IMPORTANT: HTRI respects the privacy of personal information which we may collect and which you may choose to share with us. Such personal information will be used in accordance with the disclosures in this Privacy Policy, as revised from time to time.

Our website (www.htri.net), the “Site,” is available to those interested in relevant news and information about HTRI products and services. When you view our website, we collect information about your user experience. This automated information collection includes “passively collected” information such as identifying product information, the domain name of the website that allowed you to navigate to the Site, search engines used, the internet protocol (IP) address used, the length of time spent on the Site, the pages you looked at on the Site, other websites you visited before and after visiting the Site, the type of internet browser you have, the frequency of your visits to the Site, and other relevant statistics, including the following:

• Log Information. When you access the Site, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you visit a website. These server logs may include information such as your web request, IP address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request, your computer operating system, mobile device and mobile operating system, name of your internet service provider or your mobile carrier, and one or more cookies (small text files containing a string of characters) that may uniquely identify your browser.
• Links. The Site may include links in a format that enables us to keep track of whether these links have been followed by IP addresses. We use this information to improve the quality of our Site and Services.
• Location Information. We may receive location data passed to us from location-enabled devices or that you have enabled, from your browser, or from third party services.
• Product Information. When you use HTRI products we may collect information that identifies the specific product you are using, such as the software name, version number, and serial number.
• URLs. When you visit or access the Site, we automatically receive the URL of the site from which you came and the site to which you are going when you leave the Site. Additionally, advertisers receive the URL of the page you were on when you click on an ad on the Site.
• Cookies. Part of our data collection process may involve the use of "cookies," which are small pieces of identifying information placed and stored on your computer by our server, which enable our system to more readily "recognize" you when you visit. Cookies are frequently used to enable sites to more efficiently provide service, such as to customize the display to suit your interests, note your interests while visiting our Site, and store information. It is our policy that any information obtained through the use of cookies will only be used internally by HTRI to better provide service to you and to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the Site. Cookies will not be used to track your activities outside of the Site or for any purpose not disclosed herein. You may elect not to accept "cookies" by setting your Internet options on your computer, however, please be advised that in that case, you may not be able to access part or all of this Site, or parts of this Site may not operate effectively.
• Web Beacons. Web beacons (also known as “pixel tags” or “clear GIFs”) are 1x1 single-pixel graphics that allow us to count the number of users who have visited or accessed the Site and to recognize users by accessing our cookies. We may employ web beacons to facilitate Site administration and navigation, to track the actions of users of the Site, to compile aggregate statistics about Site usage and response rates, and to provide an enhanced online experience for visitors to the Site. We may also include web beacons in HTML-formatted email messages that we send to determine which email messages were opened.
• Aggregate Information. We may compile certain personal information and other information collected through the Site on an aggregate basis. This information may include, without limitation, the number of people who have visited the Site and other user demographics. Such aggregate information does not identify you individually.

Website Login Account. If you elect to create a website login account for the Site, we will collect certain information from you to create the account including your name, employer, work address, email address, and telephone number. We need this information to create your account, comply with applicable regulations, to communicate information, and supply products and services. If your account is approved, we will provide information to you regarding preferences and passwords. You may change your preferences at any time by following the instructions provided with your account.

Personal Information We Collect.

A. Information You Give Us

This Privacy Policy covers information you provide to us via the Site, via use of HTRI products and services that connect to this Site, or otherwise communicate to us, and does not alter or affect the terms and conditions of any other agreement you may have or enter into with HTRI for any given product or service. Some pages on this Site have restricted access ("Secured Sites"), including project extranets or sites engaged in e-commerce, existing or future sites, or sites in foreign locations. These sites may require the application of additional or special privacy disclosures, which will be posted on the home page of that site.

We may collect certain information about you and your use of the Site using tracking technologies or other passive means to help us improve our products and your experience when accessing our Site. We also may ask you to submit personal information such as credit card information to pay for products and services, or your employer information like address, job title, and work phone number to verify your member company affiliation or to register for an HTRI event. We may also collect information to comply with government regulations. Once you provide us with personal information about you, you are no longer anonymous to us. This information may include:

• Registration Information: You may be required to provide information such as your name, employer, employer address, work phone number, work email address.
   
• Payment Information: You may be required to provide payment information in the form of credit and/or debit card information so that we may process the transaction.
   
• User Testimonials: You may choose to provide us with user testimonials. This information may be made public to users of the Site and other third parties.
   
• Additional Information: Additional information you provide to us may include your feedback, messages, emails, and answers to surveys or questionnaires that you may submit, as well as any contact information you provide in order to receive updates from us.
   

B. Location Information.

We may collect your IP address, which could provide us with general information about your location. We use this information to identify your eligibility to access certain portions of the Site and to comply with applicable export sanctions and regulations. Some HTRI products and services we provide require more specific location information such as your work address. If you elect not to provide the information we may not be able to provide the products and services you request.

C. How We Use Your Information.

We may share collected information in the circumstances described below. Personal information may be transferred and/or accessed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States. Please note that your information will not be considered subject to any obligation of confidentiality.

