This site is operated by Invention Assistant. Your privacy on the Internet is very important to us. We at Invention Assistant want to make your online experience satisfying and safe. We respect your privacy and work diligently to ensure that any personally identifiable information you have submitted to us remains secure and confidential. We also have a full refund policy to inventors who are not satisfied with our work.
Because we gather certain types of information about our users, you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the capture and use of that information. This Privacy Policy discloses what information we gather and how we use it.
European Union Users
Invention Assistant currently complies with the United States Safe Harbor Provisions for the European Commission’s Directive on Data Protection, which became effective in October of 1998. This Directive prohibits the transfer of personal data to non-European Union countries not meeting the adequacy standards for privacy protection. The U.S. Department of Commerce, in consultation with the European Commission, developed the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework to provide U.S.organizations with a streamlined means of complying with the Directive. This approach was approved by the European Union in July of 2000 and all 27 member states of the EU are bound by this decision. Invention Assistant has certified that it adheres to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement.
However, on October 6, 2015, the European Court of Justice issued a judgment declaring as “invalid” the European Commission’s Decision 2000/520/EC of 26 July 2000 “on the adequacy of the protection provided by the safe harbour privacy principles and related frequently asked questions issued by the US Department of Commerce.” To replace the invalidated safe harbour provisions, The European Commission has proposed that the Privacy Shield Framework be deemed adequate to enable data transfers under EU law, a proposal that is now in the approval process. Once an adequacy determination is in place, the Department of Commerce will begin accepting certifications under the Framework and Invention Assistant will apply for certification under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield.
Until then, the Department of Commerce continues to administer the Safe Harbor program, including processing submissions for self-certification to the Safe Harbor Framework.
Because our site is accessible globally, the information that we collect may be made available to our affiliates, partners and subsidiaries worldwide. For those users visiting us from the European Union, please note that Invention Assistant may transfer your personally identifiable data outside the European Union for use for any of the purposes described above. By using our site and providing us with your personal data, you consent to such transfer of your personal data.
What Information We Collect
Invention Assistant gathers two types of information about users:
- Information that users provide through optional, voluntary submissions. These are voluntary submissions to receive our electronic newsletters or to receive more information about our services.
- Information we gather through tracking information, derived mainly by tallying page views throughout our site. This information allows us to better tailor our content to visitors’ needs.
How We Gather User Information
Optional Voluntary Information
We offer the following free services, which require some type of voluntary submission of personal information by users:
- Request for more information
Invention Assistant gathers voluntary contact information from users who would like to receive more information about our services. We may periodically send e-mails to users who have voluntarily submitted their information and have indicated a willingness to receive such notifications. We will never use your e-mail to spam or for other fraudulent purposes. - Electronic newsletters (Dispatches)
Invention Assistant gathers voluntary contact information from users who would like to receive more information about our services. We may periodically send e-mails to users who have voluntarily submitted their information and have indicated a willingness to receive such notifications. We will never use your e-mail to spam or for other fraudulent purposes. To opt out of these e-mails, please send correspondence to the mailing address below or email to [email protected].
Children
The Website is not intended or designed to attract children under the age of 13. Consistent with the Federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we do not knowingly request or collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent.
Usage Tracking
Invention Assistant tracks user traffic patterns throughout our site. However, we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. We do break down overall usage statistics according to a user’s domain name, browser type and operating system by reading this information from the browser string (information contained in every user’s browser).
We sometimes track and catalog the search terms that visitors use to find our site (or terms entered into our Search function), but this tracking is not associated with individual users. We use tracking information to determine which areas of our site users prefer based on traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather how well each page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better Web site for you.
California’s Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA), as amended, requires us to disclose how we respond to “do not track” requests, signals and other similar mechanisms. Currently, our policy is that we do not recognize “do not track” requests and signals from Internet browsers and similar devices. Invention Assistant is not in the business of tracking users for the purpose of building behavioral profiles of visitors to our site, and our use of your personal information is strictly limited to the uses described in this Privacy Policy. A visitor to our site delivering a “do not track” request or signal will be treated no differently than a visitor to our site not delivering a “do not track” request or signal. Please see the “Usage Information” section herein to understand how this policy may affect you.
