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Introduction

Welcome to the ebook lending and reading platform (individually the "Platform" or the "Application", as the case may be, and collectively the "Service"), developed and operated jointly by De Marque Inc., and your public library (each individually a “Manager” or collectively the “Managers”), all Managers being co-controllers of your personal data.  

De Marque Inc. (“De Marque”) is a company duly incorporated under the Canadian laws with its head office at 400, Jean Lesage Boulevard, suite 540, Quebec (Quebec) G1K 8W1, Canada.

Your library is a legal person which status and head office depend on the website or location where you created and registered your account, if applicable. 

Faced with the development of new means of communications and the issues related to such means of communications, De Marque and the public library (“We”, “Us”, or “Our”) are aware of the necessity to protect your privacy and committed to respecting the confidentiality of the personal information we collect about you. 

In this Privacy Policy, We describe how We collect, use, and disclose information that We obtain about the users (“you”, “your”, “yours” and “User(s)”) of the Platform. You will also find, in this privacy policy, the different means by which you can contact us in order, for example, to obtain more information regarding the protection of your personal information, to request that we delete, modify and/or correct your personal information.

By using the Platform, as well as all other services available on such Platform, you agree and consent to your information, including personal information, being handled in the manner described in this Privacy Policy. Your use of the Platform, and any dispute over privacy, is subject to this Privacy Policy.

Personal Information Collection

Information you provide to us directly

What information is collected?

We collect the following personal information, which you provide to us directly and on a voluntary basis, for example by logging in on the Platform using your library account or by creating an account directly on the Platform:

  • Name
  • Surname
  • Email address
  • Identification number specific to your library 

We also collect certain information, such as your browsing history. Finally, we may collect your location data when you post content on the Platform, if the option of accessing your location data is activated on your mobile device.

How is this information collected?

  • Subscription form to the Platform 
  • Login form
  • When you complete your User profile
  • When you publish a comment through your User profile
  • When you review a book through your User profile
  • Subscription to our newsletter

Why is such information collected and how is it used?

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To enable you to use the Platform, as well as the services available therein, by creating an account and a User profile;
  • To communicate with you if you have subscribed to the newsletter;
  • To communicate with you when you use the Platform services (for example to provide you with a download link for an ebook you've borrowed or on which you have placed a hold, to send you a hold confirmation, etc.);
  • Statistics, research and analysis
  • To provide you with technical support, as needed;
  • To inform you of any changes to our terms of use and to this privacy policy, and/or for other administrative purposes;
  • To ensure the protection of rights and interests and to enforce this privacy policy and our terms of use;
  • To ensure that minors do not borrow books intended for adults only;
  • To comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.

We collect and use only the information that is required and necessary to enable us to fulfill the above-mentioned purposes.

In addition to the above, we also use, as described in the following section, cookies to automatically gather and collect information about you.

Information We Collect Automatically

What information is collected?

  • IP address
  • Operating system
  • Pages views and requests
  • Access date and time
  • Links that you click on
  • User’s origin
  • Geolocation (Google Analytics)
  • Your browser language

How and why is this information collected?

We collect such information by using cookies. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that are registered to the User's computer’s hard drive or to any other mobile device used by the User to access the Platform. Such files allow the exchange of status information between the Platform and the User’s browser. 

We use the following cookies:

Session cookies. Such cookies are essential for the proper functioning of the Platform. These cookies do not collect information for commercial prospection or for advertising targeting purposes. Session cookies are non-recognizable and encrypted identifiers that are essential to the proper functioning of some features (for example enabling a faster log-in process and avoids having to relog-in on every page you browse). These cookies do not collect information to be used for commercial prospecting or advertising targeting. Session cookies are encrypted identifiers that are not recognizable but are essential so that, among other things, you do not have to log in again on every page you browse.

Google Analytics cookies. Google analytics collects several types of information regarding your browsing of the Platform (for example the pages you browse, the date and time you access such pages, the links you click on). Google Analytics also collects, among other information, the type of operating system on your device, the language set for your browser, the name of your Internet service provider or your geographical location. The data collected, along with your anonymized IP address, are stored by Google on servers located in Canada but that may be transferred to the United States in certain cases. Google uses such information for the sole purpose of generating statistics and reports on the browsing on the Platform. Such elements allow us to improve the Platform by better understanding Users’ behaviour.

We collect and use only the information that is required and necessary to enable us to fulfill the above-mentioned purposes. You may delete all cookies that are installed on your computer or mobile device at any time. You may also disable cookies by selecting the appropriate option in your browser’s settings. Disabling cookies may lead to the malfunctioning of the Platform and some of the features or pages may be difficult, if not impossible, to access. 

Sharing and Transfer of Personal Information

Consent to the international transfer of information

By checking the “I accept” box you consent to the collection, transfer, storage, use and control of your information as collected by the Platform, in accordance with the conditions and for the purposes described in this section of the privacy policy.

With whom do we share your personal information?

We undertake not to commercialize the personal information we collect. If we intend to do so, we will ask for your express consent prior to any such disclosure.

