Terms of Conditions and Service

AYN RAND INSTITUTE SITE

The Ayn Rand Institute (“ARI,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Institute”) Website (“Site”) is available subject to your acceptance of these Terms of Conditions and Service (“Terms”). These Terms outline the legal relationship between you and ARI regarding your use of the ARI Site. Please read the following information carefully.

BY CONTINUING TO USE THE SITE AND RELATED SERVICES, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS, PLEASE EXIT THIS SITE.

PURPOSE AND USE OF THIS SITE

The ARI Site aims to foster a growing awareness, understanding and acceptance of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Our Site does this by providing information on Ayn Rand’s philosophy and creating a culture in which individuals are free to pursue their own happiness. Our Site provides information, opinions, materials and other content (collectively, “Content”) about Ayn Rand’s philosophy for the benefit of ARI Site users (“users”).

You may use our Site and Content only if you comply with these Terms and all relevant laws. Use of this Site is subject to the following restrictions:

Website Usage

This Site is directed to individuals and entities located within the United States and certain international regions. You represent and warrant that you are not accessing this Site from an embargoed country. This Site is not directed to any person or entity in any jurisdiction where (by reason of nationality, residence, citizenship or otherwise) the publication or availability of the Site and its Content, including its products and services, are unavailable or otherwise contrary to local laws or regulations. Any such persons are NOT authorized to access or use any of the information on this Site.

This Site is not directed at, or available for use by, any individual under the age of thirteen. By using and/or signing up on our Site, you warrant that you are thirteen years of age or older. If you are under the age of thirteen, please leave this Site immediately.

Accounts

Users may create an ARI account (“Account”) on this Site by registering a username and password. As part of the registration process, each user will select a username and password. When you create your Account, you must provide accurate and complete information. Failure to do so shall constitute a breach of these Terms, which may result in immediate termination of your Account. You are the sole authorized user of your Account, and you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any password provided by you or ARI for accessing your Account. You are solely and fully responsible for all activities that occur under your Account. ARI has no control over the use of any individual Account and expressly disclaims any liability derived therefrom.

We do not warrant that the functions contained in the services provided by our Site, including services related to your Account, will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected or that this service or the server that makes it available will be free of viruses or other harmful components.

PROHIBITED USES

You are prohibited from:

• Selecting or using a username of another person with the intent to impersonate that person;
• Using a name subject to the rights of any other person without proper authorization; or
• Using a username that we, in our sole discretion, deem inappropriate or offensive.

ARI must be promptly notified of any known or suspected unauthorized use(s) of your Account, or any known or suspected breach of security, including loss, theft, or unauthorized disclosure of your password. You will be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password.

Any fraudulent, abusive or otherwise illegal activity may be grounds for termination of your Account, at our sole discretion, and you may be reported to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

ARI does not require visitors to register or provide information in order to view the general content of our site. However, by using our Site, with or without registration, you are subject to the Terms of this agreement.

Our License to You

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and revocable license to use our Site. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling you to use and enjoy the benefit of the Site provided by ARI, in the manner permitted by these Terms.

USER CONTENT

ARI collects certain information voluntarily provided by users (“User Content”). User Content may include, but is not limited to, any information, including personally identifiable information, that you provide to us voluntarily. Personally identifiable information (PII) includes, but is not limited to, first and last name, date of birth, address, email, telephone number, education and employment.

Collection of User Content may occur when you respond to a request for information, register for or order educational or other products and services, set up a social network or otherwise register for a Site profile or account, choose to use one of our learning assessments, courses or other interactive tools or otherwise communicate with ARI. The exact nature of the information you submit may vary depending on the type of response or service requested. We only collect information necessary to provide a requested service or respond to an inquiry.

In order to better understand the impact and reach of our programs, ARI shares information about our program participants with our affiliates and select organizations or entities with which we have an established relationship. Such information is never sold. By sharing your information with ARI, you agree that we may use your information to contact you about other activities, with educational materials or opportunities, as disclosed to you at the point of collection, or in any other manner that advances our educational and charitable purposes. We may share or transfer your information with our affiliates and any other organizations or entities for similar purposes. By using our Site, you consent to the collection and use of your User Content for the purposes specified in the Ayn Rand Institute’s Privacy Policy.

