Legal Notice and Terms of Use

We appreciate your interest in us and for visiting www.vacuumscienceworld.com

This website is operated by Edwards Ltd, Innovation Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9TW, Company Registration number 06124750 (we, us, our). We are a member of the Atlas Copco Group (the Group). Below you will find our Terms of Use for visiting this website. In addition, you will find our Privacy Notice, which explains what kind of personal data may be gathered and processed, how it may be used by us and shared by us within the Group and with third parties, and how we may use “cookies”. By accessing or using the website, you accept all terms and conditions.

The purpose of this website portal is to promote vacuum technology and facilitate the sharing of information across the vacuum community. The information provided on this website represents the individual opinion of the related author only. By retrieving information through this website, or otherwise using the website, you accept that the responsibility and liability for a product, offer, or marketing information is limited only to the legal entity directly involved.

The information on the website may be changed without prior notification and without incurring any obligation or liability for us. The content of this website is provided as a convenience to visitors and constitutes non-binding information only.

We will use reasonable efforts to include accurate information on our website. HOWEVER, WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF THE INFORMATION GIVEN. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL WE ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY TO ANY PARTY FOR DAMAGES, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER FOR ANY USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS WEB SITE OR ITS CONTENTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF PROGRAMS OR OTHER DATA ON YOUR INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM OR OTHERWISE. IT IS UP TO YOU TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND TO ENSURE THAT WHATEVER YOU SELECT FOR YOUR USE IS FREE OF SUCH ITEMS AS VIRUSES, WORMS, TROJAN HORSES AND OTHER ITEMS OF DESTRUCTIVE NATURE. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WHATSOEVER ABOUT ANY OTHER WEBSITE BELONGING TO A THIRD PARTY WHICH YOU MAY ACCESS THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.

 

Copyright, Trademarks, and other Intellectual Property Rights

The contents of the website, including but not limited to logos, trademarks, trade-names, text, images, graphics, sound, animation and video files, and their arrangement on the website are proprietary to us, the Group or third parties and subject to intellectual property protection. No content of the website may be reproduced, copied, transferred, published, distributed, modified, reposted, or placed onto other websites or documents, without prior written authorisation. All intellectual property rights contained in the website, including copyrights, trademarks, trade secret and patent rights, are reserved and any use without prior written authorisation from the respective owner is strictly prohibited. Nothing contained on the website shall be construed as granting any express or implied license or right to use our or the Group’s or any other third party’s intellectual property.

 

Privacy Notice

IP Addresses, Internet Browsers, Operating Systems, Domain Names:  When you enter our website, we may collect your computer’s IP address. The IP address does not identify you as an individual but does identify your Internet service provider. Other non-personally identifiable information that we may collect include the type of Internet browser used, the type of computer operating system used, and the domain name of the website from which you visited our site. The information is aggregated to provide broad demographic information, such as the geographic location of visitors and how long they stay on our site. Collecting this type of information allows us to administer our site, diagnose server problems, analyse trends and statistics, and provide better customer service.

 

Cookies

When you visit our website, we may send “cookies” to your computer. A cookie is a small text file or piece of data that a website that you visit can place or save onto your computer. Cookies do not themselves contain any personally identifiable information. However, if you provide such personally identifiable information to us (such as by registering for an Internet related service or password provided by us), such information may be linked to the data stored in the cookie. There are two types of cookies. The first type saves a file for a longer period of time onto your computer, and it can remain on your computer after you shut it off. Such cookie could, for example, be used to tell a visitor what information on the website has been updated since his or her last visit to that website. The second type of cookie is called “session cookie.” While you are visiting a website, session cookies are temporarily stored in your computer’s memory. This could be done, for example, to keep track of what language you have chosen at the website. Session cookies are not stored for a long period of time on your computer since they disappear when you close your web browser. We may use third parties to assist us in collecting or processing information obtained through cookies.

 

We use the services of HubSpot (www.hubspot.com) for this website and inbound services. HubSpot uses cookies to track your website visitors and contacts. HubSpot does not control the content of these webpages or the types of information that we collect in order to manage using the Subscription Service. That information is used, disclosed and protected by us according to the existing and legally binding privacy policies. HubSpot processes information as directed and in accordance with their agreements with customers, and the data are stored on the service providers' servers, without control over its collection or management. The agreements between us and HubSpot prohibits them from using that information, except as necessary to provide and improve the Subscription Service, as permitted by their Privacy Policy, and as required by law. More information about the HubSpot Privacy Policy can be found at https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy.

