About Sonic > Sonic Privacy Policy

Welcome to the website properties (the "Sonic Web Sites") of Sonic Solutions and its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and assigns (collectively referred to as "Sonic") Sonic Websites include, without limitation, www.sonic.com, www.roxio.com, and other website properties hosted by or on behalf of Sonic. Sonic products and services (collectively, the "Products and Services") are offered by Sonic through web pages at or linked to the Sonic Web Sites, and are made available subject to this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices of Sonic. Sonic reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time in its sole discretion. You are at all times responsible for reading and understanding any notices regarding this Privacy Policy and the current version of this document, as well as reading and understanding the current versions of all other Sonic policies, procedures and guidelines relating to the Products and Services and the Sonic Web Sites. A notice will be posted on our Web Sites whenever this Privacy Policy is changed in a material way. YOUR CONTINUED USE OF SONIC WEB SITES AND/OR THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOLLOWING SONIC'S POSTING OF ANY CHANGES WILL CONSTITUTE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF SUCH CHANGES. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ANY CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, DO NOT CONTINUE TO USE THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES OR THE SONIC WEB SITES.

Contact information for questions regarding this statement should be directed to:

Sonic Solutions Privacy Site Coordinator/Privacy Compliance
Sonic Solutions
101 Rowland Way
Novato, CA 94945-5008
email: privacy@sonic.com

Please note that Sonic Web Sites may contain links to other sites and that these sites' Privacy Policies may not conform to our own. This Sonic Privacy Policy does not cover third party data collection practices and Sonic does not assume any responsibility for any actions of third parties. You are solely responsible for reading and understanding the privacy and other policies of such web sites, and for complying therewith.

1. What information of yours does Sonic collect?
The goal of Sonic is to provide you with the information, services and resources that are most relevant and useful to consumers and professionals interested in our products and those who serve them. To achieve this goal, Sonic sometimes needs to collect information to understand what differentiates you from its hundreds of thousands of other unique users. We collect two types of information from you, "anonymous information" and "personally identifiable information."

Anonymous information refers to information that cannot be tied back to a specific individual. Each time a visitor comes to a Sonic Web Site, Sonic collects some information to improve the overall quality of the visitor's online experience. Sonic also collects aggregate search terms from its search services for internal reporting and targeted content presentation (that is, web pages which are dynamically displayed based on your individual interests). Sonic collects this user information for purposes of product monitoring, product improvement, and targeted content.

In addition to anonymous data, Sonic may also collect personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information refers to information that tells us specifically who you are, such as your name and postal address, credit card information, email address, products or services you purchase. Sonic collects personally identifiable information in the following ways from different parts of its network of web sites:

Most of the personal information is gathered when you register with one or several of Sonic Web Sites (often when you use a computer program or other Product or Service for the first time). If you choose to register, you may provide Sonic with your name, postal address, email address, birth date, gender, zip code and other requested information. While not all of this information may be required, the more information you provide (and the more accurate it is), the better we are able to customize your experience.

Sonic may also specifically ask you whether we may send you information about Products and Services related to a Sonic purchase.

Sonic collects information from commercial transactions, from requests for information on the Sonic Web Sites, and from its registration database.

Sonic employs update management software to collect installation and registry information from your computer, including product, version, build, language, and OEM.

If you contact Sonic, we may keep a record of that correspondence, including your email address. We use that information so that we may respond to that email, and for future reference.

2. What are "cookies" and how does Sonic use them?
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that is transferred from a web site to the hard drive of your computer so that the web site may identify you and track your activities on the web site. This unique number identifies your browser to computers whenever you visit the web site making use of them. A cookie will not allow a web site to learn any personally identifiable information (such as your real name and address) that you have not otherwise disclosed.

In order to improve the Sonic Web Sites, we use cookies to track your visits. Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether to accept it. Please see the user guide or help section of your browser to make this change. For some Sonic Web Sites that require an authorization, cookies may not be optional; users choosing not to accept cookies may not be able to access such Web Sites or to use some or all of the Products and/or Services otherwise available on such Web Sites.