You are solely responsible for any User Content you provide to ARI and for any consequences thereof. You represent that you have the right to provide any User Content, and that such User Content, or its use by us as contemplated by these Terms, does not violate these Terms or applicable law. You agree to provide accurate, current, complete and timely updated User Content. You agree that we may rely on your User Content as accurate, current and complete. You acknowledge that if your User Content is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete in any respect, we have the right to consider it a breach of these Terms and suspend or terminate access to your Account.

By submitting User Content, you grant ARI a worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, perpetual, royalty-free license to use any User Content that you post on or in connection with the Site. Aside from the rights specifically granted herein, you retain ownership of all rights in the User Content that you submit to the Site, except that, where applicable under local country law, you agree to waive your right to be identified as the author of any User Content you submit and to object to derogatory treatment of such User Content.

USER SAFETY AND CONDUCT

ARI is concerned with the safety and well being of our users. As a condition of your use of this Site, you agree to all of the following:

• You acknowledge that your use of the Site is for personal use only. You agree that you will not use the Site or Contents for any commercial purposes.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your Account, including your conduct and any User Content you provide or that you allow others to provide under your Account.
• You will not use our Site to harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate another person, including other users.
• You will not misrepresent your identity or affiliation with us or any other person or entity when using our Site.
• You will not provide, submit or otherwise make available any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable.
• You will not provide, submit or otherwise make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, “junk mail,” “spam,” “chain letters,” “pyramid schemes,” “affiliate links” or any other form of solicitation. Inquiries regarding a commercial advertising relationship with ARI should be directed to mail@aynrand.org.
• You will not violate any local laws in your jurisdiction (including, but not limited to, intellectual property laws).
• You will not use our Site for any illegal or unauthorized purpose.
• You will not access, “hack,” alter or otherwise use any part of the Site in any unauthorized manner.
• You will not utilize any bugs, robots or other technological device to access or extract any data or information contained on the Site.

THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES

For your convenience, we may provide links to various other sites that may be of interest to you and for your convenience only. ARI does not control or endorse such sites and is not responsible for their content or the accuracy or reliability of any information, data, opinions, advice or statements contained within such sites. These Terms apply only to our site and the products and services offered by ARI. If you decide to access any of the third-party sites linked to by this site, you do so at your own risk. ARI reserves the right to terminate any link or linking program at any time. ARI disclaims all warranties, express and implied, as to the accuracy, validity and legality or otherwise of any materials or information contained on any third-party sites.

WARRANTY DISCLAIMER

ALTHOUGH ARI ATTEMPTS TO ENSURE THE INTEGRITY AND ACCURATENESS OF THE SITE, IT MAKES NO GUARANTEES WHATSOEVER AS TO THE CORRECTNESS OR ACCURACY OF THE SITE. OUR SITE OR ANY SITE-RELATED SERVICE, IS PROVIDED “AS IS,” WITH ALL FAULTS, WITH NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. YOU ASSUME TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK FOR YOUR USE OF THIS SITE, SITE-RELATED SERVICES AND HYPERLINKED SITES.

ARI, ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS SPONSORS ARE NEITHER RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THE SITE, SITE-RELATED SERVICES, CONTENT OR INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE SITE AND/OR ANY HYPERLINKED SITE. YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SITE, SITE-RELATED SERVICES AND/OR HYPERLINKED SITES IS TO STOP USING THE SITE AND/OR THOSE SERVICES.

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless ARI, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors and suppliers from and against any claims, actions, demands, liabilities and settlements, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, resulting from or alleged to result from your violation of these Terms.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

This Site, and its materials, organization and layout, are protected by federal and international copyright, trademark and treaty laws. All pages within, and Content made available to you from, this Site are the intellectual property of the Ayn Rand Institute and its affiliates, unless otherwise noted. “ARI” is the service mark of Ayn Rand Institute. All other trademarks, service marks and logos used in this Site are the trademarks, service marks or logos of their respective owners.