Cookies
We may place a text file called a “cookie” in the browser files of your computer. We use cookies and similar technologies to track user traffic patterns (as described above). Our advertising system delivers a one-time cookie to better track ad impressions and click rates. The cookie itself does not contain personal information, although it will enable us to relate your use of our site to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided to us. The only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can’t read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites.
You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. If you’ve set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use our site. However, you do need cookies to participate actively in newsletter registration and information requests.
Some of our web pages and electronic communications may contain electronic images known as web beacons (sometimes referred to as “clear gifs”). Web beacons collect only limited information that includes a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the web beacon resides. We may also carry web beacons placed by third party advertisers. These web beacons are used to track usage of the Website and activities associated with our site.
We or a trusted third party may assign you a unique internal identifier to help keep track of your future visits. We use this information to gather aggregate demographic information about our visitors, and we use it to personalize the information you see on our site and some of the electronic communications you receive from us. This information is used internally and is not shared with others.
Use of Information
We use any information voluntarily given by our users to enhance their experience in our site, whether to provide interactive or personalized elements on the site or to better prepare future content based on the interests of our users. Information that users voluntarily submit via the InventAssistant.com Web site, but access to such information is restricted to those individuals who need it to provide you with our services.
As stated above, we use information that users voluntarily provide in order to send out electronic newsletters and to enable users to receive more information about our services and activities. We send out newsletters to subscribers on a regular schedule (depending on the newsletter), and occasionally send out special editions when we think subscribers might be particularly interested in something we are doing.
We use tracking information to determine which areas of our site users visit most frequently, and we create aggregate reports on user demographics and traffic patterns to tailor our site to visitors’ needs. We may share personal information with a third party for the following purposes:
- We may share personal information that you voluntarily provide with third parties who perform services to us or on our behalf. However, these third-party service providers are obligated to keep your personal information secure and confidential.
- We will share a user’s personal information when it is required to comply with an applicable law or valid legal process, or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public. For example, we may disclose such information in response to a subpoena, to enforce this Privacy Policy, to respond to claims that any materials, documents, images, graphics, logos, designs, audio, video and any other information provided from or on our site violates the rights of third parties, and/or to protect the rights, property or personal safety of Invention Assistant, its partners or users, or the public.
- We may from time to time send e-mail to you announcing new features, services and/or programs offered through our site.
In addition, in order to provide users of our site with many of the added values and special offers of reputable organizations and retailers, we may provide some or all of your personal information to reputable third-party companies. These third-parties are also obligated to keep your personal information secure and confidential. You may also receive mailings, telephone calls and/or facsimiles from these third-party companies. Users have the option of not participating in these value-added benefits by following the procedure for withholding your personal information that is set forth under “Opt-Out Policy” below.
We reserve the right to transfer information in connection with the sale or other disposition of all or part of Invention Assistant’s business and/or assets. Furthermore, we cannot and will not be responsible for any breach of security by any third parties or for any actions of any third parties that receive any of the information that is disclosed to us.
Security
Invention Assistant operates secure data networks protected by industry-standard firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary, and only authorized individuals have access to the information provided by our users.
Our Web site and database may operate through the use of a third party hosting service, but any such service provider is similarly required to keep your information secure and confidential. Additionally, these third party service providers must maintain secure data networks and have physical, electronic and procedural safeguards in place to ensure the security and confidentiality of any personal information transmitted via those networks.
You, however, are ultimately responsible for protecting your personally identifiable information from disclosure to third parties, and you are not permitted to circumvent the use of required encryption technologies. You agree to: (a) immediately notify Invention Assistant of any unauthorized use of your userID, password and/or user account, and/or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that you exit from your user account at the end of each session. While we may provide certain encryption technologies and use other reasonable precautions to protect your confidential information and provide suitable security, we do not and cannot guarantee or warrant that information transmitted through the internet is secure, or that such transmissions are free from delay, interruption, interception or error.
Protection/Preservation of Data
All customer data is periodically backed up electronically, and the backups are stored off-site in a secure location.