3. What organization is collecting the information?
When you provide information to Sonic, that information is collected and maintained either by Sonic or by an authorized agent of Sonic such as web hosting companies, customer care service providers, and transaction processing service providers, unless specifically stated otherwise at the point of collection.

4. How does Sonic use the information it collects?
Any personal information you provide to Sonic at any of the Sonic Web Sites is maintained and accessible only by Sonic and its authorized agents and business partners, unless specifically stated otherwise. Sonic may request information from its users so that users can enjoy customized experiences across Sonic Web Sites, including personalized services, interactive communications, discussion groups, and many other types of content and services. Most of these Products and Services are free to you. In order to provide great content and services free of charge, Sonic may display advertisements.

The following are examples of how Sonic may use the information it collects:

Sonic may provide you with technical support, updates to Products and Services, and upgrades to newer products as they become available.

Sonic may offer its users the ability to personalize content such as news, local resources, links to other web sites, and more.

Sonic occasionally sponsors sweepstakes, contests and promotions. If you request, we may use contact data from our promotions to send you information we think you will find useful, such as information about new products or promotions. When we email you, we will always provide instructions explaining how to unsubscribe, so you will not receive our emails in the future.

To process your order on our online store(s), we require name, billing address, phone number, email address, shipping address and credit card information. We use this information to process your order and, if any questions arise, to contact you about your order. In general, we will try to contact you first by email and only if that fails, or if time is critical, will we try to contact you by phone.

Sonic may be required by law enforcement or judicial authorities to provide information on individual users to the appropriate governmental authorities. In matters involving a danger to personal or public safety, Sonic may voluntarily provide information to appropriate governmental authorities. If you are a member of the military, you should not register any personally identifiable information at the Sonic Web Sites in the eventuality that it may be subpoenaed.
Sonic sometimes uses an individual registered user's data to "pre-populate" forms that are displayed when that user has logged in for the purpose of collecting individual data by Sonic and/or its advertisers and sponsors.

Sonic may use the aggregate data collected to inform our sponsors, advertisers and other third parties as to numbers of people who have certain demographic characteristics and the number of those people who have seen and "clicked" on specific pages or advertisement(s). We may also disclose to such third-parties the overall demographics available regarding who saw and "clicked" on advertisements.

In the event Sonic sells assets (or the assets of a division or subsidiary) to another entity, including, without limitation, in the event of bankruptcy, or if Sonic (or a division or subsidiary) is acquired by, or merged with, another entity, Sonic may provide to such entity customer and visitor information (both aggregate and personally identifiable) that is related to that part of the business that was sold to or merged with the other entity.

So long as you inform Sonic that you are interested in receiving offers or information, Sonic may send you email or otherwise contact you about products and services that we feel may be of interest to you, including, without limitation notification of sales, coupons, newsletters and other communications. Registering your product indicates that you have informed us of your interest, and we will contact you after registration unless you specify that you do not wish to receive such contact by notifying us at http://www.sonic.com/notification/. For those who elect to receive such materials from Sonic or third parties, and who indicate that they do in their profile, Sonic will release personally identifiable information. Information released may include your name, email address and other information supplied in the Sonic registration process, and only when you specifically grant us that right. You may opt-out of any Sonic communications at any time. Sonic also uses aggregate data to perform statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behavior of our registered users and visitors, to measure user demographics and interests regarding specific areas of the Sonic Web Sites, and to analyze how and where best to use our resources. Without such data, we would not know what the most popular areas of the Sonic Web Sites are, and we would not be able to change and update the content and services appropriately.

Sonic may, from time to time, use your information to contact you about changes or enhancements to Sonic Products and Services.

5. With whom does Sonic share the information that is collected?
Information about our customers and visitors to the Sonic Web Sites is an important part of our business, and we are not in the business of selling it to others. We share customer information only as described in this Privacy Policy and with affiliates, business partners, subsidiaries and agents that either are subject to this Privacy Policy or follow practices at least as protective as those described in this Privacy Policy.