USE OF SITE CONTENT

The commercial use, reproduction, republication, licensing, transmission, copying, display, modification or distribution of any information, images, software or other Content available through this site without the prior, express written consent of ARI is strictly prohibited.

You may view, use, copy and download small portions of the Site Content (including, without limitation, text, graphics, software, audio and video files and photos) solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You shall keep intact any proprietary notices, including copyright notices and management information, contained on any materials and shall comply with any applicable end user license agreements.

You may not create derivative works from, links to or frames in another site, or use on any other site any part of this Site, including Site Content. You may not store, modify, reproduce, transmit, reverse-engineer or distribute a significant portion of the Site Content, or the design, layout or individual sections of this Site, in any form or media. The systematic retrieval of data from the Site is also prohibited.

No right, title or interest in any of the materials contained on this Site is transferred to you as a result of accessing, downloading or printing such Content.

DMCA COPYRIGHT POLICY

a. Notice.

If you are a copyright owner or an agent thereof and believe that any User Content infringes your copyrights, you may, pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), notify our Copyright Agent by providing the following information in writing (see 17 U.S.C § 512(c)(3)):

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material;
• Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact you, such as an address, telephone number and, if available, an email;
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law; and
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

You acknowledge that a failure to comply with all of the above requirements will result in an invalid notification.

ARI designated Copyright Agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement is:

Ayn Rand Institute’s Copyright Agent:

Gagnier Margossian LLP
ATTN: Ayn Rand Institute’s Copyright Agent
224 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Email: gagnier@gamallp.com

b. Counter-Notice.

If you believe that your User Content that was removed (or to which access was disabled) is not infringing, or that you have the authorization from the copyright owner, the copyright owner’s agent or pursuant to the law, to submit the User Content, you may send a counter-notice containing the following information to the Copyright Agent:

• Your physical or electronic signature;
• Identification of the User Content that was removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the User Content appeared before it was removed or disabled;
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that the User Content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or a misidentification of the User Content; and
• Your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address and a statement that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification of the alleged infringement.

If a counter-notice is received by the Copyright Agent, ARI may send a copy of the counter-notice to the original complaining party informing that person that it may replace the removed content or cease disabling it in ten (10) business days. Unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the content provider, member or user, the removed User Content may be replaced, or access to it restored, in ten (10) to fourteen (14) business days or more after receipt of the counter-notice, at ARI’s sole discretion.

NO PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

The information available on the Site is intended to be a general information resource regarding the matters covered and is not tailored to your specific circumstance. You should not construe this as legal, accounting or other professional advice. YOU SHOULD EVALUATE ALL INFORMATION, OPINIONS AND ADVICE AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR INSURANCE SPECIALIST, OR WITH YOUR LEGAL, TAX, FINANCIAL OR OTHER ADVISOR, AS APPROPRIATE.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

a. Limitation of Damages.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AYN RAND INSTITUTE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOOD-WILL OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM: (I) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SERVICE; (II) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS OR THIRD PARTIES; (III) ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICE; OR (IV) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE OR ALTERATION OF YOUR USER TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF AYN RAND INSTITUTE EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (U.S. $100.00) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID AYN RAND INSTITUTE, IF ANY, IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS FOR THE SERVICES GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM. THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, STATUTE, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT AYN RAND INSTITUTE HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

b. Release of Liability.

ARI, using our sole discretion, may take any action with respect to User Content that we deem necessary or appropriate, especially if we believe that such User Content could create liability for ARI, damage ARI’s brand or public image or cause ARI to lose, in whole or in part, the services of its ISPs or other suppliers.

While ARI reserves the right to remove User Content and other material, ARI does not assume any obligation to do so and disclaims any liability for failing to take any such action. ARI also has no control over the accuracy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of User Content and makes no representations about such User Content. Under no circumstances will ARI be liable for any User Content, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any User Content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any User Content submitted, posted, displayed or otherwise made available via the App or broadcast elsewhere.

