Effective 15/08/2009
Music Stage, Inc. (“Music Stage” or “we”) operates Music Stage.com.  This Privacy Policy describes Music Stage’s use and sharing of personally identifiable information (“PII”-- your full name, email address, mailing address, telephone number, or credit card number) as well as data that can, under certain circumstances, indirectly lead to PII (“Related Data”) that Members voluntarily provide to Music Stage when they register.  The Term “User” refers to a Visitor or a Member.  This Privacy Policy applies to the services offered by Music Stage, including any Music Stage branded URL (the “Music Stage Website”), the Music Stage instant messaging service, the Music Stage application developer service and other features (for example, music and video embedded players), Music Stage mobile services, and any other features, content, or applications offered from time to time by Music Stage in connection with the Music Stage Website (collectively, the “Music Stage Services”).

The Music Stage Services are hosted in the United States.  If you are located outside the United States, you expressly agree that PII and Related Data will be transferred to the United States for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy as a result of your using the Music Stage Services.

The Music Stage Website is a general audience site and does not knowingly collect PII or Related Data from children under 13 years of age.

From time to time Music Stage may modify this Privacy Policy to reflect industry initiatives or changes in the law, our PII or Related Data collection and use practices, the features of the Music Stage Services, or technology, and such modifications shall be effective upon posting by Music Stage on the Music Stage Website.  Your continued use of the Music Stage Services after Music Stage posts a revised Privacy Policy signifies your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.  It is therefore important that you review this Privacy Policy regularly to ensure you are updated as to any changes.  If Music Stage materially changes its practices regarding collection or use of your PII or Related Data, your PII and Related Data will continue to be governed by the Privacy Policy under which it was collected unless you have been provided notice of, and have not objected to, the change.

COLLECTION AND SUBMISSION OF PII AND NON-PII ON MUSIC STAGE
General.  Music Stage collects your email address, first and last name, postal code, gender, and date of birth from you in order to register you as a Member (“Registration Data”). Music Stage cannot register you as a Member without this information.  All other information you provide during the Music Stage registration or that you post on the Music Stage website is voluntary.  Music Stage may also collect PII from you if you choose to participate in Music Stage Services activities like sweepstakes, contests, and surveys, because you want us to furnish you with products, services, newsletters, or information, or in connection with content or suggestions you submit to Music Stage for review.

In addition, Music Stage collects other Related Data and non-PII including IP address, aggregate user data, and browser type.  This data is used to manage and improve the Music Stage Services, track usage, and for security purposes.

Music Stage Members may also choose to provide or store non-PII information and Related Data in their profiles, including but not limited to date of birth, interests, hobbies, lifestyle choices, groups with whom they are affiliated (schools, companies), videos and/or pictures, private messages, bulletins or personal statements (collectively “Profile Information”).  The Profile Information in a Member’s profile is provided at his or her sole discretion.  Please be aware that your Profile Information, as well as any information posted to any public forum, can be accessed by the public.  Profile Information located on private profiles can be accessed by Music Stage at all times and, in limited cases, by certain third parties authorized by Music Stage for purposes of ensuring compliance with Music Stage’s Terms of Use.

Music Stage Members can change their Registration Data and Profile Information at any time and can control how Visitors, other Members and Music Stage communicate with them by controlling their account settings, available within the “Edit Profile” portion of their Music Stage profile. 
Music Stage determines the purposes of collection, use and disclosure of the Registration Data you provide and, as such, is considered the data controller of this information. Because the Member, not Music Stage, determines the purposes for which Profile Information is collected, used and disclosed, Music Stage is not the data controller of Profile Information that Members provide on their profile. 

Cookies. Cookies are small bits of information that Music Stage places on your computer. Music Stage uses cookies to identify your Internet browser, store Users’ preferences, and determine whether you have installed the enabling software needed to access certain material on the Music Stage Services.  Data in cookies may be read to authenticate user sessions or provide services.

Third party advertisements displayed on Music Stage Services may also contain cookies set by Internet advertising companies or advertisers (known as “third party cookies”). Music Stage does not control these third party cookies and Users of the Music Stage Services should check the privacy policy of the Internet advertising company or advertiser to see whether and how it uses cookies.  See the “Notice” section below for more information on customized advertising on Music Stage.  A pixel tag is a tiny image inserted in a webpage and used to record the number and types of views for that page.  Music Stage may allow third party pixel tags to be present on Music Stage Services for purposes of advertising, providing services or data and statistics collection.