• We may use such information to provide you with the requested information, goods, services, or materials, for internal research, for marketing and data analysis, to send you updates and news concerning HTRI and its business partners, and better assist you with any future requirements.
   
• It is our policy not to disclose, sell, or market your personal information to any unaffiliated third party without your prior permission. However, we may transfer or disclose your information to our staff, members, partners, contractors, and suppliers, subject to use as outlined in this policy.
   
• You agree that any ideas, material, or content submitted on or through this Site becomes the sole property of HTRI, and HTRI has no obligation of confidentiality nor are we responsible for any claims of infringement or misappropriation that may result from any submission.
   
• We may disclose your information to any person, specifically to any governmental agency, without notice, if we in good faith believe that such is required to comply with law, to protect HTRI interests including this Site, and in response to any emergency situation.
   
• We may share personal information in accordance with any consent you provide.
   

How You May Review and Correct Your Collected Personal Information. You can always choose whether or not to provide information on the Site. However, without the information, we may not be able to provide you some products and services. You may contact us at any time at [email protected] requesting to review your personal information, if any, which we may have collected, and request that your personal information be corrected, supplemented, or permanently deleted from our systems.

No Warranties. We employ reasonable security precautions to help protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of personal information provided on or through the Site. Due to the numerous technical and operational uncertainties, we cannot make any warranty, guarantee or representation concerning the accuracy, thoroughness, completeness, or currency of your information, nor over our ability to control, correct, access, handle, process, use, store or transfer such information, and all such warranties are hereby disclaimed.

Protection of Your Personal Information. While we strive to undertake appropriate and reasonable measures to safeguard your information, please remember that, due to the many technical uncertainties, complete security of Internet transmissions cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, you understand and agree that HTRI is unable to provide any warranty, guarantee, or representation concerning the protection of your information or concerning the existence or effectiveness of any security measures undertaken. HTRI will not be liable for any claims, losses, or damages resulting from access by an unauthorized third party, or the introduction of viruses, worms, or other harmful elements into the system and their possible effects on personal information contained on the Site.

Data Protection Directive. The Site is currently hosted in the United States but that may change without notice to you. Applicable data privacy laws and regulations, (including GDPR), may afford you certain rights, including the right: (i) to know what personal data we hold about you and to request copies of such data; (ii) to review, update and request that we stop using or delete personal data that is inaccurate or processed in a non-compliant manner; (iii) to unsubscribe from direct marketing emails and to request that we stop processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes; (iv) to request data portability; (v) to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data; (vi) to the extent our processing of your personal data is based on your consent, to withdraw your consent; (vii) in certain circumstances, to object for legitimate reasons to the processing of your personal data.

In certain jurisdictions, including countries in the EU, EEA and the United Kingdom, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority regarding any non-complaint processing by us of your personal data.

We will not keep or process your personal data for longer than is necessary. However, if we retain your personal data, we will continue to keep it in accordance with any applicable statutory or professional retention periods.

We transfer personal data to third parties using secure methods. For purposes of this clause, “transfers of personal data" means any sharing of personal data by us with a third party, including but not limited to the following:

(a) storing personal data on servers outside the EEA,

(b) subcontracting the processing of personal data to data processors located outside the EEA, and

(c) granting to third parties located outside the EEA access rights to the personal data.

(d) if you are an authorized contact for your company, including your business contact information in the HTRI Membership Roster published in the HTRI website for members only.

Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL HTRI, AND ITS STAFF, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, CONTRACTORS, SUPPLIERS, VENDORS, INSURERS AND AGENTS, BE LIABLE TO YOU OR TO ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY COSTS, DAMAGES (INCLUDING ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES), OR LIABILITY OF ANY NATURE, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE, RESULTING FROM THE COLLECTION, USE, TRANSFER, PROCESSING, HANDLING, CONTENT, OR STORAGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION OBTAINED OR SUBMITTED BY YOU RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS AND USE OF THIS SITE.

Changes to Privacy Policy. Since we are constantly making changes and upgrades to our systems and services and how we manage your personal information, we anticipate updating this Privacy Policy from time-to-time. We reserve the right to revise the content of this Privacy Policy in any manner and at any time, without notice; the date of revision will be noted in the policy. Each time you access the site you should check for any changes.

Minors.

Our website contains information intended for engineers and the public who may have an interest in HTRI products and services; it is not directed at minors. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you know that a user is under the age of 18, notify us at [email protected].

External Links. The Site may contain links to websites that we do not control. When you click on one of these links, you will no longer be transacting business through the Site. Third party websites maintain their own privacy policies, and we do not exercise any control over any of the third-party websites that may be linked to the Site. If you visit a website that is linked to the Site, you should consult that website’s privacy policy before providing any personal information. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites or their use of your personal information.

Governing Law. All matters relating to the Site and this Privacy Policy, and any dispute or claim arising therefrom or related thereto (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims), will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Texas, United States of America, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Texas or any other jurisdiction).

Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of, or related to, this Privacy Policy or the Site shall be instituted exclusively in the state and federal courts of Grimes and Harris counties, although we retain the right to bring any suit, action or proceeding against you in your country of residence or any other relevant country. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.

Questions. If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Revision Date: 12/20/2024