While ARI complies with the strict privacy procedures outlined in the ARI Privacy Policy, we expect you to use caution and common sense when using our Site and to recognize the risks involved with submitting sensitive content, especially personally identifiable information.

If you are a California resident, you agree to waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which states:

A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.

Understand that ARI will be relieved of all liability arising from unknown or unsuspected claims. Since we do not and cannot be involved in dealings between users or control the behavior of users outside the Site, in the event that you have a dispute with one or more users or non-users regarding use of the Site, you release ARI (and our agents and employees) from claims, demands and damages of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes.

ARI cannot guarantee and does not promise any specific results from use on the site. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by a user from ARI shall create any warranty not expressly stated herein.

ARBITRATION

Except as regarding any action seeking equitable relief, including without limitation for the purpose of protecting any ARI confidential information and/or intellectual property rights, any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or this Site shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules, in effect at the time the proceedings begin, of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be held in the Central District of California.

All information relating to, or disclosed by, any party in connection with the arbitration of any disputes hereunder shall be treated by the parties, their representatives and the arbitrator as proprietary business information. Such information shall not be disclosed by any party or their respective representative(s) without the prior written authorization of the party furnishing such information. Such information shall not be disclosed by the arbitrator without the prior written authorization of all parties. Each party shall bear the burden of its own counsel fees incurred in connection with any arbitration proceedings.

Judgment upon the award returned by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction over the parties or their assets or application of enforcement, as the case may be. Any award by the arbitrator shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the parties. The parties hereby waive all rights to judicial review of the arbitrator’s decision and any award contained therein.

GENERAL TERMS

Right to Modify

ARI reserves the right to modify these Terms and the ARI Privacy Policy, at any time, with or without prior notice, by posting amended terms (“Updated Terms”) to these respective policies. Non-material changes and clarifications will take effect immediately. Material changes will take effect within fourteen (14) days after their posting on the ARI Site. Upon making material changes, we will post any material changes in a link at the bottom of our home page and indicate the effective date of the Updated Terms as well as email the users and members who subscribe to our mailing list. Your continued use of the Site beyond thirty (30) days after our notice to you constitutes your acceptance of the Updated Terms. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO REVIEW THESE TERMS AND THE ARI PRIVACY POLICY AT LEAST ONCE EVERY MONTH.

ARI reserves the right to immediately change, suspend, remove or discontinue any part of the Site or content, whether submitted by ARI or by a user, for any reason, without prior notice or liability.

Entire Agreement/Severability

These Terms, the ARI Privacy Policy and any additional agreements you enter with ARI in connection with the Site constitute the entire agreement (“Entire Agreement”) between you and ARI concerning the Site. If any provision in these Terms is deemed invalid, then such provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in full force and effect. Any other agreements you may have with ARI that do not regard the Site are considered separate and in addition to these Terms. These Terms do not modify, revise or amend the terms of any other agreements you may have with ARI that do not regard this Site.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of California without reference to its choice of law provisions.

Subscription via Email

Once you submit an email address to our Site, you authorize us to send you notices, announcements and special offers via email. Opt-out instructions are included in all such messages. PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS YOUR OBLIGATION TO KEEP YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED AT ALL TIMES.

Reservation of Rights

Any rights not expressly granted by these Terms and Conditions, or any applicable end user license agreements, are reserved by the Ayn Rand Institute and its affiliates.

CONTACT US

If you would like to request additional information regarding these Terms, please contact us at webmaster@aynrand.org.

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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 10, 2019

This Ayn Rand Institute Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) is a legal notice about how the Ayn Rand Institute (“ARI,” “we,” “us,” “our”) will use the personal information of individuals (“Users,” “Visitors”) collected on the Ayn Rand Institute websites, located at https://aynrand.org, https://ari.aynrand.org, https://campus.aynrand.org, http://aynrandeurope.org and https://estore.aynrand.org/ (the “Sites”). The information below outlines the information we collect, the methods we employ for data collection, how we may use that information, the persons to whom the personal information may be disclosed and the security measures taken to protect the personal information.

