Privacy Notice -

Access to web pages and files on our website.

Every time a user accesses our website and every time a file is retrieved, data concerning this event are automatically stored on our web server in a log file and processed. Specifically, the following data are stored about each access/retrieval:

• IP address of the requesting computer,
• date and time of the request,
• requested page/name of the file retrieved,
• amount of data transferred,
• indication whether the access/retrieval was successful,
• internet address, from where the site or file was retrieved or the desired function was requested,
• web browser used.

The aforementioned data including IP address are stored for the duration of the communication process to enable the use of our website. In addition the IP address will be stored for a short period of time to help ensure IT security, especially to protect and defend our IT systems against abuse and attacks.

For statistical purposes and to improve our website, the collected data are furthermore evaluated by means of Google Analytics.

Cookies.

In our website, we use so-called cookies. A cookie is a small file containing numbers and letters, which our web server transfers to your computer's hard disk and stores them in the file allocated to cookies.

We use temporary cookies to facilitate your navigating our website (session cookies); these cookies expire when the session is ended; at the latest, they are deleted when your close your web browser.

We furthermore use cookies that are applied beyond the session ("session overlapping cookies"), e.g., to story the history of your search queries and to display them to you. You can deactivate the storage of the history of your search queries.

Alongside of this, third parties use cookies (so-called third-party cookies) for services such as Google Analytics and Google AdSense (see below).

You can prevent cookies being stored via the settings in your web browser software. Web browsers generally provide various functions, via which you can receive further information, which you can access under "Help" in your web browser software. In general, you can set it so that all cookies are automatically blocked or that only cookies from certain websites are permissible or that you are warned before a cookie is stored. However, we would like to point out that blocking cookies on our website could, under certain circumstances, lead to a functional limitation of using our website and also the websites of other service providers.

The Internet Explorer 7.0, for example, enables blocking cookies as follows:
- Click onto the button "Extras" in the Internet Explorer and then click onto "Internet Options."

- Click onto the tab "Privacy" and move the slider to the privacy level you wish to use. When you select the level "Block all cookies," all cookies on all websites will be blocked; cookies that are already stored on your computer cannot be read by websites. You can also specify user-defined privacy settings.

For further information on blocking and deleting cookies, please refer to the Help function of your browser.

Google Analytics.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. However in the case of activation of the IP anonymization on this website, the IP address is shortened by Google within Member States of the European Union or contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Only in exceptional cases the full IP address is transferred to a Google server in the U.S.A. and shortened there.

Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google will not combine your IP address transferred by your browser in connection with Google Analytics with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

You can additionally prevent the detection and transmission of the data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) to Google and the processing of these data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser-plugin available at following link: http://tools.google.com/ dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

Google AdSense.

We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.

We apply Google AdSense on the basis of a contract with Google Ireland Limited (in the following: "Google") on our website and thus enable interest-related advertising. We do not select the advertisements displayed by advertisers on our website, but Google. Google collects information about you when you visit a website for which Google AdSense has been installed, stores it in a DoubleClick cookie on a data carrier in your computer, calls up the data and stores them. It cannot be excluded that it is stored in the USA or other states outside the scope of the European Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of October 24, 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (Official Journal No. L 281, pg. 31).

According to Google, the information they have collected about you will be used in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. Google analyzes all available information and creates a user profile, particularly focusing on what types of websites your visit. With the help of this information, ads are displayed on the basis of interest categories. According to Google, they do not display ads based on critical information or interest categories, such as categories based on race, religion, sexual orientation or finances, without your consent.

In the wake of ads being displayed on our website, third parties can also position and read out cookies on your computer and use web beacons to collect information about you.

You can prevent Google from creating a user profile.

In particular, this is possible by setting your browser. In the default setting, most browsers accept cookies. You can however set your browser so that either all cookies are refused, or it is displayed when a cookie is sent. However, should you disable your cookies, it is possible that some Google functions and services will not function properly, if your cookies are disabled. You can find further information on how to disable cookies, particularly DoubleClick cookies, in Google's Privacy Policy on the advertising and content advertising network.

Advertiser can furthermore display ads based on previous interactions of a user (e.g., calling up the advertiser's website). In Google's Ads Preference Manager, you can display and edit your interest categories to expand interest-related advertising.