However, we do share such information to third parties in the following cases:

  • With your library in order to offer you ebook loan services;
  • With eRead Alberta in order to offer you ebook loan services;
  • With Google, as previously described above;
  • In the event of a change in control of the company;
  • To comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations, including as part of a judicial proceeding; to respond to a subpoena, warrant, court order, or other legal process; or as part of an investigation or request from law enforcement or a governmental authority, Canadian or other.

If you do no want your personal information shared with third parties, you may refuse at the moment of collection or at any later moment, as mentioned in the next section. Please note that such refusal may lead to us being unable to provide you with certain services. 

Right of Veto and Removal (Opt-out)

We are committed to offering you a right of veto and of removal regarding your personal information.

The right of veto is the possibility offered to Users to refuse, at the moment of collection, that their personal information be used for certain purposes mentioned herein. The right of removal refers to the option offered to Users to choose that their personal information no longer be stored or used for certain purposes (for example in a mailing list).

In order to exercise these rights, please contact us:

Address: De Marque Inc., 400, Jean Lesage Boulevard, suite 540, Quebec (Quebec) G1K 8W1, Canada.
Email Address: data@demarque.com
Phone: 418-658-9143

Right of Access

We are committed to recognizing a right of access and modification for those who wish to consult or modify information about them.

In order to exercise these rights, please contact us:

Address: De Marque Inc., 400, Jean Lesage Boulevard, suite 540, Quebec (Quebec) G1K 8W1, Canada.
Email Address: data@demarque.com
Phone: 418-658-9143

Storage and Security

The personal information that we collect is stored on secured servers with restricted access, generally located in Canada, of a third party service provider. However, please note that the data collected by or shared with third parties, including but not limited to Google Analytics and, in some cases your library, may be stored on servers located outside of Canada, notably in the United States. We take all reasonable means to ensure that any third party service provider offers a secure and appropriate environment to protect your personal information as well as security measures that are similar to the ones required by Canadian and Quebec laws. Note however that the laws applicable outside of Quebec may authorize a government, a court of law or a public entity to require the disclosure of your personal information. The Managers shall not be liable in any way with regards to such disclosure and will not challenge such request to disclose your personal information if required by a local law. By voluntarily providing us with your personal information, you consent to their collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the foregoing.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the security of your personal information is one of our priorities and we are committed to take all reasonable measures to prevent the disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of your personal information. De Marque limits the number of employees who have access to such information to product managers, product experts and developers. The employees with access to such information have a duty of absolute confidentiality. However, please note that some of your library’s personnel or eRead Alberta’s personnel may have access to such information.

To ensure the security of your personal information, we use the following measures:

  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
  • Computer backup
  • Firewalls
  • Encrypted emails

We are committed to maintaining a high degree of confidentiality through the use of the latest technological innovations allowing us to ensure the confidentiality of your transactions. However, despite our best efforts, no data security measures can fully guarantee security, and some degree of risk is always associated with providing personal information on the Internet.

Duration of Retention of the Personal Information Collected

We retain your name, surname and email address for the whole period during which the account you created with your library or, if the case may be, the account you created directly on the Platform remains active, and for a period of six years after the termination of said account or for any other period of time required by any applicable law, for the sole purpose of complying with such applicable law.

Your borrowing history is saved on the Platform for a certain period of time determined by your library, after which period, your borrowing history will be automatically deleted. You have the option to request the retention of tour borrowing history by checking the box “Retain activities history”.

You may also delete your borrowing history at any time through the section “Your account”. If you do so, your data will be anonymized for statistical purposes only. 

External Links and Forms

From time to time, we may add some hyperlinks on our Platform redirecting you to external websites operated by third parties that we believe could be of interest to the Users. In no way does this imply that we approve of these websites’ content, nor of the activities of the companies, organizations or associations in charge of such websites. When you exit our Platform, you and your personal information are no longer governed by this privacy policy. We recommend that you consult the privacy policy of any website you visit before starting to use the site.

Babelthèque Form

You shall find, on the Platform, a “Babelthèque” form which is a tool for book rating. When you use such form to rate, review or publish a comment regarding a book, your personal information shall be directly collected by Babelthèque and is therefore governed by Babelthèque’s own privacy policy, which we recommend you read before you use said form. The Managers shall in no way be liable for the use, by Babelthèque, of your personal information, nor for their protection.

Contact Us

In order to learn more about our policies and practices regarding confidentiality, including our practices regarding the protection and conservation of your personal information, you can communicate with the following person at any time:

Contact person: Jean-Philippe Bougie
Address: De Marque Inc., 400, Jean Lesage Boulevard, suite 540, Quebec (Quebec) G1K 8W1, Canada.
Email Address: data@demarque.com
Phone: 418-658-9143

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be modified at any time by the Managers. If we make any changes, we will take the reasonable steps to notify the Users of such changes. In the event a User fails or refuses to accept the latest and updated version of this privacy policy, its access to the Platform may be suspended as of the effective date of such update.