At ARI, we take the privacy of our visitors and members very seriously. Please read this Privacy Policy to learn more about how we treat personally identifiable information. We provide this Privacy Policy because you have a right to know what information we collect and with what methods, how it is protected and used and the circumstances under which it may be disclosed. If you have comments, questions, concerns or complaints about our Privacy Policy, please contact us via email at webmaster@aynrand.org

By continuing to use the Site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Privacy Policy. For more information about ARI’s Site policies, please refer to ARI’s Terms of Conditions and Services.

DATA PRIVACY BEST PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES

While there is no comprehensive framework in the United States regulating data privacy practices on the Internet, ARI has modeled its Privacy Policy on the data privacy best practices promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission’s Fair Information Practice Principles, currently available here, the Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP), available here, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Guidelines on the Protection of Data Privacy, available here.

DATA PRIVACY BEST PRACTICES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

Since before the new EU Privacy Shield, ARI modeled its Privacy Policy on the data privacy best practices promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission’s Fair Information Practice Principles, currently available here, the Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP), available here, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Guidelines on the Protection of Data Privacy, available here.

As of October 6, 2015, the European Court of Justice invalidated the Safe Harbor Framework in the decision Maximillian Schrems v. Data Protection Commissioner (Case C-362/14).

On February 2, 2016, the EU and US announced a new data transfer deal, the EU-US Privacy Shield. As ARI receives further information on compliance with this program, ARI will ensure it meets its standards. ARI retains and reiterates its commitment to Internet user privacy for users across the globe.

On May 25, 2018, the EU began enforcing GDPR. ARI takes this privacy law seriously and makes every effort to ensure it is compliance with all aspects of the law.

The following are ARI’s promises to each User:

(1)    Notice. When ARI collects your personal information, we give you timely and appropriate notice describing what personal information we are collecting, how we will use it and the types of third parties with whom we may share it. This notice is located in this policy.

(2)    Choice. ARI will give you choices about the ways we use and share your personal information, and we will respect the choices you make. Please recognize that ARI is a system that provides many links to third party sites and, as such, we advise and encourage them to take appropriate action with respect to their own privacy standards.

(3)    Relevance. ARI will collect only as much personal information as is required to meet the specific, identified purposes as listed in this Policy, and we will not use it for other purposes without obtaining your consent.

(4)    Retention. ARI will keep your personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes for which we collect it, or as permitted by law. Any individual who wishes to have their personal data removed from ARI’s databases may contact the data protector officer.

(5)    Accuracy. ARI will take appropriate steps to make sure your personal information in our records is accurate, as much as is within the power of ARI.

(6)    Access. ARI will provide ways for you to access your personal information as quickly as possible upon request, as required by law, so you can correct inaccuracies. Please use the address below to request access to your information.

(7)    Security. ARI will take appropriate physical, technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, and destruction.

(8)    Sharing. Except as described herein, ARI will not share your personal information with third parties without your consent.

(9)    International Transfer. If ARI is used to transfer your personal information to another country, ARI will take appropriate measures to protect your privacy and the personal information transferred.

(10)    Enforcement. ARI will regularly review how we are meeting these privacy promises, and we provide an independent way to resolve complaints about our privacy practices (see below).

(11)    Data Breaches. In the event of any data breach all potentially effected individuals will be notified within 72 hours of when ARI first learns of the breach.

To access your information, ask questions about our privacy practices or issue a complaint, contact us at:

The Ayn Rand Institute
ATTN: Data Protection Officer
6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 600
Santa Ana, CA 92707

Email: mail@aynrand.org

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Information You Voluntarily Submit

ARI collects any personally identifiable information that you provide to us voluntarily when you respond to a request for information, register for or order educational or other products and services, set up a social network or otherwise register for a Site profile or account, or choose to use one of our learning assessments, courses or other interactive tools.

