Privacy Policy

First and foremost: Our software never sends your keyboard input to us or anywhere else. We have done business for more than 20 years with a registered office in Germany, a country with some of the strictest privacy regulations in the world. Our software is installed locally on your computers and your data is yours (of course, with the exception if you configure to sync data in the cloud).

In compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this page contains the information we collect, store, and how it is used during your visit to our Internet pages, our social media platform pages, when using our software products and when you perform a direct order.

Responsible for data protection issues

Responsible for data protection issues is the managing director of Bartels Media GmbH.

This is the suitable contact if you wish to get information about the use, correction or removal of your personal data.

Glossary

  • Personal data are individual details about personal or factual circumstances of a specific or identifiable natural person. This includes information such as your real name, address, telephone number and date of birth.
  • Every time you visit an Internet page, your terminal always sends an IP address to our web server so that data can be exchanged. This IP address can be used to track your Internet connection.
  • Cookies are small text files that your browser stores on your computer so that it can recognize your browser when you visit the Internet site later, so that you do not have to log on again each time you visit, for example. You can set your browser, so that you are informed about the setting of cookies, decide on acceptance on a case-by-case basis or generally exclude the acceptance of cookies. In this case, however, not all functions of our website may be fully usable.
  • Anonymization is the processing of personal data in such a way that this data can no longer be assigned to a specific data subject.
  • Pseudonymization is the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data can no longer be assigned to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that this additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures which ensure that the personal data are not assigned to an identified or identifiable natural person.
  • The hosting provider provides internet pages on servers that are connected to the Internet.
  • JavaScript extends the functionality of Internet pages. You can deactivate JavaScript using a JavaScript blocker, such as the browser plug-in 'NoScript' (www.noscript.net) or, if necessary, in the browser settings. In this case, not all functions of our Internet pages can be used.

Data protection declaration for our Internet pages

Our hosting provider collects and stores your IP address, every time our website is being accessed. In addition, non-personal information such as the type, language setting and version of your browser software, the operating system, the website from which reference was made to our website, name and URL of any downloaded file, transmitted data volume, messages about the status of the transfer (HTTP response code) and the time and date of access are stored. This data is used to optimize our website, for access statistics and to avert threats in the event of attacks on our or our hosting provider's information technology systems. If you visit our website, a technically required session cookie is stored for the duration of your website visit. No third party has access to it and it will be deleted after leaving our website. We do not merge pseudonymized usage data with the data of the bearer of the pseudonym and we do not create pseudonymous usage profiles.

The web server is physically hosted in Germany in a locations with various data security/privacy certificates. Please learn more at https://www.maincubes.com/infothek/downloads/#zertifizierungen

Email

When you send us an email, it is stored on our hosting provider's server and downloaded to our office computers via an encrypted Internet connection.

E-mails include your e-mail address, message, subject, time stamp and the IP address you used at the time of sending.

German Tax Code and Commercial Code oblige us to keep an archive of the e-mail correspondence. After the 10-year retention period has expired, we will destroy this data.

Since complete data security cannot be guaranteed when communicating by email, use post mail if you have a high confidentiality need.

Newsletter

You can subscribe to e-mail newsletters to stay informed about our products and offers.

After entering your e-mail address and selecting the desired subject areas, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to activate the subscription ("Double Opt-In"), as we must validate the email address to prevent misuse.

We store your e-mail address, time stamp of the registration, the IP address, browser type and version, operating system, that you used when subscribing to the newsletter to verify the subscription confirmation and to prevent/track misuse. No further data will be collected. The data will be used exclusively for the newsletter.

Each newsletter contains a link to unsubscribe at any time. You can also unsubscribe via our website or by contacting us. Your data will be automatically deleted after a six months retention period which is required to provide evidence of your newsletter registration.

For the duration of your request for a removal from the newsletter system, we store your email in a blacklist which prevents any newsletter related email delivery.

Youtube

We entertain a Youtube account to keep you informed about our products. When visiting Youtube, user data is processed outside the EU. When using the platform, user data such as your IP address and, if applicable, user profiles are collected in order to be able to select and display targeted advertising according to user interests using cookies, for example. Furthermore, data for computer identification is collected and stored in order to be able to recognize you on other Internet pages while you are logged on to the "Social Media" platform with your user account.