You can program your computer to warn you each time a cookie is being sent, block third party cookies or block all cookies.  However, by blocking all cookies you may not have access to certain features on the Music Stage Services.

NOTICE: MUSIC STAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH NOTICE ABOUT ITS PII COLLECTION PRACTICES
When you voluntarily provide PII to Music Stage, we will make sure you are informed about who is collecting the information, how and why the information is being collected and the types of uses Music Stage will make of the information to the extent it is being used in a manner that differs from what is allowed pursuant to this Privacy Policy.

At the time you provide your PII, Music Stage will notify you of your options regarding our use of your PII (See “Choice” below).  Except as described in this Privacy Policy, Music Stage will not share your PII with third parties (excluding those set out in this Privacy Policy) unless you have given Music Stage permission to do so (See “Use” below).

Music Stage Services may be linked to Internet sites operated by other companies. Music Stage Services may also carry advertisements from other companies.  Music Stage may transfer Related Data such as IP addresses to certain advertising partners located in your country of residence or abroad.  Music Stage is not responsible for the privacy practices of websites or other services operated by third parties that are linked to or integrated with the Music Stage Services or for the privacy practices of third party Internet advertising companies.  Once you leave Music Stage Services via such a link, access a third party application (such as widgets) or click on an advertisement, you should check the applicable privacy policy of the third party or advertiser site to determine, among other things, how they will handle any PII they collect from you.

Music Stage Services may also be linked to sites operated by companies affiliated with Music Stage (i.e., that are part of the News America Group:  “Affiliated Companies”). Although all Affiliated Companies adhere to the News America corporate Privacy Principles, Users who visit those Affiliated Company sites should still refer to their separate privacy policies and practices, which may differ in some respects from this Privacy Policy.
Music Stage may use cookies and similar tools to customize the content and advertising you receive based on the Profile Information you have provided.  Profile Information you provide in structured profile fields or questions (multiple choice questions like “Marital Status,” “Education” and “Children”) (“Structured Profile Information”), information you add to open-ended profile fields and questions (essay questions like “About Me,” “Interests” and “Movies”) (“Non-Structured Profile Information”) and other non-PII and Related Data about you may also be used to customize the online ads you encounter to those we believe are aligned with your interests.  For example, based on your music interests we might display an advertisement to make sure you are advised when your favorite band is coming to town.  The information used for this feature does not provide your PII or identify you as an individual to third parties, but will involve the processing of certain Related Data such as IP addresses.  If you would like to disable this advertising customization for Non-Structured Profile Information. 


Some of the advertisements that appear on Music Stage Services may also be delivered to you by third party Internet advertising companies.  These companies utilize certain technologies to deliver advertisements and marketing messages and to collect non-PII information and Related Data about your visit to or use of Music Stage Services, including information about the ads they display, via a cookie placed on your computer that reads your IP address. To opt out of information collection by these companies, or to obtain information about the technologies they use or their own privacy policies, please email: info@musicstage.com

Third party applications (such as widgets) created by third party developers may also be available on the Music Stage Services.  Third party applications are small bits of software, often with interactivity, that can be installed into Members’ profiles or shared with other Users.  However, Music Stage does not control the third party developers, and cannot dictate their actions.  When a Member engages with a third party application, that Member is interacting with the third party developer, not with Music Stage.  Music Stage encourages Members not to provide PII to the third party’s application unless the Member knows the party with whom it is interacting. 

Music Stage and certain copyright holders have signed an agreement pursuant to which copyright holders may utilize Music Stage’s Rights Management Tools (collectively, the “Tool”) to automatically block the upload of audio and audiovisual content for which the copyright holder has supplied content identifiers in the required format.  In addition, from time to time, Music Stage may use the Tool to examine information (including Profile Information located on private profiles) to detect the presence of content that matches content for which copyright holders have supplied content identifiers.  If the Tool blocks the upload of such content, and/or otherwise removes content already uploaded to the Music Stage Website, the Member will receive a notice and may have an opportunity respond to the notice through a counter-notice.  Copyright holders may have access to certain Related Data and Profile Information when they operate the Tool, but will not have access to any PII unless the Member expressly consents to providing PII to the copyright holder in the context of a counter-notice.

CHOICE: MUSIC STAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH CHOICES ABOUT THE USE OF YOUR PII
Except as described in this Privacy Policy, Music Stage will get your permission before we use the PII you provide to us in a way that is inconsistent with the purpose for which it was submitted or share your PII with third parties that are not affiliated with Music Stage.