The exact nature of the information you submit may vary depending on the type of response or service requested. We will only collect information necessary to provide a requested service or respond to an inquiry. The type of information you submit may constitute personally identifiable information (PII), including, without limit, the following types of information:

• First and Last Name;
• Street Address, City, State, Country, Postal Code;
• Date of Birth;
• Employment;
• Education;
• Native Language;
• Email Address;
• Valid Day or Evening Telephone Number;
• Cell Phone Number;
• Confirmation of the age of majority;
• Prior Education History;
• Social Networking Content; and
• Other Information after you become an ARI user, such as course records relating to your use of ARI education tools that may be required to be collected in the normal course of your studies.

No Required Information

ARI generally does not require users to register or submit any personally identifiable information to engage in the Site. Personally identifiable information may be requested if a Site user wishes to participate in certain ARI programs or utilize certain features of the Site. For example, personally identifiable information is collected when a user enrolls in programs through the ARI Campus or creates an ARI Site account. However, participation in these ARI programs or features is voluntary. Submission of personally identifiable information is not required to generally use and navigate the ARI Site. Additionally, you are fully in control of any information you submit on the public features of the Site. You are responsible for any personally identifiable information you supply to third-party websites that we may link to or connect with. Please visit these websites for their Terms of Use and Privacy Policies. ARI is not responsible for providing their current policies or changes thereof.

Information We Automatically Collect

Besides information you provide us voluntarily, ARI may also collect the following information automatically every time you visit the Site:

i.          Log Files

Similar to many websites, ARI gathers certain anonymous browsing information automatically and stores it in web server log files. This information includes but is not limited to the following:

• IP Addresses;
• Collection date;
• Connection speed;
• Language settings;
• Country, State, DMA and City; and
• Domain (.com, .net, .mil, .org, .edu, etc.)

ARI uses this information to improve our Site, analyze trends, administer the Site, track users’ movements around the Site and gather aggregate information about our user base as a whole.

ii.        Cookies.

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s computer for recordkeeping purposes. It can also help us understand how ARI Site visitors click through to our Site, and what pages they view during their visit. Similar to many websites, ARI stores an encrypted cookie on your computer so ARI can remember you when you come back to the ARI Site without requiring you to log in every time. Cookies also allow ARI to track and understand the interests of our users to enhance the overall experience on our Site.

You can set your web browser software to disable cookies, but this may render the ARI Site unusable to you. To do so, please refer to the help section of your specific browser for more information on how to manage or disable cookies.

Some ARI partners and other third parties, such as potential advertisers, may also set and access their own cookies on the ARI Site. ARI has no access to or control over these cookies, and, as noted above, this Privacy Policy does not govern the use of cookies by ARI’s partners or advertisers. Such third parties’ use of cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, which may differ from this one. Such third parties do not have access to ARI’s cookies.

Browsers with “Do Not Track” Instructions

The ARI Site does not respond to instructions from browsers where a Do Not Track feature has been activated. The ARI Site automatically collects log file and cookie information from all users.

CHILDREN’S INFORMATION

ARI does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from any individual under the age of thirteen absent parental or guardian consent, nor do we direct any of our business practices or system outputs towards children under the age of thirteen.

ARI is committed to respecting the privacy of children online and ensuring that the Site is fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In the event that we learn we have collected personal information from a child under the age of thirteen without verification of parental or guardian consent, ARI will promptly delete any personal information associated with that child as quickly as possible. If you believe ARI has information from or about anyone under thirteen years of age, please notify ARI by email at webmaster@aynrand.org or write to ARI at the address provided below.

HOW INFORMATION IS USED

Standard Requested Services

We may use information collected on the ARI Site (aynrand.org), as well as any other ARI property or activity, to perform the standard services associated with the Site, including to determine your admissibility and to register you for your selected courses, to provide you with services you request, to respond to your inquiries, to provide you with courses and course support, for fostering communication and collaboration among members of the ARI community through social networks and to maintain business records for reasonable periods, to engage in marketing activities; and/or as may be required or permitted by legal, regulatory, industry self-regulatory, insurance, audit or security requirements applicable to ARI.
In addition to the ARI Site (aynrand.org), any user activity on ARI’s mobile app (Ayn Rand University) is also covered under this agreement.