 

We may use cookies for a number of additional reasons, such as:

  • to compile anonymous statistics related to patterns and trends of browsing;
  • to analyse interactional data;
  • to conduct marketing research;
  • to user adapt website content or functions;
  • to provide assistance to, or track site visits of users, of certain Internet-based services;
  • to enable users with passwords to re-enter certain web pages without having to re-type previously typed information.

 

How to Avoid Cookies:

With most Internet browsers, you can set the browser to block cookies, erase cookies from your computer hard drive, or notify you that a web page contains cookies before a cookie is stored. Please refer to your browser instructions or help screen to learn more about these functions. Please note that some of our web pages may not work properly without the use of cookies. For more information on cookies, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org

 

Social Plugins

On various websites we use so-called social plugins (hereinafter buttons) of social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn. During your visit to our website a direct connection to the server of the respective social network may be established. The content of the button is then transferred from the social networks directly to your browser and integrated into the website.

Hereby, the respective social network can already collect data, regardless of whether you interact with the button. If you are logged in to a social network, it can assign your visit to this site to your user account. If you are a member of a social network and do not want it to link the data collected during your visit to our website with your stored member data, you need to log out from the respective social network before visiting our website.

We have no influence on the extent of data that is collected by the social networks with their buttons. For the purpose and scope of data collection, the further processing and use of data by the respective social networks as well as your rights and settings options for protecting your privacy please refer to the privacy policies of the respective social networks.

 

Analysis of usage data

We want to continuously update and improve our offerings and our online services. Therefore, we apply the following technologies to detect the preferences of visitors as well as particularly popular areas of our website. This enables us to tailor the contents of our web pages to your needs and - if necessary - eliminate flaws quicker.

Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 (hereinafter: Google). Google Analytics uses cookies (see above), which allow analysis of your use of the website. These are cookies from Google itself (Google Analytics cookies) and so-called third-party cookies (DoubleClick cookie). Google Analytics is regularly used with shortened IP addresses only, and hence, does not produce any personal data. Users of our websites are not identifiable. The information generated by the cookie about your usage of this website are usually transferred and stored to a server of Google in the US. Within the member states of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area your IP address will be shortened by Google. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on the website activities and to provide other website usage and internet usage related services, in particular, functions for display advertising, such as Google Analytics reports about performance by demographic characteristics and interests, to the website operator. Google may also transfer this in-formation to third parties where required by law or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. In the Google Analytics reports for performance and demographic interests, interest-based advertising from Google obtained data and visitors information of third parties (such as age, gender and interests) are used. Google may associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. Google Analytics can be completely disabled by the following plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

 

Personal Data

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and share personal data that you provide to us, or that we may otherwise obtain or generate, which relates to you (“Personal Data”). We have implemented technical, administrative, and physical measures to safeguard any Personal Data that we may collect (see below).  As this Notice is intended to cover a variety of situations, there may be information contained in the Notice that does not apply to you. We will always abide local laws and regulations and will refrain from the collection or use of Personal Data in a location where it is prohibited by law.

 

What personal data might we collect?

“Personal Data” is information through which a natural person is identifiable or may be identified.  We may collect, use and process your Personal Data in order to provide you with services, products or information that you request. 

We will not collect your Personal Data without your knowledge and permission, nor will we sell or rent any such data. In order to provide you with a specific product, service, or information or to process a transaction, we may request your personally identifiable information. This information may include:

  • your name, including given, family, middle, and any suffix;
  • identification information, collected if and to the extent allowed under applicable law;
  • work contact information, including telephone numbers, facsimile number, email address, pager number, mailing address, and work location;
  • job title, department and job function;
  • information about an individual’s employer, including company name, company location, and country of incorporation;

 

How might we use the Personal Data we collect?

Personal Data is only collected when necessary to provide a product, service, or information, process a transaction, or if you submit it to us for other purposes, for instance if applying for employment.

The collection of Personal Data will be transparent to you, and you will have the opportunity to decide whether or not to provide it. If you choose not to provide any of the Personal Data requested, we may be unable to complete your transaction, or provide the information, services or products you have requested.

