Legal Information

Effective date: Thursday, June 25, 2009

This Web site is provided for information and entertainment purposes only, and represents no obligation on the part of its owners and operators (we, us, our) to anyone accessing or using it (you, your), and should not be considered any kind of contract between us and any other party.

The information presented on this Web site is provided "as is," with all faults. We do not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information, and make no warranties, either express or implied, about its quality or availability. We assume no liability, and you acknowledge and agree that accessing and using this information is done so at your own discretion and risk, with you bearing sole responsibility for and waiving any and all claims and causes of action with respect to any and all damages, losses, or consequences that may arise from its use.

This Web site may link to or utilize other Web sites or Internet resources. You acknowledge and agree that we are not responsible for the availability or actions of such external sites or resources, do not endorse and are not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products or other materials or services on or available through such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that we shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such Web site or Internet resource.

This Web site is intended for adults over the age of 18. If a minor finds it necessary to access this site and content, utilize the information presented, or to contact us, they should do so through, and with the approval of, a parent or legal guardian.

This legal statement supercedes all previous versions of this statement. We reserve the right to modify this statement at any time and without notice.

Certain content on this Web site may be the copyrighted property of other entities, and is being used in a "fair use" manner and to the benefit of the copyright owner(s), with no intention of infringement. We have a good faith belief that such content is being used in compliance with U.S. and International copyright laws. All other material is copyright © 2009, Mark Spencer and Gabrielle Renoir, all rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced or otherwise used without permission from the respective copyright owner.

To make a claim of copyright or intellectual property infringement

We repect the intellectual property and copyrights of others, and make every attempt to comply with U.S. and International copyright and trademark law. If you believe your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, or that your intellectual property rights have otherwise been violated, please email webmaster@gracelandthenovel.com and provide the following information:

1. Your name. If you are the agent of, or authorized to act on behalf of the actual copyright owner, indicate as such and provide the name of the actual copyright owner.
2. A description of the work being infringed.
3. A description of where on our Web site the work in question is being infringed.
4. A return email address or phone number where you may be contacted.

We make every effort to protect your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy is provided to inform you about our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

Information sharing and disclosure

Unless otherwise stated, any personal information or other details about you are for our own internal use, and will not be published anywhere on our Web site, under any circumstances. Also, your personal information will not be disclosed to any third party without your knowledge and consent, except in one or more of the following special circumstances:

• At the request of government or law enforcement authorities.
• In response to a subpoena or court order, or to comply with a legal process.
• To establish or exercise our legal rights, defend against legal claims, or to protect our property and interests.
• To investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, such as theft, fraud, or situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person(s) or the public.
• To verify or enforce compliance with the policies governing our Web site, or to protect against unauthorized use or abuse of our Web site.
• Any other situation requiring us to do so by law.

Children under 18 years of age

We do not market products or services targeted to children, solicit any information (personally identifiable or otherwise) from children, or target children for unsolicited communications.

Use of personal information

Unless otherwise specified, any information, personally identifiable or otherwise, is used to operate and improve our Web site, to communicate with you when necessary, to provide you with information you request, and to resolve any disputes or problems.

Information we require

We do not require you to submit your personal information in order to access and use this Web site in general. Certain features of this site (notably the email notification feature), by their nature, require one or more items of personal information in order to function. Use of these features is discretionary and strictly optional.

Information we ask for

We neither ask for nor collect vital personal information, such as date of birth, driver's license number, social security number, etc. We do request your name and minimum contact information as necessary in some circumstances, such as matters of correspondence where a reply from us is necessary, or in connection with a claim of copyright infringement. In other cases, you may be prompted to provide your name or email address in connection with a particular feature on our Web site. Doing so is strictly optional and at your own discretion.

Information you give us

Certain features of this Web site (notably the comments feature) allow you to post your own content for publication. This content is, by nature, publicly displayed. You are cautioned against posting any information that would be considered private or confidential. We can not be held liable for information posted in such a manner. If such information is posted accidentally by you, or by somebody else without your authorization, please email webmaster@gracelandthenovel.com and provide details of the situation, and we will work to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

We can not guarantee with absolute certainty, that information you give to us voluntarily, in an unsolicited manner or in a manner otherwise not outlined in this Privacy Policy, can be safeguarded and kept confidential. Such information is provided to us at your own discretion and risk.