Promotional Announcements

In order to improve the experience for our users, ARI may offer you the ability to sign up for optional email communications, such as updates from ARI, periodic newsletters or invitations to events. These communications are enhancements to the ARI service and are entirely optional. ARI will ask for your consent before sending you promotional communications and will make it easy for you to unsubscribe from these communications.

Our Commitment to Our Contributors

We will not sell, share or trade our contributors’ names or personal information with any outside entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations. In limited circumstances we may, with your permission, share your information with two organizations closely affiliated with ARI: ARI-Canada and the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship.

This policy applies to all information received by ARI, both online and offline, on any Platform (“Platform,” includes the ARI website and mobile applications), as well as any electronic, written or oral communications.

To the extent any contributions are processed through a third-party service provider, our donors’ information will only be used for purposes necessary to process the contribution.

Identification of Authors

The ARI Site may offer opportunities for you to comment on content found on the ARI Site, engage in dialogue, share information and may allow you to submit original content. When you make a contribution to the Site you may be identified by your ARI Site account username or the name under which you choose to post.

Marketing Information

We use marketing information to help us better plan our Site and services to meet your needs; to measure and improve our Site’s services and features; to communicate with you by email to provide you with customer support, to prevent potentially illegal activities (including illegal downloading of copyrighted materials in accordance with our Terms of Conditions and Services) and to enforce our Terms of Conditions and Services. We also use a variety of technological systems to detect and address anomalous activity and to screen content to prevent certain abuses such as spam.

Site Statistics, Internal Reporting and Analysis

ARI may use information collected from web log and cookie files to analyze and publish anonymous, non-personal, aggregate statistics that may help us to analyze how the Site and its services are being accessed and used, to improve Site performance and delivery, to analyze learning outcomes and preferences and to analyze and mitigate Site and data security risks. ARI may also track and publish anonymized aggregate information, such as the total number of users who have viewed a particular web page. ARI will publish this data in aggregate form only and will not tie it to any personally identifiable information.

HOW INFORMATION IS SHARED AND DISCLOSED

In order to better understand the impact and reach of our programs, ARI shares information about our program participants with our affiliates and select organizations or entities with which we have an established relationship. Such information is never sold. By sharing your information with ARI, you agree that we may use your information to contact you about other activities, with educational materials or opportunities, as disclosed to you at the point of collection, or in any other manner that advances our educational and charitable purposes. We may share or transfer your information with our affiliates and any other organizations or entities for similar purposes.

On Public Forums, Discussion Boards or Message Boards

Some of our features may allow you to communicate with other users by posting public messages. Please be aware that what you write in these public messages can be viewed, collected or used by anyone who visits our website. ARI is not responsible for any personally identifiable information that you submit or permit others to submit through public messages.

To Third-Party Vendors

From time to time, ARI may contract with third-party vendors to support ARI’s standard business practices and to provide you with a better experience on the Site. ARI will only disclose your personally identifiable information to those vendors who also adhere to industry-standard data privacy best practices. ARI will never sell your personally identifiable information for marketing or other purposes. ARI may also include features whereby you may log in to various third-party social media platforms (for example, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) while on the ARI Site. Please note that anytime you are logged in to any third-party social media platform, that third-party social media platform may collect information about your browsing habits, including log files or cookie information, or may collect any information you submitted voluntarily. Information collected by third-party social media platforms while you are logged in to those platforms is subject to the privacy policies of those platforms.

Where Required by Law

ARI may disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and where ARI believes disclosure is necessary to protect our legal rights and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order or legal process served on our Site.