  • When collected, the Personal Data might be used for the following purposes Managing physical and information security, including:
    • Access controls and security for computer and other systems;
    • Internet, intranet, e-mail, social media, and other electronic system access;
    • Virus, intrusion, and insider threat scanning and analysis;
    • Facility access and safety;
    • Disaster preparedness;
  • Backing up and recovering data;
  • Managing import, export and other trade compliance controls, including authorising applications and management, determining access to controlled technology and/or commodities, and screening sanctions and embargoes;
  • Providing service and support;
  • Responding to questions or concerns submitted to us;
  • Performing audits and compliance reviews to ensure compliance with applicable policy, regulation, and law;
  • Conducting internal and external investigations, including Legal, Global Ethics & Compliance, and International Trade Compliance reviews and any resulting disclosures to government agencies;
  • Evaluating and reporting conflicts of interest;
  • Prosecuting and defending claims in litigation, arbitration, administrative, or regulatory proceedings, including but not limited to pre-dispute activity, evidence collection, discovery;
  • Responding to law enforcement and other government inquiries;
  • Protecting intellectual property rights, including but not limited to patent filings;
  • As required or expressly authorised by applicable law or regulation.

The lawful grounds for processing may include: Necessary for the performance of a contract or for the preparation of a contract

  • Necessary for compliance with a legal obligation
  • Necessary in order to protect the vital interests of you
  • Necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest
  • Necessary for the purpose of our legitimate interest

At times we may need to get your consent to allow us to use your Personal Data for one or more of the purposes set out above. You have various rights where we are processing your Personal Data on the basis of your consent. For example, we would like to send you information about other related products, which believe might be in your interest. If you do not want to be on one of our mailing lists, you can choose to opt out at any time by following the “unsubscribe” instructions at the bottom of our promotional emails.

We will not retain data longer than is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable laws or regulations.

Whom Personal Data may be shared with:

We may share your Personal data  with members of the Group and from one location to another or from one country to another in order to accomplish the purposes listed above. We will transfer your Personal Data consistent with applicable legal requirements and only to the extent necessary for the purposes set out above.  Within the different locations, Personal Data is transferred subject to the same rules and levels of security. If required, data processing agreements will be in place to ensure the necessary level of protection.

We rely on available legal mechanisms to enable the legal transfer of Personal Data across borders.  To the extent that we rely on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (also called the Model Clauses) to authorise transfer, we will comply with those requirements, including where there may be a conflict between those requirements and this Notice.

We will not sell or otherwise share your Personal Data outside the Group except to:

  • third parties you have requested us to do so;
  • service providers we have retained to perform services on our behalf. We will only share your Personal Data with service providers whom we have contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements;
  • comply with legal obligations, including but not limited to, in response to a legitimate legal request from law enforcement authorities or other government regulators;
  • investigate suspected or actual illegal activity;
  • prevent physical harm or financial loss. 

 

To Remove, Correct, Update or Access Your Personal Data:

If you would like to remove, correct, update, or access your Personal Data that you have submitted to us, or if you have any related concerns, please contact us. If you contact us in this regard, please note the web page name or location where you submitted the information, as well as the contact information (for instance name, email address, postal address, etc.) that you provided at that time.

 

Security

Technical and administrative measures are implemented to help protect Personal Data and other data on our servers from unauthorised access, loss, or alteration. However, no server or transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be one hundred percent secure. Therefore, any activity or communication is conducted at your own risk.

 

Further information and complaints

The controller under the Data Protection Act 2018 for this website is Edwards Ltd, Innovation Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9TW, Company Registration number 06124750

For further information on the processing of Personal Data, please get in touch with our Privacy Officer via privacy@edwardsvacuum.com.

If we do not address any of your requests, or fail to provide you with a valid reason why we are unable to do so, you have the right to contact supervisory authority to make a complaint. You can find your local supervisory authority at following link http://ec.europa.eu/justice/article-29/structure/data-protection-authorities/index_en.htm 

 

Links to third party websites

Some of our web pages may contain links to third party websites. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy policies, content, or practices of such other websites or their owners or operators.

Applicable Law

Our Legal Notice and Terms of Use and Privacy Notice are governed by the laws of England & Wales.

Modification of Legal Notice and Terms of Use and Privacy Notice

We reserve the right to change or update our Legal Notice and Terms of Use and Privacy Notice at any time. This Notice was last updated on 12 December 2018.