Other sources of personal information

It is possible that we may obtain information about you in a manner not specifically set forth in this Privacy Policy. For example, you might volunteer the information without us requesting it directly, or we may receive it from a third party.

Information collected automatically

For every resource (Web page, image file, other file type or resource, etc.) that is requested from our servers, a log entry will be generated and stored in a log file. This log entry will contain an Internet Protocol (IP) address number, along with the date and time of the request, the identity of the resource being requested, and network connection information (e.g., the amount of data transferred and the amount of time taken to complete the transfer). This information is collected in order to diagnose technical problems with our servers and network, prevent abuse of our Web site and network bandwidth, produce statistical data, and improve the overall quality and performance of our Web site. These log files are retained for a variable length of time.

In addition to IP addresses, other information, as reported by your Internet browser software, may be logged. This information may include, but is not necessarily limited to, information about your Internet browser software (e.g., brand and version), information about your operating system and screen resolution, referring Internet domain and Web page, and possibly other information. This information is used to produce statistical and demographic data, and to improve the overall design, quality, and performance of our Web site. You may be able to block or change this information. Please consult the help documentation of your Internet browser software if you wish to do so.

Cookies and Web beacons

At this time, we do not use cookies or Web beacons on this site.

Third party tracking software

At this time, we do not utilize third party tracking software or services.

Third party advertisers

At this time, we do not display third party ads, or link to third party advertising services from this Web site.

User identification

At this time, we do not utilize usernames, passwords, or any other system of login or user identification.

Links to other Web sites

This Web site contains links to other sites, each of which have separate and independent privacy policies. We can neither attest to nor assume responsibility for the policies, content, or conduct of those Web sites.

Opting-in and opting-out of automated communications

In order to receive automated email communications from us, you must opt-in by supplying your email adddress, then by confirming that address by responding to a messsage sent to that address. This message will contain a link with an embedded confirmation code. You must visit the linked Web page and follow the instructions in order to opt-in for the chosen automated communication. If you don't complete these steps, no automated messages will be sent to the email address in question. These steps are in place in order to prevent unwanted messages from reaching the email address of someone who did not request them.

Each automated message we send to you will contain the same link and embedded code that will allow you to activate or deactivate automated communications at any time. The code is used for security purposes, in order to prevent unauthorized parties from tampering with the information we have on file for you, and is also provided seperately when you opt-in. It is recommended that you save either the code itself, or the link with the code embedded, as this information will allow you to activate or deactivate automated email communications at any time. To activate or deactivate automated email communications by entering the code separately, please visit our email confirmation page and follow the instructions.

If you choose to opt-out, your email address is retained on a "do not email" list as an extra precaution to ensure that unwanted messages are not sent to you. Email addresses are retained for a variable length of time, and are usually deleted from our database when the purpose in asking for them has been fulfilled (e.g., a notification campaign is completed).

Email addresses submitted to us to receive automated communications will receive only messages reflective of the stated purpose of the particular communication you choose to opt-in to. We will never send you messages containing content or information outside of the scope of information you choose to receive.

Anti-spam policy

We take a strong stance against email spam, as we spend considerable time and effort combatting it ourselves. We promise never to send unwanted, off-topic, or offensive email messages to you or anyone else. We will also never sell, rent, trade, or in any way disclose your email address or other personal information to anyone else for the purpose of spam.

If you receive any unwanted email purporting to be from us, even if you feel it is not actually from us, please contact us at: webmaster@gracelandthenovel.com, and we will investigate immediately.

Security

We take every precaution to safeguard the security of your personal information, as well as all data in our possession. These precautions include technical safeguards, such as employee usernames and passwords, data encryption, firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as internal policies and protocols based on industry standards and best practices. In addition, employee access to personal information is on a strictly "need to know" basis.

Data retention

All data in our possession, including personal information, is retained for a variable length of time. Due to government regulations and legal concerns, especially in matters of dispute resolution, some data is retained permanently. Other data may be deleted when no longer needed.

Notification of Changes

We review this privacy policy annually, but may amend it at any time. When we do, we will post the new Privacy Policy and the date it takes effect. Please check our site on a regular basis for information about revisions to our Privacy Policy.

Contacting us

If you have any questions or comments concerning this stated Privacy Policy, or feel that this Web site is not complying with or enforcing it, please contact webmaster@gracelandthenovel.com.