This Web site is operated by HM&S. HM&S Web sites are subject to the following terms of use. HM&S reserves the right to update the terms of use at any time without notice. The current version of these terms can be reviewed by clicking on the "Terms of Use" hypertext link at the bottom of HM&S Web pages.
HM&S retains copyrights in all material produced by HM&S. For information and guidelines regarding permission to use specific copyrighted materials owned by HM&S or partners (e.g., text and images) see Permissions below on this page. If you do not find the copyright information you need on this Web site, please consult your legal counsel for advice.
References in this Web site to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, do not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by HM&S. The ideas and findings of authors expressed in any reports or other material should not be construed as an official HM&S position and shall not be used for advertising or product-endorsement purposes. Information contained on the HM&S Web sites is published in the interest of scientific and technical information exchange.
ANY MATERIAL AND INFORMATION FURNISHED BY HM&S IS FURNISHED ON AN "AS-IS" BASIS. HM&S MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ANY MATTER INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY, EXCLUSIVITY, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM USE OF THE MATERIAL. HM&,S DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO FREEDOM FROM PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.
Information from this server resides on a computer system funded by HM&S. The use of this system may be monitored for computer-security purposes.
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Many uses of HM&S or partner copyrighted materials require written permission, but in some cases written permission is not required (e.g., if permission is already granted in the document).
See the following general guidelines for more information, and be sure to check the guidelines for text and images below to determine whether you need written permission for your intended use of specific HM&S or partner copyrighted materials.
If you wish to use HM&S trademarks or service marks, the HM&S name, or any logo associated with HM&S in connection with any of your organization's goods or services, you must obtain written permission from HM&S. To request permission, please contact us and send the following information:
To expedite a response, please include all the above information in your request for permission.
It is permissible to copy something so long as the copying falls within what is called "fair use." Under the fair use doctrine, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. However, there is no clear-cut way to determine what is or is not fair use. There are no legal rules that limit fair use to a specific percentage of a copyrighted work or a specific number of words or musical notes. Factors to consider in determining whether a particular use constitutes fair use include the following:
These factors are not weighed equally; the fourth factor often takes precedence in copyright disputes.
HM&S technical documents and publications (e.g., reports, technical notes, manuals) are copyrighted materials. Written permission to use the materials may not be required if use falls within the limits of the fair use statute (see "Fair Use" above). If you wish to reprint articles from these HM&S publications for use in another publication, please submit your request to HM&S.
You should not assume that all items found on the HM&S Web sites (articles, white papers, reports, manuals, announcements, terms, documents, images, photos, etc.) are copyrighted by HM&S. Determine the identity of the copyright owner before requesting permission from HM&S. If other parties are identified as copyright owners, contact them directly for permission to use their copyrighted materials. If the copyright is attributed to the HM&S (or if there is no attribution) and permission to use materials is not granted in these guidelines, please contact HM&S for permission as described in General Guidelines.
Because we update many of our Web documents regularly, we would prefer that you link to our Web pages whenever possible rather than reproduce them. It is not necessary to request permission to make referential hypertext links to HM&S Web pages.
To use HM&S graphics (logos, diagrams, charts, pictures, etc.), please contact HM&S for permission as described in General Guidelines.
Media proprietor: HM&S IT Consulting GmbH, Rotmoosweg 52, A-8045 Graz; Austria
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The privacy of every one of our customers is important to HM&S.
Anyone may visit the public area of the HM&S website www.hms.org without disclosing personal data (name, address etc.). Personal data is only requested by HM&S if it is needed to optimize the services provided to you. The purpose of collecting personal data is to make it possible for you as an HM&S website user to adapt it to your own personal needs and to provide you with information, if required, on specific topics, also by eMail. The objective is also to make it easier for you to take part in competitions, use the services of the communities (e.g. forums, chats) and purchase products from the HM&S website.
Only registered users are permitted to access the password-protected area, i.e. the HM&S Extranet. Where the General Terms of Business for Sales on the Internet or special separate agreements for the various services contain information relating to data acquisition, such special conditions take priority over this Privacy Statement.
HM&S treats personal data provided by you online according to the principles enumerated below.