You will find the respective data protection declaration and opt-out objection option below:

Web Shop Orders

If you order online via the web shop, the order is placed by our eCommerce partner "Digital River GmbH", Scheidtweilerstr. 4, 50933 Cologne, who is the contractual partner for your online purchase. Their privacy policy can be accessed on the shopping cart webpage.

Direct orders

Businesses can order software directly from us, for example by e-mail or fax.

We store the name, address and e-mail address and VAT ID of the customer and, if applicable, of the licensee information for order processing / documentation / proof in order to meet accounting and general recording obligations. This data is destroyed after 10 years of statutory retention.

Data transfer/purpose binding

We only pass on personal data to third parties if this is necessary for us to fulfill our contractual obligations, in particular to process a concluded contract, or legal obligations. Personal data will not be passed on to third parties except for the aforementioned purposes of contract and payment processing.

If you provide us with personal data within the scope of an express consent, this data will only be used for the purpose on which the consent is based and which you have agreed to in advance. We will only store your personal data for as long as this is necessary for the intended purpose of data collection or required by law. You can revoke your consent at any time.

Your concerns worthy of protection will be taken into account in accordance with the statutory provisions. You can obtain information about the stored data concerning you from the responsible body.

Our software products

Our products never transmit text input or clipboard contents to us or third parties without your prior approval.

Our software for Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac

License key registration

In the course of the license key (de)registration, our software transmits the license key, the IP address, an anonymizing ID hash value derived from the user name via an encrypted connection to our Internet server to allow us to check compliance with the license provisions.

When registering the license key, the license key, time of access, an ID hash value derived from the anonymized user name are stored.

With the license key deregistration, which you can perform in the software, this data is permanently deleted.

Software update check

After your prior consent, our software can optionally perform online software update checks. A part of the license key, an anonymized ID hash value derived from the Windows user name or Mac account name, the version number and selected language is transmitted via an encrypted Internet connection. None of this information is stored.

External online services

PhraseExpress may include independent external online service providers, such as DeepL and OpenAI for optional text processing features, such as language translation. The use of such an external service is optional and solely at your request with your consent. If you enter the API key of such service into PhraseExpress, it will be sent to to the respective online service provider for authorization and your account status is returned to your local PhraseExpress installation. If use any text processing feature of the respective online service through PhraseExpress, your input will be sent to the online service which will return the result to your local PhraseExpress installation. We do not receive, process or store any such data.

Diagnostic mode

Only on your request and with your consent, our software can optionally be launched in a diagnostic mode which captures system information and, if applicable, keystrokes and text inputs into a local-only text file. Upon your express consent, the software can optionally send this diagnostic file to us for error diagnosis after your express confirmation and, if applicable, your earlier content revision. This information will not be sent without your consent and/or not be sent to third parties at any time.

PhraseExpress for iOS

If you have iCloud Drive enabled on your device, the app optionally sends the stored phrases to Apple iCloud Drive servers, so your phrases stay in sync on all your iPhone/iPads, Mac or Windows PC. This feature can be turned off in the PhraseExpress App settings or by disabling iCloud Drive.

The PhraseExpress custom keyboard requires activiation of the mode "Full access" (terminology by Apple) to detect autotext text shortcut detection. The PhraseExpress App also needs access to the file system to load/save the phrase file. PhraseExpress never sends any keyboard input or phrases to us.

Amendment of the provisions

We reserve the right to adapt this data protection declaration in order to comply with new legal requirements or to take account of changes in our services. The new data protection declaration will then apply for your next visit.

Your Rights

You may contact us either in writing or by emailing us in order to exercise the following rights to the extent your entitled to so under applicable law:

  • You may access your personal data to check and review such data;
  • You may request a copy of your personal data;
  • You may demand that we supplement, correct or delete your personal data; or cease or restrict the collection, processing, use or disclosure of your personal data; the right of rectification also comprises the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement;
  • You may object to the processing of your personal data;
  • You may request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and – subject to your acquisition of the respective copyrights or other required rights – have it transmitted to another controller, provided that the processing is based on your respective consent or to execute a contractual relationship or a relationship prior to entering into a contract with you.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in relation to the processing of your personal data.

Your Bartels Media Team