consulting or maintenance, server administration, data analysis/consulting services and training services.

In this context, we process inventory data (e.g., customer master data, such as names or addresses), contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g., text entries, photographs, videos), contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term), payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history), usage data and metadata (e.g., in the context of evaluating and measuring the success of marketing measures). As a matter of principle, we do not process special categories of personal data, unless these are components of commissioned processing. Data subjects include our customers, prospective customers as well as their customers, users, website visitors or employees as well as third parties. The purpose of the processing is the provision of contractual services, billing and our customer service. The legal basis for the processing results from Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b DSGVO (contractual services), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (analysis, statistics, optimization, security measures). We process data that is necessary for the justification and fulfillment of contractual services and point out the necessity of their indication. Disclosure to external parties only takes place if it is necessary in the context of an order. When processing the data provided to us as part of an order, we act in accordance with the instructions of the client as well as the legal requirements of a commissioned processing pursuant to Art. 28 DSGVO and do not process the data for any other purposes than those specified in the order.

We delete the data after the expiry of legal warranty and comparable obligations. The necessity of keeping the data is reviewed every three years; in the case of legal archiving obligations, the deletion takes place after their expiry (6 years, according to § 257 para. 1 HGB, 10 years, according to § 147 para. 1 AO). In the case of data disclosed to us by the client as part of an order, we delete the data in accordance with the specifications of the order, generally after the end of the order.

Contractual services

We process the data of our contractual partners and interested parties as well as other clients, customers, clients or contractual partners (uniformly referred to as "contractual partners") in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b. DSGVO, in order to be able to provide you with our contractual or pre-contractual services. The data processed in this context, the type, scope and purpose and the necessity of their processing, are determined by the underlying contractual relationship.

The data processed includes the master data of our contractual partners (e.g., names and addresses), contact data (e.g., e-mail addresses and telephone numbers) as well as contractual data (e.g., services used, contract contents, contractual communication, names of contact persons) and payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history).

As a matter of principle, we do not process special categories of personal data, unless these are components of a commissioned or contractual processing.

We process data that are necessary for the justification and fulfillment of contractual services and point out the necessity of their disclosure, unless this is not evident to the contractual partners. Disclosure to external persons or companies is made only if it is necessary in the context of a contract. When processing data provided to us in the context of an order, we act in accordance with the instructions of the client as well as the legal requirements.

In the context of the use of our online services, we may store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage is based on our legitimate interests, as well as the interests of users in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. In principle, this data is not passed on to third parties, unless it is necessary for the pursuit of our claims pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. DSGVO or there is a legal obligation to do so pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c. DSGVO.

The deletion of the data takes place when the data is no longer required for the fulfillment of contractual or legal duties of care as well as for dealing with any warranty and comparable obligations, whereby the necessity of the retention of the data is reviewed every three years; otherwise, the legal retention obligations apply.

Administration, financial accounting, office organization, contact management

We process data in the context of administrative tasks as well as organization of our operations, financial accounting and compliance with legal obligations, such as archiving. In this regard, we process the same data that we process in the course of providing our contractual services. The processing bases are Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c. DSGVO, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. DSGVO. Customers, interested parties, business partners and website visitors are affected by the processing. The purpose and our interest in the processing lies in the administration, financial accounting, office organization, archiving of data, i.e. tasks that serve the maintenance of our business activities, performance of our tasks and provision of our services. The deletion of data with regard to contractual services and contractual communication corresponds to the information mentioned in these processing activities.

In this context, we disclose or transfer data to the tax authorities, consultants, such as tax advisors or auditors, as well as other bodies and service providers.

Furthermore, based on our business interests, we store information about suppliers, organizers and other business partners, e.g. for the purpose of contacting them at a later date. We store this data, which is mostly company-related, for an unlimited period of time.

