Privacy protection declaration

Name and contact details of the controller and of the company privacy protection officer

This privacy protection information applies to data processing carried out by:

DR. SOLF & ZAPF Patent attorneys and attorneys at law PartG mbB

Represented by:

Ulrike Schuster (Rechtsanwältin/Attorney-at-law)
Dipl.-Ing. M.Sc. Annkathrin Solf (Patentanwältin/Patent Attorney)
Dipl.-Ing. Christopher Zapf (Patentanwalt/Patent Attorney)
Dipl.-Ing. Philipp Harlacher (Patentanwalt/Patent Attorney)

Wuppertal office

Schloßbleiche 20
42103 Wuppertal

Tel.: +49 (202) 24 58 00

Fax : +49 (202) 24 58 030

Email: wuppertal@solf-zapf.de

Munich office

Candidplatz 15
81543 Munich

Tel.: +49 (89) 62 42 930

Fax : +49 (89) 62 42 93 22

Email: munich@solf-zapf.de

Bergisch-Gladbach office

Hauptstraße 97
51465 Bergisch Gladbach

Tel.: +49 (2202) 18 87 80

Fax : +49 (2202) 18 87 810

Email: cologne@solf-zapf.de

The company privacy protection officer of DR. SOLF & ZAPF can be contacted under:

Dr. Solf & Zapf Patent- und Rechtsanwälte
c/o ER Secure GmbH
Schlossbleiche 20
42103 Wuppertal
Email: datenschutz@solf-zapf.de

Collection and storage of personal data and how and why it is used

When you visit our website https://solf-zapf.de, the browser used on your device will automatically send information to our website server. This information is temporarily stored in a ‘log file’. As part of this, the following information is gathered without any action on your part and stored until it is automatically deleted:

IP address of the requesting computer,
date and time of access,
name and URL of the file accessed,
website from which our site is accessed (referrer URL),
browser used and optionally your computer’s operating system as well as the name of your access provider.

We process the data mentioned for the following purposes:

establishing a smooth connection to the website,
making our website easy to use,
evaluating the security and stability of our systems, and
for other administrative purposes.

The legal basis for the processing of data is Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our legitimate interest derives from the data collection purposes listed above. Under no circumstances will we use the data collected to draw conclusions about you as an individual.

We also use cookies and analytics services when you visit our website. These terms are explained in more detail in points 4 and 5 of this data protection declaration.

Passing on data

Your personal data will not be transmitted to third parties for purposes other than those listed below.

We will only pass on your personal data to third parties if:

you have given your express consent for us to do so in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) GDPR,
passing on the data is necessary, in accordance with Article 6(1)(f), for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims and there is no reason to assume that you have an overriding legitimate interest in your data not being passed on,
in the event that there is a legal obligation to pass on the data in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) GDPR, and
this is legally permissible and necessary, in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, for handling our contractual relationships with you.

Cookies

We use cookies on our website. These are small data files which are automatically created by your browser and stored on your device (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) when you visit our website. Cookies do not damage your device and they do not contain any viruses, Trojans or other harmful software.

The cookie stores information which arises in each case in connection with the specific device used. However, this does not mean that we are immediately informed of your identity.

First, using cookies helps us to make our service more convenient for you to use. For example, we use ‘session cookies’ to identify that you have already visited several pages on our website. These are automatically deleted when you leave our site.

In addition, we also use temporary cookies to optimise user-friendliness. These cookies are stored on your device for a certain set period of time. If you visit our site again to use our services, the fact that you have already visited will be automatically detected, along with the options and settings you selected, so that you do not need to enter these again.

Second, we use cookies to gather statistics about and evaluate the use of our website for the purpose of optimising our service for you (see point 5). When you visit our website again, these cookies allow us to automatically detect that you have already visited. These cookies will be automatically deleted after a defined period of time has passed in each case.

The data processed by cookies are necessary for the stated purposes in order to preserve our legitimate interests and those pursued by third parties in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies. However, you can configure your browser not to store any cookies on your computer or to always show you a message before a new cookie is created. Fully disabling cookies may mean, however, that you are unable to use all of the functions of our website.

Analysis tools

a) Tracking tools

The tracking measures listed below and used by us are implemented on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. The tracking measures used are intended to ensure a needs-based design and the continuing optimisation of our website. We also use the tracking measures to gather statistics about and evaluate the use of our website for the purpose of optimising our service for you. These interests are deemed legitimate within the meaning of the above-mentioned regulation.

The respective data processing purposes and data categories are set out for the corresponding tracking tools.

a.i) Google Analytics¹

For the purpose of needs-based design and continuing optimisation of our websites, we use Google Analytics, a web analysis service from Google Inc. (https://www.google.com/intl/en/about/) (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter “Google”). This involves the creation of pseudonymised user profiles and the use of cookies (see point 4). The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website, such as

browser type/version,
operating system used,
referrer URL (the previously visited site),
host name of the accessing computer (IP address),
time of the server request,

are transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The information is used to evaluate how the website is used, compile reports about the website activities and provide other services associated with the use of the website and the internet for the purposes of market research and needs-based design of these websites. This information may also be transmitted to third parties if required by law or if third parties process these data on its behalf. Under no circumstances will your IP address be combined with other data from Google. The IP addresses are anonymised, so no association is possible (IP masking).