When you submit personally identifiable information to Sonic, you understand and agree that this information may be transferred across national boundaries and may be stored and processed in any of the countries in which Sonic and its affiliates, business partners, and subsidiaries maintain offices, including, without limitation, the United States which may not provide the same statutory protection as your country of residence.

You also acknowledge that in certain countries or with respect to certain activities, the collection, transferring, storage, and processing of your information may be undertaken by trusted vendors, agents, or service providers of Sonic. Such vendors are bound by contract not to use your personal information for their own purposes or provide it to any third parties.

Sonic has established relationships with various service providers whose services are available to you from the Sonic Web Sites or from web sites that are linked to the Sonic Web Sites. Typically, these providers offer services that Sonic customers might find useful, such as those that can be used in conjunction with Sonic Products and Services. In order to use those services, you may be required to provide personally identifiable or other information to the providers. Unless expressly provided to the contrary, personally identifiable information that you provide while you are visiting a provider's web site will be subject to the privacy policy posted on such web site, and personally identifiable information that you provide while on the Sonic Web Sites in conjunction with a provider's service will be subject to this Privacy Policy. As noted above, you are solely responsible for reading and understanding the privacy and other policies of these service providers and all other third party web sites you visit. You should be aware that our agreements with these service providers often provide that they will share with Sonic personal information collected from you. If we do receive information from a third party service provider, we may use this information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy. You should also be aware that our agreements with certain business partners whose products and/or services you have elected to acquire may require that Sonic share certain personal information collected from you relating to those business partners' products and/or services. Information Sonic collects from you that is shared with business partners under such an agreement will be used by those business partners only in accordance with their privacy policies.

6. What kinds of security procedures are in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of your information?
Sonic has security measures in place to attempt to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of data under our control. We have implemented rules and procedures designed to limit access to the information you provide us. Despite the steps we take to ensure the protection of your information, unfortunately we cannot guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration to data will not occur. To better protect you, we encrypt particularly sensitive information, such as credit card numbers collected for a commerce transaction (donation) on the Sonic Web Sites, prior to transmission. In the event of an inadvertent disclosure, Sonic will do everything commercially reasonable to limit and remedy the disclosure, but Sonic accepts no liability for any unintentional disclosure. In addition, in the unlikely event that any government or private individual seeks information, Sonic will not voluntarily provide the information, but will obey any court order requiring disclosure.

You are responsible for the security of your Sonic ID and password. Please take care when using and storing them. Sonic recommends that you do not divulge your password to anyone. You should log out of your browser at the end of each computer session to ensure that others cannot access your personal information and correspondence, especially if you share a computer with someone else or are using a computer in a public place like a library or Internet cafe.

7. Sonic notice regarding the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 provides safeguards to protect children who use the Internet by regulating the online collection of personal information from children under the age of 13. Sonic does not sell Products or Services for purchase by children, and we ask that minors (under the age of 18) do not submit any personal information to us. If you are a minor, you can use the Sonic Web Sites only in conjunction with your parents or guardians. Sonic and the Sonic Web Sites do not target children as an audience or a market, and Sonic does not collect information about the age of its web site users. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child we will make all reasonable efforts to delete that data from our records.

8. Updating your personal information and privacy preferences.
Upon your request, we will deactivate your Sonic ID, contact information, billing information, shipping information, and financial information from our active databases to prevent your information from being shared with other users. To make this request, please email privacy@sonic.com. Such information will be deactivated as soon as reasonably possible based on your Sonic ID activity and in accordance with our deactivation policies and procedures and applicable law.

We will make our best effort to remove your information from our active communication files upon request. Please note, however, that we will retain certain information in order to resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems and enforce the policies, procedures and agreements set forth on the Sonic Web Sites.

9. Inquiries and Complaints
If you have any concern about privacy at Sonic, please send us a thorough description of your concern to privacy@sonic.com or the address above, and we will try to resolve it.

10. Disputes
If you choose to visit any Sonic Web Site, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Legal terms and conditions, including limitations on damages, arbitration of disputes, and application of the law of the State of California.

Last updated 2-17-2005

|
|