Acquisition or Other Transfer

If ARI is acquired, all of our assets, including user information, may be transferred to the acquiring company. At that time, your user information, including any personally identifiable information you have selected to provide, may become subject to the acquiring company’s privacy policies. In addition, in the event that ARI must liquidate our assets due to bankruptcy or other event, ARI will consider our user information, including personally identifiable information, as a unique asset subject to sale or other transfer. Before ARI transfers your information under any of these scenarios, ARI will notify you by posting a notice on our Site, and ARI will remind you of your ability to add, edit or delete your personally identifiable information from the website in advance of any such transfer.

Other than as described above, ARI does not share or disclose the information that our Site collects to any other third parties.

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

You may contact ARI at the address listed below or email ARI at webmaster@aynrand.org at any time to receive a copy of the personally identifiable information that ARI may have collected about you for your ARI account or participation in ARI educational programs.

The Ayn Rand Institute
ATTN: Data Privacy Supervisor
6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 600
Santa Ana, CA 92707

For California Residents

California Civil Code Section § 1798.83 permits users of our website that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact ARI using the information listed above.

HOW LONG INFORMATION IS RETAINED

ARI retains information collected on the ARI Site only for as long as necessary to accomplish the uses described above, or for as long as required or permitted by law. ARI does not retain collected information for any purpose other than those described in this Privacy Policy.

HOW INFORMATION IS KEPT SECURE

Network Security

ARI has implemented a variety of commercially standard encryption and security technologies and procedures to protect information, including your personal information, stored in our computer systems from unauthorized access. Please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure, thus ARI strives to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, but ARI cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Management Procedures

ARI also maintains standard physical and electronic procedural safeguards that limit access to your personally identifiable information to our employees (or people working on our behalf and under confidentiality agreements) who, through the course of standard business activities, need to access your personally identifiable information.

YOUR CHOICES REGARDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Sharing Information With Other Members

You are able to control what personal information about you is shared with other users and what information you choose to keep private in your use of the Site.

Receiving Communications

If you subscribe to any optional promotional communications, you will be able to unsubscribe from them through the emails we send you.

DATA ERASURE REQUEST

Anyone may request to have their user data permanently deleted, whether for a GDPR request or otherwise. We treat all requests the same way and with urgency.

You can request this by filling the RIGHT TO ERASURE REQUEST FORM and submit to webmaster@aynrand.org.

THIRD PARTY LINKS

This policy does not cover the privacy practices of any third parties that we do not own or control. We may provide links to other services and on occasion to other sites that may interest you. All of these sites operate independently of ARI, and they have their own privacy or security practices. ARI encourages you to review their policies before submitting any personal information to them.

A NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL USERS

While the https://aynrand .org, https://ari.aynrand.org and https://campus.aynrand.org ARI Sites are currently intended for and directed towards users in the United States, from time to time ARI may collect information from international users. ARI has implemented data privacy practices consistent with the data privacy principles outlined in the OECD Privacy Guidelines, the APEC Privacy Framework and the Federal Trade Commission’s Data Privacy Principles, and GDPR. Privacy regulations change rapidly, and ARI strives to maintain the highest data privacy practices consistent with domestic and international regulations. Users in the European Union should refer to the above Data Privacy Best Practices in the European Union section regarding ARI’s promises to each EU User.

If you are accessing this Site from outside the United States, please be aware that by using the Site, you are consenting to ARI’s collection of your personal information as outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you are an international user and believe that your data was collected in error, please contact us at webmaster@aynrand.org.

UPDATES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

The ARI Site is constantly evolving. From time to time, ARI will review and make changes to our Privacy Policy. We will post any changes we make to our Privacy Policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will notify you by email at any primary email address you have provided to us or through a notice on the Site home page. The date the Privacy Policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. ARI encourages you to visit this Site frequently to stay up to date on our current policies.

CONTACT US

If you want access to or wish to update any of your Personal Information or have any questions or complaints about our privacy practices, please contact us at:

The Ayn Rand Institute
ATTN: Data Privacy Supervisor
6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 600
Santa Ana, CA 92707
webmaster@aynrand.org

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