A. Disclosure and Transparency
The privacy statement explains how HM&S treats personal data and informs you about HM&S's data protection policy. Customers can make relevant inquiries, obtain specific information and order services and/or purchase products at the HM&S websites. To be able to supply such services, HM&S needs information about your identity, how to contact you and information to make the transactions possible, including the use of credit cards. It is HM&S´s aim to constantly improve the present websites and to orient its products and services to customers' requirements. To help us to achieve this aim we ask you to voluntarily supply us with detailed information about your field of work and activities, information about what you expect from and your assessment of HM&S products and services, your general opinion of how the HM&S websites are developing and the possibility of our contacting you.
B. Intended Use of Cookies
A cookie is a small file which is written to your hard disk by certain websites that you visit. A cookie can only contain the personal information that you yourself have volunteered. Under no circumstances are cookies able to read hard disks or to read cookies written to your hard disk by other sites. HM&S uses cookies to modify the services and products on offer at the HM&S websites to match your needs and to structure its content so that you can get the best out of it. We use information derived from cookies to improve the navigation structure of the HM&S websites and optimize their user-friendliness. A large part of the HM&S websites may also be viewed without cookies. HM&S only uses cookies when absolutely necessary. You can set your browsers to prevent cookies from being stored. You can also set your browser to notify you before cookies are received or you can turn off cookies permanently. Cookies that have been stored can be deleted at any time. Files containing cookies are usually stored in your browser directory.
C. Service-Oriented Data Processing and Use
Your data is processed and used by HM&S to help us to provide you with the best possible service to meet your needs. We use your data, for example, to help us to process transactions that you have requested, to pass on information about HM&S products and services and to further improve our website. Your credit card information will only be used in conjunction with payments and will neither be stored nor processed for any other purpose. HM&S may send you information on products and/or services and ask for your opinion on HM&S's development work. In agreeing to this Privacy Statement, you also expressly agree to being sent this kind information but you always have the option at any time of refusing it. You can also decline such inquiries and information in the future. To do so, please contact us. HM&S will then make every endeavor to ensure that no further information is sent to you. Furthermore, every user can stipulate in advance that no such inquiries and information are to be sent.
Bear in mind, however, that data from the area of the Communities (e.g. forums, chats) can be viewed and used by third parties, and that such activities are beyond the control of HM&S.
D. Passing on Data
Any personal data that you provide online to the HM&S websites will basically only be passed on to other HM&S Affiliates and/or business partners if deemed appropriate according to the principles outlined above. In such situations, by accepting this Privacy Statement, you expressly agree to the transfer of that data to any country where the scope of the data protection may differ from that of the country of the access-authorized user. In any other situation personal data will only be passed on to third parties after securing your prior consent or if we are required by law to do so. HM&S Affiliates and/or business partners are bound by the Data Protection Policy and Confidentiality Agreements in the same way as HM&S itself. Data provided by you online may also be linked to information passed on by HM&S when services or products are ordered.
E. Preliminary Information Subject to Consent
Under no circumstances will personal data that you provide online be used in any other way than that described here unless we inform you first and obtain your consent. That applies in particular to the possibility allowed for in certain HM&S Services of disclosing the names of Administrators and people with access authorizations, and also of creating directories containing the names of contacts within a customer company.
F. Update, Information and Amendment
HM&S strives to ensure that personal date is constantly kept up to date and accurate. You can inform HM&S of alterations to your personal data at any time or request your stored data to be deleted. To do so, please contact us by eMail. The data will then be updated and amended accordingly. If you wish HM&S will send you by email the personal data that you submitted to us when you registered at the HM&S website.
G. Data Security
HM&S makes every effort using the latest state of the art to protect personal data against accidental and illegal destruction and loss. HM&S endeavours to ensure that such data is used in a proper manner and to protect it from unauthorised access. Critical data (such as credit card information) is stored in SSL encrypted form only.
H. Data Confidentiality
HM&S personnel are under obligation to maintain data confidentiality even after termination of their employment relationship.
I. Further Development and Data Protection
The HM&S Data Protection Policy is based on our absolute commitment to actively protecting data and maintaining data confidentiality. HM&S regards continuous development and improvement of its data protection standards as an indispensable component of a successful data protection policy.