Cookie Policy

OUR POLICY ON COOKIES

How do we use Cookies?

We use cookies on our website, mobile sites, and mobile applications in order to improve their usability as well as to collect and save data for marketing and optimisation purposes. Cookies are small text files from our website that are saved on your hard drive and subsequently recognised by web browsers. Our cookies do not contain any data about you. Instead, they use a pseudonym user profile and cannot cause any damage to your user system.

We do not sell the data collected by our cookies, nor do we forward this information to any third parties unless required to do so by law (for example to national authorities or legal representatives). 

By using our websites, mobile sites and mobile applications, you agree to our use of cookies as outlined in this policy on cookies.

You may withdraw this permission at any time for the future by changing your browser’s setting. You can set the settings in your browser so that either you will be asked for permission every time a cookie tries to access your computer or mobile device, or so that the use of cookies is deactivated in certain cases or completely. However, doing so may result in many of the features on our website not functioning correctly.

What are “Cookies“?

Cookies are small text files which are transferred to your computer or mobile device when you visit our websites or applications. With every subsequent visit, your web browser (for example Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome) will send these cookies back to the website or application so that it recognises you and your personal details or user preferences.

Cookies are very useful and fulfil a number of different tasks. They help improve your experience on our website by adapting it to suit your needs. They recognise your preferences and improve your general user experience. 

There are two kinds of Cookies:

1.     Session Cookies. 
These only last for the duration of your online session and then disappear from your computer or device when you close your web browser.

2.     Persistent Cookies. 
These remain on your computer or device after your browser has closed and last for the period of time outlined in the cookie. These persistent cookies will be activated every time you visit the website for which the cookie has been created.

What sort of cookies do we use?

The following categories of cookies may be installed on your device when using our websites, mobile sites or mobile applications:

• “Essential” Cookies
  These cookies are essential in that they help you to browse through our website and use functions such as our registration pages. Without these cookies the website would not function properly. These cookies collect no data on you whatsoever.
• Functional Cookies
  These cookies allow websites and applications to memorise your chosen preferences (such as your username or language settings). They allow us to provide you with improved and personalised functions. We are not able to personally identify you using the information collected by these cookies.
• Analytical cookies
  In order to ensure our websites, mobile sites and mobile applications are easy to use and up-to-date, we use the web analytics service Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our sites. This allows us to see, for example, which content on our website is the most popular and also to ensure that our content is constantly updated and improved. The information that we collect is anonymous and used for statistical purposes only.
  
  Google Analytics
  This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter referred to as “Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are small text files that are transferred to your computer to help a website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted and stored by Google on servers in the USA.
  
  In the event IP anonymisation is activated on this website, your IP address will be truncated by Google within the member states of the European Union or in other states party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional circumstances a full IP address will be saved to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. The IP anonymisation is active on this website. Google will use this information on our behalf for the purpose of evaluating your use of this website, compiling reports on website activity, and providing us with other services relating to the use of this website and the internet.
  
  The IP-address that your Browser conveys within the scope of Google Analytics will not be associated with any other data held by Google.
  
  By using this website, you agree to the processing of any data collected from you by Google, as well as the aforementioned method of data processing and purpose. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your web browser. However, doing so may result in many of the features on our website not functioning correctly. You can also block the cookie’s collection of data regarding your use of this website (including your IP address) as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser add-on found under the following link: (www.tools.google.com).
  
  As an alternative to the browser add-on, you can click this link in order to opt out from being tracked by Google Analytics within this website in the future (the opt-out applies only for the browser in which you set it and within this domain). An opt-out cookie will be stored on your device, which means that you will have to click this link again if you delete your cookies.
  
  You can find more information on Google’s user provisions and data protection under the following links: www.google.com/analytics/terms or www.google.com/policies.
  
  
• Social Plugins
  
  Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

This website uses so-called social plugins (hereinafter “Plugins“ ) of the social networks Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest, as well as Plugins of the microblogging services Twitter and Instagram. These services are operated by Facebook Inc., Google Inc., LinkedIn Corporation, Twitter Inc., Instagram LLC and Pinterest Inc. (hereinafter individually “provider”, or jointly the “providers”).

The individual providers:

Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (hereinafter “Facebook“). 
The Plugins are identified by either a Facebook Logo or the words “Social Plugin by Facebook“ or “Facebook Social Plugin“. An overview of the Facebook Plugins can be found here: www.developers.facebook.com.

Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google“). 
An overview of the Google Plugins can be found here: www.developers.google.com.

LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“LinkedIn“). 
An overview of the LinkedIn Plugins can be found here: www.developer.linkedin.com.

Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA (“Twitter“). 
An overview of the Twitter Plugins can be found here: www.twitter.com.

Instagram LLC., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA (“Instagram“). 
An overview of the Instagram Plugins can be found here: www.blog.instagram.com.

Pinterest Inc., 808 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA (“Pinterest”). 
An overview of the Pinterest Plugins can be found here: www.developers.pinterest.com. 


When visiting one of our websites which contains such a Plugin your browser will create a direct link with the servers of the respective provider. The content of the Plugin is directly transmitted by the respective provider to your web browser which then incorporates it in the website.
 

By integrating a Plugin, the providers receive the information that your browser has accessed the relevant page of our website, even if you do not have a profile or account with the providers or if you are not logged in at the time of access. This information (including your IP address) will be sent directly from your browser to a server of the respective provider in the U.S. and stored there.

If you have a profile or an account and you are logged-in while visiting our website, the respective provider can assign your visit to our website directly with your profile or account. If you interact with the Plugins, for example by clicking on the “Like“-, the “+1”-, the “recommend”-, the “twitter”-, the “Instagram” or the “Pin It”-button, the corresponding information will be transferred directly to a server of the respective provider and stored there. The information will also be posted on the social network or on your Twitter- or Instagram-account and can be seen by your contacts.

The providers may use this information for purposes of advertising, market research and needs-based design of their pages. For this purpose, the providers create profiles regarding usage, interests and relationships, e.g. to evaluate your use of our website with regard to the advertisements displayed to you on the respective platform, to inform other users about your activities on our website, and to provide further services associated with the use of the respective platform.

If you do not want the providers to allocate the collected data via our website to your profile or account, you must log out the respective platform before you visit our website.

To find out more about the purpose and extent to which the providers collect, process and use this data, your rights, and the settings available to protect your privacy, please see the data protection policies of the individual providers:

Facebook: www.facebook.com 
Google: www.google.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com 
Twitter: www.twitter.com 
Instagram: www.help.instagram.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com