We collect as little personal information as the Service needs, we do not sell or share it, and our analytics are cookieless.
Scope
This policy describes how 137 Finder LLC, doing business as The Patent Finder ("we," "us," or "our"), handles personal information in connection with thepatentfinder.com (the "Service"). It does not apply to third-party sites we link to.
Information we collect
Reading the Service, looking up a company or patent, and using the expiration calculator require no personal information at all. If you use more of the Service, we collect:
- Account information: if you create an account, we collect the email address you sign in with. Sign-in uses a one-time emailed link; we do not collect or store a password.
- Watchlist data: the companies you choose to watch, and your alert preferences, tied to your account.
- Billing information: if you subscribe to Pro, our payment processor collects your payment details directly. We receive a subscription status and the processor's own customer and subscription identifiers, never your full card number.
- Verification information: if you verify a company on behalf of that company, we collect the business email address or domain used to verify, and any description, links, or logo the company supplies for its own page.
- Correspondence: if you email us, we keep that correspondence to respond and to keep a record of corrections.
We do not knowingly collect more personal information than the above.
Analytics
We use cookieless, privacy-friendly analytics to understand aggregate usage of the Service, such as which pages are viewed and how many visitors we have. This analytics method does not use cookies, does not track you across other sites, and does not build an individual profile of you.
How we use information
We use the information above to operate your account and watchlist, send the alerts and digests you sign up for, process Pro subscription billing, display a verified company's own supplied description and links on its page, respond to correspondence and corrections, and maintain the security and integrity of the Service.
We do not use your information to build third-party advertising profiles, and we do not run advertising on the Service.
How we share information
We do not sell or rent personal information. We share it only with service providers who need it to operate the Service, described here by category rather than by name:
- Hosting and content delivery, to serve the Service itself.
- A managed database, to store account, watchlist, and verification data.
- Analytics, as described above.
- Payment processing, for Pro subscriptions; this provider receives your payment details directly and is itself responsible for how it handles them.
- Email delivery, to send sign-in links, digests, alerts, and replies to correspondence.
We may also disclose information where required by law, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Service, our users, or the public.
Cookies and tracking
We do not use tracking cookies. Our analytics are cookieless, so there is no cookie consent banner on the Service. Signing in uses a session cookie that is strictly necessary to keep you signed in and is not used for tracking. See our Cookie Policy for more detail.
Legal bases for processing (GDPR)
Where the General Data Protection Regulation applies, we process personal information on these legal bases: performance of a contract (operating your account and subscription), legitimate interests (operating and securing the Service, aggregate analytics), and consent (where you choose to verify a company or contact us).
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise any of these rights, email support@thepatentfinder.com.
We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act, and we do not engage in cross-context behavioral advertising.
Retention
We keep account and watchlist information for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period after to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You may request deletion of your account at any time by emailing support@thepatentfinder.com.
Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children's privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact support@thepatentfinder.com and we will delete it.
International visitors
The Service is operated from the United States, and information we collect is processed and stored in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. A revised effective date will be posted with an updated version of this page.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your personal information can be sent to support@thepatentfinder.com.