last updated: January 2007

Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy statement applies to the data collected by Microsoft through the Windows Marketplace and Windows Marketplace sites (collectively "Windows Marketplace" or the "Site"); it does not apply to data collected through other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services.

Collecting your personal information

We will ask you when we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you. The personal information we may collect includes your name, e-mail address, and nickname.

To sign in to the Site, you will be asked to enter an e-mail address and password, which we refer to as your credentials. After you create these credentials, you can use them to sign in to other sites that are part of the Microsoft Windows Live Id Network. To learn more about the Windows Live Id Network, and learn how your credential information may be used and shared if you sign in to other sites on the Windows Live Id Network, read the Windows Live Id Network privacy statement at http://www.passport.net/Consumer/PrivacyPolicy.asp?PPlcid=1033

We may collect information about your visit, including the pages you view, the links you click and other actions taken in connection with the Site. We also collect certain standard information that your browser sends to every website you visit, such as your IP address, browser type and language, access times and referring Web site addresses.

Windows Marketplace offers the ability to post reviews of merchandise featured on the Site. As the author of a review, you will be identified by a nickname that you choose. In order to help prevent your personal information from being gathered and used by others for inappropriate or harmful purposes, you should be cautious about including personal information in your nickname or merchandise reviews.

In some cases, when you click on a link to purchase or download an item listed on the Site, you will be redirected to a different site where the merchandise is available. When you are redirected, you will see the new site's branding (page layout, styles, images, and text), not Windows Marketplace's. Any personal information you provide to such sites will be collected by those sites and governed by those sites' privacy statements. Windows Marketplace does not receive any of that personal information. We receive only aggregate reports from those sites.

In other cases, when you click on a link to purchase a software download, you may be taken to the digital locker download shopping cart. We will share the billing information you provide with the reseller(s) of record for software downloads you are purchasing solely so that they can perform the transactions you have requested or authorized.

If you choose to use the Games Advisor feature on this site in order to analyze the gaming performance of your PC, a plug in from Futuremark Corporation will be installed in your browser. This plug in will collect data about your PC system. The data collected is anonymous and will not contain, or be linked to, any personal information.

Use of your personal information

The personal information collected on this Site will be used to operate the Site and to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized.

In support of these uses, Microsoft may use personal information to provide you with more effective customer service, to improve the Site and any related Microsoft merchandise or services, to make the Site easier to use by eliminating the need for you to repeatedly enter the same information or to customize the site to your particular preference or interests.

We may use your personal information to provide you with important information about the merchandise or service that you are using, including critical updates and notifications.

Microsoft occasionally hires other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as Web site analytics or answering customer questions about merchandise and services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Microsoft may disclose personal 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 Site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft and our family of Web sites; or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees or agents, users of Microsoft merchandise or services, or members of the public.

Personal information collected on the Site 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 the Site, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. 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.

Control of your personal information

Except as otherwise described in this statement, personal information you provide on the Site will not be shared outside of Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates without your permission.

You can access and change the nickname you provided at any time by going to any merchandise listing and clicking on "Write a review." A page will be displayed that includes a link to change your nickname. Click on that link and enter the new nickname you want to use.

You can access and edit or delte any billing information (such as address or credit card number) you may have elected to save when using the Windows Marketplace download shopping cart by clicking Your Digital Locker and selecting Profile.

You can edit any merchandise reviews that you may have posted by returning to the merchandise listing, signing-in, and clicking on "Write a review." Your previous review will be displayed and you can edit or delete any of the text before resubmitting the review.

If you have further questions or concerns about any personal information collected on the Site, please write to us at the e-mail or postal addresses listed at the bottom of this statement.

Please be aware that this privacy statement and any choices you make on the Site will not necessarily apply to personal information you may have provided to Microsoft in the context of other, separately operated, Microsoft merchandise or services.

Security of your personal information

Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your personal information. 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. Additionally, when we transmit sensitive personal information (such as a credit card number) over the Internet, we protect it through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

Cookies

We use cookies on this Site to ensure the integrity of the registration process and to allow personalization of the site. A cookie is a small 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.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. For example, if you personalize a web page, or navigate within a site, a cookie helps the site to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of delivering relevant content and eases site navigation. When you return to the web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the site's features that you customized.

TRUSTe certification

Windows Marketplace 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 Windows Marketplace wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, we have agreed to publish our information practices and have our privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe.

Enforcement of this privacy statement

If you have questions regarding this statement, you should first contact Windows Marketplace by e-mail. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, you should then contact TRUSTe at their Web site, http://www.truste.org/users/users_watchdog.html. TRUSTe will serve as a liaison with Windows Marketplace to resolve your concerns.

Changes to this privacy statement

We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will also revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. For material changes to this privacy statement, we will notify you either by placing a prominent notice on the home page of our web site or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.

Contact information

Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. Please contact us by e-mail at mktprvcy@microsoft.com.

Windows Marketplace
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399