You can prevent the installation of cookies by an appropriate setting in the browser software; however, in this case you may not be able to use all of the functions of this website in full.

You can also prevent the data created by the cookies and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) from being collected and processed by Google by downloading and installing a browser add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en).

As an alternative to the browser add-on, particularly for browers on mobile devices, you can also prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking on this link. This will place an opt-out cookie, which will prevent your data being collected when you visit this website in the future. The opt-out cookie applies only in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you will have to install the opt-out cookie again.

You can find more information on safeguarding your data in connection with Google Analytics on the Google Analytics Help page, for example (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en).

a.ii) Google Adwords Conversion Tracking

To gather statistics about and evaluate the use of our website for the purpose of optimising our website for you, we also use Google Conversion Tracking. This involves Google Adwords placing a cookie (see point 4) on your computer if you are directed to our website via a Google ad.

These cookies are no longer valid after 30 days and are not used for personal identification. If the user visits certain pages on the website of an Adwords customer and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and the customer can identify that the user has clicked on the ad and been directed to this page.

Each Adwords customer is given a different cookie. It is thus not possible to track cookies via the websites of Adwords customers. The information gathered by the conversion cookies is used to create conversion statistics for Adwords customers who have opted for conversion tracking. The Adwords customers can thus find out the total number of users who have clicked on their ad and been directed to a page provided with a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive any information which could be used to personally identify the users.

If you wish to opt out of the tracking process, you can also refuse the placing of a cookie which is required for this – for instance via a setting in your browser which disables the automatic placing of cookies in general. You can also disable cookies for conversion tracking by setting your browser in such a way that cookies from the domain “www.googleadservices.com” are blocked. You can find Google’s privacy notice on conversion tracking here:https://services.google.com/sitestats/en.html.

Active components

In the frame of offer of information of DR. SOLF & ZAPF Javascript is used. This function can be turned off by changing the internet browser.

Rights of the data subject

You have the right:

pursuant to Article 15 GDPR, to obtain access to your personal data processed by us. In particular, you can obtain access to information regarding the purposes of the processing, the category of personal data concerned, the categories of recipient to whom your data have been or will be disclosed, the envisaged period of storage, the existence of the right to rectification, erasure, restriction of processing or objection, the right to lodge a complaint, the source of your data if it was not collected by us, and the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling and any meaningful information on its details;
pursuant to Article 16 GDPR, to obtain without undue delay the rectification of incorrect or completion of your personal data stored by us;
pursuant to Article 17 GDPR, to obtain the erasure of your personal data stored by us, unless processing is necessary for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims;
pursuant to Article 18 GDPR, to obtain restriction of the processing of your personal data where the accuracy of the personal data is contested by you, the processing is unlawful, but you oppose the erasure of the data and we no longer need the data but they are required by you for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or you have objected to processing pursuant to Article 21 GDPR;
pursuant to Article 20 GDPR, to receive your personal data, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to transmit those data to another controller;
pursuant to Article 7(3) GDPR, to withdraw your previously given consent at any time. This means that we will no longer be permitted to continue the data processing based on this consent in the future, and
pursuant to Article 77 GDPR, to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Generally, in order to do so, you may refer to the supervisory authority in your habitual residence or place of work or in the location of our office.

Right to object

If your personal data are processed on the basis of legitimate interests according to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right, pursuant to Article 21 GDPR, to object to the processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation or if the objection is directed towards direct marketing. In the latter case, you have a general right to object, which we will implement without the need to specify a particular situation.

Should you wish to exercise your right of revocation or objection, all you need to do is send an email to datenschutz@solf-zapf.de.

Data security

Within the website visit, we use the popular SSL (Secure Socket Layer) procedure in conjunction with the highest encryption supported by your browser. This is usually 256 bit encryption. If your browser does not support 256 bit encryption, we will instead resort to 128 bit v3 technology. The lock or key symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your browser indicates that an individual page on our website is transmitted in encrypted form.

We also make use of suitable technical and organisational security measures to protect your data from accidental or deliberate manipulation, partial or complete loss, destruction or unauthorised access by third parties. We are continually making improvements to our security measures in line with technological developments.

Validity of and amendments to this data protection declaration

This data protection declaration is currently valid and was last updated in May 2018.

Further developments to our website and its offerings or changes to legal or official requirements may make it necessary to amend this data protection declaration. You can retrieve and print the currently valid data protection declaration at any time on our website at

https://solf-zapf.de/datenschutz?lang=en.

¹ For the use of Google Analytics to be permissible, data protection authorities require the conclusion of an agreement on contract data processing. We have concluded a data processing contract with Google.