I. Introduction
This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains your privacy and confidentiality rights, the steps the Levantine Ceramics Project (“LCP”) takes to protect your privacy when you use its resources, and how we deal with personally identifiable information that we may collect from our users. This Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with the LCP’s Terms of Use Agreement (“User Agreement”). Capitalized terms appearing in this Privacy Policy shall have the same meaning as those terms are defined in the User Agreement.
As a fundamental starting point, LCP respects the privacy of its users and Contributors. LCP’s privacy and confidentiality policies are compliant with applicable U.S. law and consistent with the EU Data Directive and other international law and practice that applies to the kind of data this site collects generally.
Our commitment to your privacy and confidentiality has deep roots not only in law but also in the ethics and practices of scholarly dissemination. LCP follows the American Library Association's Code of Ethics by protecting each user's “right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.”
Having said all of the above, protection of privacy also depends in part upon our users. Users of the LCP will have access to certain information about other users, including, if a user has shared same, their contact details. Users are not permitted to use the personal information of other users or Contributors except for non-commercial, scholarly or research purposes. Any use of any Content of this Site or the LCP portal (including use of personally identifiable data (or “PID,” as defined below) that may appear at the LCP beyond the rights granted in User Agreement is strictly forbidden. Without limiting the scope of the last sentence or any provision in the User Agreement, users may not use, reproduce, display, sell, transfer or assign any personally identifiable information available through the LCP including email addresses, names and/or contact information except as required to attribute any use of any Content as provided in the User Agreement.
II. LCP’s Commitment to Our Users Rights of Privacy and Confidentiality
1. Notice & Openness
LCP users and Contributors have the right of “notice”—to be informed about any collection, use, retention and sharing of personally identifiable data occurring as a result of using the LCP. Personally identifiable information (“PID”) refers to any information, or combination of data elements that could be used to identify, contact or locate a specific person. PID may include a personal name, email address, street address, and/or institutional affiliation.
Below is a description of information we may gather and retain about LCP users and Contributors, and how we use, retain or share information.
User registration information (only applies to users who register to upload Content to the Site). As a general rule, LCP only collects PID that a user volunteers as part of the registration process and/or as part of uploading of Content and identifying its source. During registration, users are not required to provide PID. However, users must provide an email address and a password, which the LCP retains.
Contributor Identification. As a general rule, any PID that is collected as part of the uploading process may be published so that other users can see it. When you upload, the system will prompt you to identify the Contributor(s) of the Content. Contributors may specify that only some people (or that no one) has access to this information, however. Accordingly, during the upload process, if a Contributor volunteers PID, LCP will collect and retain it, but we will share it only if you designate the Content and the bibliographic details as “Open Access” (as defined in the User Agreement).
Passwords. If you register as a Contributor, we will collect your password. Passwords are never shared with any other person; but a user email address may appear as bibliographic information associated with LCP Content if the user provides that data during uploading.
IP Addresses. The LCP server automatically logs IP addresses for those accessing Content; but this information is never disseminated to others. IP addresses do not contain PID.
Cookies. A cookie is a small file sent to the browser by a web site each time that site is visited. Cookies are stored on the user's computer and can potentially transmit personal information. Cookies are often used to remember information about preferences and pages visited. You can refuse to accept cookies, can disable cookies, and remove cookies from your hard drive. LCP servers use cookies to identify you when you arrive at the site to identify you as a user or registered user. We will not share cookies information with third parties.
2. Choice, Consent and Onward Transfer
Except as set out above, we will not collect or retain PID about users or Contributors. LCP does not sell or lease users' PID to companies, universities, or individuals for any purpose. PID may be shared on our website if users designate Contributor information as “Open Access.” Other than as described herein, the only circumstance under which the LCP would share PID of any user or Contributor would be as a result of a court order or other legal process. You may request that we remove your e-mail address or other information about you from the LCP at any time. However, if you do so we may not be able to maintain your access to any Content you have uploaded.
3. Data Integrity
The LCP is designed so that only Contributors (with password access) can edit or remove Content that they have contributed. We take reasonable steps to ensure that third parties and other users cannot edit Contributor Content.
4. Data Access, Security and Enforcement
Third Party Security: We ensure that LCP’s contracts, licenses, and offsite computer service arrangements reflect our policies and legal obligations concerning user privacy and confidentiality.
Security Measures: We protect user data, including PID, from unauthorized access and disclosure. Our security measures involve standard managerial and technical policies and procedures to protect against loss and the unauthorized access, destruction, use, or disclosure of data. Our managerial measures include internal organizational procedures that limit access to data (including PID and user passwords) and ensure that those individuals with access do not utilize the data for unauthorized purposes. Our technical security measures to prevent unauthorized access include commercially standard encryption of passwords and transmission and storage of data; limits on access through use of passwords; and storage of data on secure servers or computers that are inaccessible from a modem or network connection.
Any breach of our Privacy Policy by our own agents, employees, users or Contributors or any other person will result in termination of access to the LCP, in appropriate cases, termination of employment, and/or expungement of Content sourced from a Contributor who violates either the User Agreement or this Privacy Policy. In the event of the breach of any applicable law or regulation by anyone, the LCP will report activities to local law enforcement.
Should you have any questions about this Privacy Policy please contact:
Andrea M. Berlin
Mail: Department of Archaeology, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 347, Boston University, Boston MA, 02215.
Phone: 617-358-1651.
Email: aberlin@bu.edu.
Last Update: December 18, 2015