Business analyses and market research

In order to run our business economically and to be able to recognize market trends, wishes of contractual partners and users, we analyze the data we have on business transactions, contracts, inquiries, etc.. In doing so, we process inventory data, communication data, contract data, payment data, usage data, metadata on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. DSGVO, whereby the data subjects include contractual partners, interested parties, customers, visitors and users of our online offer.

The analyses are carried out for the purpose of business evaluations, marketing and market research. In doing so, we may take into account the profiles of registered users with details, for example, of the services they have used. The analyses serve us to increase the user-friendliness, the optimization of our offer and the business management. The analyses serve us alone and are not disclosed externally.

If these analyses or profiles are personal, they will be deleted or anonymized upon termination of use, otherwise they will be removed no later than two years after conclusion of the contract. For the rest, the overall business analyses and general tendency determinations are always created anonymously, if possible.

Contacting

When contacting us (e.g. by contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media), the user's details are used to process the contact request and its handling pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b. (in the context of contractual/pre-contractual relations), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. (legitimate interests on our part) DSGVO processed. The user's details may be stored in our agency software or comparable inquiry organization. Your data will be deleted if your inquiry has been answered conclusively and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory retention obligations, such as in the case of any subsequent contract processing.

Hosting and e-mail dispatch

The hosting services used by us serve to provide the following services: Infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, e-mail dispatch, security services and technical maintenance services, which we use for the purpose of operating this online offer.

In doing so, we, or our hosting provider, process inventory data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, meta data and communication data of customers, interested parties and visitors of this online offer on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure provision of this online offer pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO in conjunction with Art. 28 DSGVO. Art. 28 DSGVO.

Collection of access data

We, or our hosting provider, collects on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. DSGVO, we collect data about each access to the server on which this service is located (so-called server log files). The access data includes the name of the website accessed, file, date and time of access, amount of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), IP address and the requesting provider.

Log file information is stored for security reasons (e.g. for the clarification of abuse or fraud) for a maximum of 7 days and then deleted. Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until final clarification of the respective incident.

Web analysis and optimization

In order to evaluate the flow of visitors to our website, we use tools for web analysis and range measurement. For this purpose, we collect information about the behavior and interests of our visitors. In addition, we can use the information collected to determine whether our online offering needs to be optimized or adapted.

We use special technologies to process information for the purpose of range measurement and optimization. The data stored may include content viewed, online sites visited, settings, and functions and systems used. As a rule, however, no clear user data is processed for the purposes described. In this case, the data is modified in such a way that the actual identity of the users is known neither to us nor to the provider of the tool used. The data modified in this way is often stored in user profiles.

Categories of data subjects: website visitors.  
Categories of data: User data (e.g., web pages visited, interest in content, access times), meta and communication data (e.g., device information).  
Purposes of processing: Website analysis, reach measurement, utilization and evaluation of website interaction.  
Legal basis: Public interest according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e) DSGVO in conjunction with Art. 6 para. 3 lit b) DSGVO in conjunction with § 4 LDSG, § 2 LHG.

Matomo

Provider: InnoCraft Ltd, 150 Willis St., 6011 Wellington, New Zealand.  
Privacy policy: https://matomo.org/privacy-policy/  
Specific information about matomo: We operate Matomo on premise, which means in our own data center. There is no transfer of your data to third parties.

 

Online presences in social media

We maintain online presences within social networks and platforms in order to be able to communicate with customers, interested parties and users active there and to inform them about our services there. When calling up the respective networks and platforms, the terms and conditions and data processing policies of their respective operators apply.

Unless otherwise stated in our privacy policy, we process the data of users insofar as they communicate with us within the social networks and platforms, e.g. write posts on our online presences or send us messages.

Changes to our privacy policy

We reserve the right to adapt this privacy policy so that it always complies with the current legal requirements or to implement changes to our services in the privacy policy, e.g. when introducing new services. The new data protection declaration will then apply to your next visit.

 

Status of the privacy policy: January 2023