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The privacy of our users on the Internet is of the utmost importance to us.
Since MDLinx, its related network of sites, and its services do gather certain
types of information about our users, we feel that you should completely understand
the conditions and terms surrounding the gathering and use of information
about those using our sites and services. This Privacy Policy Statement divulges
what information we gather, how we use it, and how to correct or change it.
In the policy, the pronouns "you" and "your" are used to refer to the end user,
while "we," "us" and "our" are used to refer to MDLinx.
By visiting MDLinx or one of its specialty sites, or by using one of its services,
you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy Statement.
We may amend this Statement at any time; if we make changes to our privacy policy,
we will post those changes on this page so that you are always aware of what
information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it.
This Statement was last revised on January 1, 2009. Any questions regarding our
Privacy Policy Statement should be directed to MDLinx
(support@mdlinx.com)
for clarification and further elaboration.
1. Collecting Information
MDLinx gathers and tracks information/data that users provide through registration
on our sites for some services. In addition to this gathering of information by the
registration of users, MDLinx also gathers information through tracking systems
depending on the service being used by you. The tracking systems include deriving data
by tallying page views throughout our sites and capturing information on
the type of browser being used to view the site, tracking what pages you have
visited while on the site and in market research studies tracking what
computers respond to a survey. This information enables us to better
provide content and to respond to our users' needs. It also is used
to help our advertisers and sponsors to better understand the demographics
of our audience (solely on an aggregate basis). As MDLinx derives its revenue
mainly from advertising on our sites, it is necessary for us to provide such
aggregated demographic data to our sponsors and advertisers; this allows
us to keep our services free to users. MDLinx does not divulge any personal
information about an individual user to any third party except in the
case of a market research study where your identity or an identifier
unique to you may be disclosed but will not be linked to the answers you provided.
MDLinx may gather information on our users in the following ways:
- Registration
Some MDLinx services require user registration. For the registration process,
MDLinx may require some information, like name, email address and profession,
while other information requested will be voluntary and optional. Information
collected in the registration process is never shared with third parties in
a personally identifiable way.
- Electronic Newsletters
All the sites in the MDLinx network offer free electronic newsletters to users,
providing specific information to them on the appropriate topics.
To provide this service, MDLinx must gather the email addresses of users
who register for and voluntarily subscribe to said service.
You may remove yourself from an MDLinx mailing list at any time
by following the instructions provided at the end of every newsletter.
- Market Research Studies
Users of MDLinx may elect to participate in market research surveys that the
company runs from time to time. These studies are intended to give specific
anonymous feedback to third parties. This feedback while shared in the format
it was collected will not be shared in manner that is correlated to your
personally identifiable information used to pay honoraria for your time.
All participants may be disclosed to such third parties by a unique identifier
but such identifier will not be associated with any specific feedback.
- Discussion Lists
Users of MDLinx discussion lists must subscribe to them separately.
Subscribing to any of our free email newsletters does not also subscribe
users to affiliated discussion lists. A user must register for this free
service and must agree to the terms and conditions of the service. You may
remove yourself from a discussion list at any time by following the
instructions provided.
- Usage Tracking
MDLinx uses traffic analysis software on our servers to track user traffic patterns
throughout all of our sites. MDLinx uses this data to break down overall usage
statistics according to IP address, domain name, browser type, and MIME type
by reading this information from the data automatically sent by the browser
whenever a web page is requested. Additionally, solely in connection with
your voluntarily participation in a market research study, your computer
may be tracked by digital fingerprinting or watermarking to help ensure
unique responders to a survey.
- Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that resides only on your own computer
and that can be accessed only by the server that originally created
the cookie. A cookie cannot store or send back any information to
MDLinx that you have not specifically and voluntarily provided while
on an MDLinx site, or that is not among the information mentioned
above that is contained in every user's browser (i.e., domain name,
browser type). We use cookies only so that we may tally the number
of unique users who visit our sites, and potentially to permit greater
personalization of the site to your preferences and specifications.
Even when you may have provided to MDLinx information that is stored
in a cookie on your computer, MDLinx will not share personally
identifiable information about you to third parties.
2. Sharing of the information
MDLinx uses the above-described information to tailor our content to suit your needs,
help our advertisers better understand our audience's demographics and help ensure
the integrity of market research studies. This is essential to keeping our service
free. We do not share information about an individual user’s identity with any
third party except (a) as noted above to the extent you have voluntarily
agreed to participate in a market research study or (b) as necessary
to comply with applicable legal requirements.
Please note that MDLinx does not control the practices of the advertisers
on their sites. When you click on links and/or ad banners that take you
to third-party web sites, you will be subject to the third parties'
privacy policies. We encourage you to read the posted privacy policy
statement whenever interacting with any web site. If you have questions
about how one of our advertisers uses information about you when you click
their ad, visit their site,
and view their content, please contact them directly.
3. "No-spam" policy
Your email address will not be sold to a third party if you sign up
for one of our MDLinx email newsletters, market research programs,
or discussion lists. If you sign up for an email newsletter or discussion
list at an MDLinx site, you will receive only the email newsletter or
discussion list you have requested. You may receive on occasion an
offer from MDLinx to sign up for a new newsletter or discussion list,
or information about other MDLinx services, but you will not receive
additional newsletters or discussion list mailings unless you specifically
have requested them or have otherwise opted in for third-party announcements
(see Opt-in Announcement List Privacy Policy below).
4. Delete/deactivate policy
Users may unsubscribe to any of our electronic newsletters or
discussion lists at any time by following the instructions
contained at the end of every newsletter or discussion list,
and also on the web site. If you no longer wish to use any
MDLinx services or receive any information from MDLinx, you
may request to have your personal information removed from MDLinx's
databases by sending a request via email
(support@mdlinx.com)
or by fax (202-293-1690), including your first and last names
and email address with which you originally registered. Changes
or corrections to your information may be submitted in the same fashion.
Opt-in Announcement List Privacy Policy
When you register for MDLinx services you may be given the option
of joining an opt-in list. If you choose to sign up, you will receive
information or participate in campaigns relevant to the specialty you
selected from select third parties who have entered into agreements
with MDLinx. You may have your email address removed from the MDLinx
opt-in announcement lists at any time by deselecting the opt-in list
option. MDLinx is not responsible for the content of emails you may
receive when you have elected to opt-in to a particular specialty.
Mailing Address
MDLinx Inc
1232 22nd St NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20037
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