USE: MUSIC STAGE'S USE OF PII
Music Stage will only use the PII you provide under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy.  If Music Stage obtains PII from a third party, such as a business partner, our use of that information is also governed by this Privacy Policy.

In order to locate other Music Stage Members that you may already know in the physical world, Music Stage allows Users to search for Members using Registration Data (i.e., full name or email address).  Music Stage also allows Users to browse for certain Profile Information in order to help connect with Members (i.e., schools and/or companies where Users may have attended or worked).  Music Stage may also enable Members to publicly display some Registration Data as an element of their Profile Information if they choose to do so via a profile setting under “Edit Profile.”  Search engines may index the portion of a Member’s profile (including the Profile Information it contains) that is publicly displayed.

If you have consented to receive promotional materials (e.g., newsletters) or notifications from Music Stage, Music Stage may periodically use your email address to send you such materials related to the Music Stage Services, as applicable.  If you want to stop receiving such materials from Music Stage, you can change your profile settings under “Account Settings,” or follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email. 

Music Stage employees, agents and contractors must have a business reason to obtain access to your PII and Related Data. Music Stage may share your PII and Related Data with those who help us manage or provide Music Stage Services’ information activities (for example., message board administration, order fulfillment, statistical analyses, data processing), or with outside contractors, agents or sponsors who help us with the administration, judging and prize fulfillment aspects of contests, promotions and sweepstakes.   These outside contractors, agents or sponsors may temporarily store some information on their servers, but they may only use your PII to provide Music Stage with a specific service and not for any other purpose.  

Music Stage may also provide your PII to a third party in those instances where you have chosen to receive certain information and have been notified that the fulfillment of such a request requires the sharing of your PII.  Music Stage also may share your PII with Affiliated Companies if it has a business reason to do so. 


As described in “Notice” above, Music Stage may customize the advertising and marketing messages you receive on the Music Stage Website, or may work with outside companies to do so.  Your Related Data, non-PII and/or Profile Information may be shared with these companies so this customization can be accomplished.  Music Stage prohibits these companies from sharing your Related Data, non-PII and/or Profile Information with any third party or from using it for any other purpose.  Anonymous click stream, number of page views calculated by pixel tags, and aggregated demographic information may also be shared with Music Stage’s advertisers and business partners.

There may be instances when Music Stage may access or disclose PII, Related Data, Profile Information or non-PII without providing you a choice in order to: (i) protect or defend the legal rights or property of Music Stage, our Affiliated Companies or their employees, agents and contractors (including enforcement of our agreements); (ii) protect the safety and security of Users of the Music Stage Services or members of the public including acting in urgent circumstances; (iii) protect against fraud or for risk management purposes; or (iv) comply with the law or legal process.  In addition, if Music Stage sells all or part of its business or makes a sale or transfer of all or a material part of its assets or is otherwise involved in a merger or transfer of all or a material part of its business, Music Stage may transfer your PII to the party or parties involved in the transaction as part of that transaction.

When a Member chooses to post Profile Information that will be publicly disclosed, that Member is responsible for ensuring that such information conforms to all local data protection laws.  Music Stage is not responsible under any data protection laws for Member posted information.

SECURITY: MUSIC STAGE PROTECTS THE SECURITY OF PII
Music Stage uses commercially reasonable administrative, technical, personnel and physical measures to safeguard PII and credit card information in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification.  In addition, Music Stage uses reasonable methods to make sure that PII is accurate, up-to-date and appropriately complete.

ACCESS, REMEDIES AND COMPLIANCE: HOW TO ACCESS, CORRECT OR CHANGE YOUR PREFERENCES REGARDING YOUR PII AND HOW TO CONTACT MUSIC STAGE ABOUT PRIVACY CONCERNS
Whenever possible, Music Stage Members may review the Registration Data we maintain about them in our records. We will take reasonable steps to correct any PII a Member informs us is incorrect.  If you are a Member, you can view and change your Registration Data, Member preferences and Profile Information by logging into your account and accessing features such as “Edit Profile” and “Account Settings.” 

If you ask Music Stage to stop using your PII, Music Stage will honor that request while retaining any record of your PII that is necessary to comply with applicable federal, state or local law.

If you would like to communicate with us about this Privacy Policy or Music Stage’s collection and use of your PII please contact Music Stage at:

Email:
info@musicstage.com