Your California Privacy Rights
Under California’s “Shine the Light” law, California residents who provide personal information in connection with obtaining products or services for personal, family or household use are entitled to request and obtain from us once every calendar year information about the customer information we shared, if any, with other businesses for their own direct marketing uses. If applicable, this information would include the categories of customer information and the names and addresses of those businesses with which we shared customer information for the immediately prior calendar year (e.g., requests made in 2014 will receive information regarding 2013 sharing activities).Invention Assistant operates secure data networks protected by industry-standard firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary, and only authorized individuals have access to the information provided by our users.
External Links
Invention Assistant occasionally publishes links to third party Web sites that we feel may be of interest to our users. However, any such external links should not be considered an endorsement or sponsorship of those sites, and Invention Assistant claims no responsibility for the content, information, products or services offered by them. Please be aware that Invention Assistant is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our visitors to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collect personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies sole to information collected by this Web site for Invention Assistant.
Opt-Out Policy
We give users options wherever necessary and practical. Such choices include:
- Opting not to participate in certain interactive areas (including all registration/information request forms) by notifying us in writing at the address set forth below. This will completely alleviate the need to gather any personally identifiable information from that user.
- Opting not to register to receive our electronic newsletters, or opting out of our mailing list for electronic dispatches by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included at the bottom of every message.
In-House Mechanism to Address Complaints
In the event you believe Invention Assistant has failed to protect your privacy please immediately submit your concerns to our Privacy Compliance Officer at: [email protected]. Please provide details regarding your concerns and include full contact information so we can respond as quickly and completely as possible. If you are dissatisfied with the speed or scope of our response you can seek further in-house review by following the appeal procedures that will be provided to you. If, despite the appeal process, you are still dissatisfied, then you may proceed through the Independent Recourse Mechanism described below.
Self Assessment of Compliance
An officer or other authorized representative of Invention assistant, who has familiarized themselves with the Safe Harbor requirements and the actual performance of the company with respect to its privacy policy and procedures, has and will, at least once a year, undertake a self-assessment to assure that our published Safe Harbor privacy policy is accurate, comprehensive, prominently displayed, completely implemented, accessible, and conforms to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles. As part of this annual self assessment we further confirm that employees are receiving appropriate training with respect to privacy and further that periodic, objective reviews of compliance are in place. A statement of such compliance, signed by the officer or authorized representative, is signed and retained. A copy will be made available upon request.
Notification of Changes
If we change our privacy policy, we will post the changes on this page so that our customers will always be aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner substantially different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify affected customers. Any such affected customer will have a choice as to whether or not we may use their information in the proposed manner.
Invention Assistant ‘s policies and procedures for handling customer information have been created with the understanding that Internet technologies are still evolving and that Internet business methods are continuing to evolve to meet the needs and opportunities of the changing technologies. As a result, these policies and procedures are subject to change.
Your Consent
By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of your information by Invention Assistant as specified above. If we decide to change this 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 to others. We may use comments, information or feedback that you may submit in any manner that we may choose without notice or compensation to you.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please send an e-mail to [email protected], or mail a written correspondence to:
Invention Assistant
Attn: Privacy Policy
1451 W. Cypress Creek Rd. Suite 300 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309
Note: The use of any portion of this Web site, including communications sent to Invention Assistant via online forms or e-mail (or otherwise through our Web site), does not constitute a business relationship between Invention Assistant and any recipient or sender.
Copyright© 2020 INVENTION ASSISTANT. All Rights Reserved.
Terms and Conditions
This document describes our policy regarding information received about you during visits to our web site. The amount and type of information received depends on how you use our site.
Normal Web Site Usage
You can visit the our web site to read product and company information without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information. We do collect some general information during normal web site usage, like the name of your Internet service provider, the web site that referred you to us, the pages you request and the date and time of those requests. We use this information to generate statistics and measure site activity to improve the usefulness of customer visits. During normal web site usage we do not collect or store personally identifiable information such as name, mailing address, email address, phone number or social security number.
Collection of Personally Identifiable Information
There are instances where we request personally identifiable information to provide you with a service or correspondence (promotions and mailed brochures). This information is collected and stored in a manner appropriate to the nature of the data. If you tell us that the information should not be used as a basis for further contact, we will respect your request. The information you provide is used to improve the services we provide you. It is never provided to any other company for that company’s independent use.