document: title: privacy statement (updated)
text: Updated: September 2002

WindowsMedia.com is committed to protecting your privacy and developing technology that gives you the most powerful and safe online experience. This Privacy Statement applies to the data collection and use practices of WindowsMedia.com; it does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft websites, products, or services. 

Other Microsoft websites, products, and services may have their own privacy statements – for example, you can view the privacy statements for the Windows Media Player and MSN by clicking on the following links. 

  * Windows Media Player Version 7 Privacy Statement
  * Windows Media Player Version 8 Privacy Statement
  * MSN Statement of Privacy



By using WindowsMedia.com websites and services, you consent to the data practices described in this statement. Please see the WindowsMedia.com Terms of Use and Notices page for more information.

The following list of topics will be covered in this Privacy Statement:  
What is WindowsMedia.com?  
What Information Does WindowsMedia.com Gather?  
What Information Does WindowsMedia.com Share with Others?  
The Use of Cookies by WindowsMedia.com  
The Use of Third Party Ad Networks  
Links to Third Party Retailers  
The Use of Web Beacons  
Communication with Streaming Media Servers  
Security of Information  
Changes to this Privacy Statement  
TRUSTe Certification  
Enforcement of this Privacy Statement  
Contact Information

What is WindowsMedia.com?  
WindowsMedia.com consists of a family of websites and web based services. The websites consist of the WindowsMedia.com home page and all pages that are distributed from that domain. 

The WindowsMedia.com services include the following: 

  * Metadata Retrieval. Returns general and detailed metadata for CD's, DVD's, and media files to enhance the playback experience. General data might include album art, track names, or lyrics. Detailed data might include a bio on the artist. 
  * Metadata Submission. Allows user's to submit additional general and detailed metadata for CD's, DVD's, and media files to WindowsMedia.com in cases where the metadata provided by Windowsmedia.com is incomplete or inaccurate. This service allows users to help improve the quality of the Metadata Retrieval service for other users. 
  * Media Guide. An immersive set of web pages focused on finding available media to play in Windows Media format. 
  * Radio Tuner. An immersive set of web pages focused on finding available online radio stations. 
  * Codec Download. A service that allows users to acquire certain Codecs automatically during playback if they are not resident on the user's system. 
  * Player Update. A service that allows users to detect and acquire updated Windows Media Player components. 
  * Newsletter Signup. The Media Guide provides a link to the MSN Newsletter service to allow user's to signup for the Windowsmedia.com newsletter. 
  * Downloadable Skins. A web page focused on additional skins users can download and install. 
  * Downloadable Visualizations. A web page focused on additional visualizations users can download and install.



The WindowsMedia.com services are utilized by Microsoft Windows software such as Microsoft Windows Media Player and Microsoft Internet Explorer. 

What Information Does WindowsMedia.com Gather?  
In general, WindowsMedia.com does not collect personally identifiable information, such as name, address, or telephone number. WindowsMedia.com does ask for your e-mail address which is a piece of personally identifiable information, if you sign-up for the WindowsMedia.com newsletter. WindowsMedia.com uses the MSN Newsletter Service to deliver you the WindowsMedia.com newsletter. If you wish to remove yourself from the email distribution list you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the newsletter. 

To create a more personal experience, WindowsMedia.com may prompt you for anonymous demographic information, such as your zip code. Your zip code is used to provide you location based services such as local radio stations. Providing anonymous demographic information is optional. 

WindowsMedia.com keeps track of the websites and pages you visit within WindowsMedia.com, in order to determine what WindowsMedia.com websites and services are the most popular. This data may be used in an aggregate form by WindowsMedia.com to deliver content that customers may be interested in. 

WindowsMedia.com automatically collects certain standard information about your computer hardware and software when you visit its site and stores this information in a log. This standard information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. The log also includes any data WindowsMedia.com receives when processing service requests. WindowsMedia.com retains its daily logs for 12 months. 

As described in greater detail below, WindowsMedia.com collects information through the use of cookies and web beacons, and uses that information to operate WindowsMedia.com websites and deliver the services you have requested. 

What Information Does WindowsMedia.com Share with Others?  
If you sign-up for the WindowsMedia.com newsletter, WindowsMedia.com will send your email address to the MSN Newsletter Service which maintains the distribution list and delivers the newsletters. 

Any information you enter and submit to WindowsMedia.com to improve the quality of the Metadata Retrieval service may be shared with other users of the service. Do not enter any information you do not want others to use and see. 

WindowsMedia.com may share aggregate information with other Microsoft websites and services, such as anonymous visitor statistics. 

WindowsMedia.com does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as providing customer support or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of that information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. 

WindowsMedia.com websites may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft or the website; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft, WindowsMedia.com or an MSN website; or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Microsoft, its websites, or the public. 

Personal information collected on WindowsMedia.com websites and services may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents maintain facilities, and by using WindowsMedia.com websites and services, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country or region. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union. 

The Use of Cookies by WindowsMedia.com  
A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. 

A cookie will be sent to WindowsMedia.com whenever its services are accessed. The cookie allows WindowsMedia.com to personalize your WindowsMedia.com experience such as storing your Radio Tuner presets. The cookie also contains a unique identifier which allows WindowsMedia.com to generate anonymous visitor statistics. 

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of WindowsMedia.com or other websites you visit. For example if you decline cookies, most WindowsMedia.com features will continue to be available, but some features, such as the Radio Tuner presets, will not function correctly. 

The Use of Third Party Ad Networks  
The majority of the online banner advertisements you see on WindowsMedia.com websites are displayed by MSN. Because of this, MSN may also place cookies on your computer. In addition, WindowsMedia.com and MSN allow other companies, called third-party ad servers or ad networks, to display advertisements on WindowsMedia.com websites. Some of these ad networks may place a persistent cookie on your computer in order to deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. WindowsMedia.com does not have access to or control of the cookies that may be placed by the third-party ad servers or ad networks.   
MSN maintains relationships with a number of the third-party ad networks currently operating such as: 24/7 Real Media; AdForce; AdKnowledge; AppNet/admaximize/i33; Avenue A; BlueStreak.com; CFM&Z; Click Here; DoubleClick; Flycast; Interad Network; MatchLogic; Mediaplex; Sabela Media; The Thinking Media; and Vita Bella. Those ad networks that use persistent cookies may offer you a way to opt out of ad targeting. You may find more information at the website of either the individual ad network or the Network Advertising Initiative. 

Links to Third Party Retailers  
To make it easier for you to make online purchases, WindowsMedia.com may include links to third party retailers. If you click on these links, these third party Web sites may attempt to place cookies on your computer. Any personal information you provide to these sites will be governed by the sites’ privacy statements. WindowsMedia.com does not have access to any cookies placed by these third party sites and is not responsible for the privacy statements or information collection practices of any sites outside of the Microsoft and MSN family of Web sites. 

The Use of Web Beacons  
WindowsMedia.com web pages may contain electronic images known as Web beacons - sometimes called single-pixel gifs - that allow WindowsMedia.com to count users who have visited those pages and to deliver co-branded services. WindowsMedia.com may include web beacons in WindowsMedia.com Newsletters in order to count how many messages have been opened. 

Web beacons collect only a limited set of information including a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the Web beacon resides. WindowsMedia.com web pages may also contain Web beacons placed there by an advertising partner, to help WindowsMedia.com determine the effectiveness of our Internet advertising campaigns. 

Web beacons are not used to access your personally identifiable information while visiting WindowsMedia.com websites or using its services; they are an industry standard technique we use to compile aggregated statistics about WindowsMedia.com website usage. 

Communication with Streaming Media Servers  
One of the primary functions of the WindowsMedia.com is to allow access to streaming audio, video, and radio stations. The streaming media servers that provide this content are typically operated by non-Microsoft content providers, and are not under Microsoft's control. During playback of streaming media, Windows Media Player will send the streaming media server a log. It is the responsibility of the content provider to disclose to you whether the logs are shared with third parties and how the logs are used. For more information about your privacy and the playback of streaming media, see the privacy statement for your Windows Media Player. 

Security of Information  
WindowsMedia.com is committed to protecting the security of any personal information you provide. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. For example, we store the personal information you provide on computer servers with limited access, that are located in controlled facilities. 

Changes to this Privacy Statement  
WindowsMedia.com will occasionally update this Privacy Statement to reflect company and customer feedback. When WindowsMedia.com posts changes to this statement, you will see the phrase "updated on <date of update>" next to the Privacy Statement link on the pages of WindowsMedia.com. If there are material changes to this statement or in how WindowsMedia.com will use your personally identifiable information, WindowsMedia.com will prominently post such changes prior to implementing the change. WindowsMedia.com encourages you to periodically review this statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information. 

TRUSTe Certification  
WindowsMedia.com is a member of the TRUSTe Privacy Program. TRUSTe is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to build trust and confidence in the Internet by promoting the use of fair information practices. Because this Web site wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, it has agreed to disclose its information practices and have its privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe. 

Enforcement of this Privacy Statement  
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should first contact WindowsMedia.com via e-mail. If you do not receive acknowledgment of your inquiry or your inquiry is not satisfactorily addressed, you should then contact TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org/users/users_watchdog.html. TRUSTe will serve as a liaison with the Web site to resolve your concerns. 

Contact Information  
Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this Privacy Statement. Please send your feedback to WindowsMedia.com via telephone, e-mail, or postal mail. 

WindowsMedia.com Privacy  
Microsoft Corporation  
One Microsoft Way  
Redmond, Washington 98052  
425-882-8080  
Email: wmcpriv@microsoft.com