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CTS PRIVACY POLICY 

Personal Information Protection Policy

1. Commitment to Privacy of Personal Information 
   The Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and others who use CTS services. This Personal Information Protection Policy (the " Policy ") describes the policies and practices of the CTS with respect to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. The CTS collects uses and discloses personal information only with the consent of the individual, except as otherwise permitted or required by law. The Policy may be updated from time to time, with updates approved by the CTS Board to reflect developments in its practices, new technology or the law. Updates will be made available in the same ways as the Policy. The CTS' collection, use and disclosure of personal information will be governed by the version of this Policy in effect at the time.

2. Personal Information
   Personal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. 
   
   This Policy applies to personal information of members and prospective members, others who have expressed an interest in the CTS or have participated in an event sponsored or organized by the CTS. The personal information that the CTS generally collects and uses include: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, banking or credit card information (card number, type and expiry date). From members, the CTS also collects information related to the member's involvement in the CTS, such as speciality, certification, medical school affiliation, major interests and interest in the serving the CTS.

3. Accountability
   The CTS is responsible for all personal information under its custody or control, including information which it may transfer to a third party for processing. The Executive Director of the CTS has been appointed as Privacy Officer for the CTS. The Privacy Officer may delegate day-to-day responsibility for administration of this Policy to other employees but the Privacy Officer remains accountable for the CTS's handling of personal information. 
   
   The Privacy Officer may be contacted at: 30 Concourse Gate, Unit 27, Ottawa ON K2E 7V7. Tel: 613-235-6650, ext. 120

CTS is responsible for personal information sent to third parties who provide services to CTS. CTS requires any such third parties to use the personal information only for the purposes for which it is provided to them, and to protect the privacy of the personal information in accordance with privacy laws and in a manner that is consistent with this Policy. 

4. Information Received From Other Sources
   The CTS sometimes uses mailing lists from other organizations with whom CTS participates in organizing or sponsoring programs, publications, seminars, conferences or other events. When the CTS does so, the organization is required to provide only names of individuals who have consented to the sharing of their information. If the CTS contacts individuals on one of these lists, the CTS will ask whether further communications from CTS is desired. The CTS will respect the wishes of the individual.

5. Purposes for Collecting, Using and Disclosing Personal Information
   
   Membership Information. CTS collects and uses personal information from members and individuals who are applying to become members of CTS for the following purposes: 
   • to process a membership application or renewal;
   • to collect and process membership dues;
   • to keep members informed about the activities of the CTS by sending them the CTS member e-bulletin and the Canadian Journal Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine;
   • to keep members informed about information, activities and events of other organizations on topics related to the aims of the CTS;
   • to respond to members' questions and communications;
   • to advise members about meetings, conferences, workshops and seminars made available by other reputable organizations that may be of interest to members;
   • to analyse the demographics of the membership for future planning purposes;
   • to contact members with respect to requesting their participation in the affairs of the CTS.

Participants in Conferences and Events. The CTS collects and uses personal information of participants in conferences and other events for the following purposes: 
 

• to process registration before the event;
• to carry out the organization and administration of the event;
• to make a list of attendees available at an event;
• to provide the names of attendees to all organizations who participate in the event and to allow such organizations to advise attendees of any side meetings, symposia or other activities related to the conference;
• to invite participants to future events that are likely to be of interest to them;  and
• to notify participants about the benefits of joining CTS.

6. Disclosure of personal information 
   To streamline the membership application and renewal process for members of organizations concerned with respiratory health, the CTS collects membership dues on behalf of other organizations (eg. European Respiratory Society). The CTS then passes on the dues and the member's contact information to the other organization. Once information has been passed to the other organization, it is no longer in the control of CTS and becomes subject to the privacy practices and procedures of the recipient organization. 
   
   The CTS also occasionally discloses personal information of members to other organizations that provide information or sponsor events likely to be of interest to our members. On the CTS application form and Membership renewal forms, members have the opportunity to opt out of the disclosure and use of their personal information for these purposes. In addition, a member may withdraw consent at any time by contacting the Coordinator of Membership and Communications. The CTS takes careful steps to ensure it complies with individual's wishes with respect to disclosure and use of personal information. 
   
   Other than as outlined here, and as permitted or required by law, the CTS does not disclose personal information unless it has obtained the individual's consent.

7. Consent
   The CTS uses personal information only with the consent of the individual, except as otherwise permitted or required by law. When an individual submits a membership application or membership renewal, or registers for an event, the individual will be given an opportunity to opt out of receiving further information from the CTS or from any third parties. In addition, an individual may withdraw his or her consent to the use of personal information for any purpose at any time by contacting the CTS at the address above. The CTS will explain the consequences of withdrawing consent. Please allow three (3) months to process any request to withdraw consent.

8. Website
   The CTS provides information and some member services via its website (the " Site "). By using the Site, users agree that information may be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with this Policy. 
   
   Cookies. The Site uses cookies which are small amounts of data that are transferred to a user's browser. Cookies are used to customize the site to an individual's interests or to retain personal information, such as a password, for the next visit. A user can set his or her browser not to accept cookies and still access the Site, although as a result certain areas of the Site may be unavailable or difficult to use. 
   
   Non-Personal Information. As is typical with many websites, the Site automatically collects certain non-personal information regarding website users, such as the date and time you linked to the site. The Site also collects non-personal data which are used for system administration purposes and to update the website. 
   
   Links. The Site contains links to other third party websites, such as those of CTS Partner organizations and Affiliates. These links are provided for the convenience of users. The CTS has no responsibility or liability for, or control over, those websites or their collection, use and disclosure of an individual's personal information.

9. Accuracy 
   The CTS seeks to ensure that the personal information it uses is accurate and up to date. Please assist the office by advising staff of any inaccuracies so that appropriate corrections can be made.

10. Limiting Retention of Personal Information
    The CTS retains personal information as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected and in order to meet legal and regulatory requirements.

11. Safeguards
    The CTS protects personal information against such risks as loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, modification and destruction by using appropriate security measures. 
    
    The CTS's employees with access to personal information are required to respect the confidentiality of that information pursuant to their employment agreement with CTS. Employees also participate in privacy training. The CTS implements methods of protecting personal information that include limiting access to the information, restricting access to offices where information is held and technological measures such as passwords.

12. Access An individual may request access to the information held about him or her at any time by contacting the Privacy Officer at 613-235-6650, ext. 120. The CTS will endeavour to respond to any such request as quickly as possible and, in any event, within the legally required time periods. Subject to certain exceptions and limitations prescribed by law, an individual will be given access to any personal information the CTS holds about the individual. The CTS will correct or amend personal information that is shown to be incomplete or inaccurate.

13. Questions and Complaints 
    For further information about this Policy or the practices of the CTS related to personal information, or to make a complaint, please contact the CTS Privacy Officer at 613-235-6650, ext. 120. The CTS will investigate all complaints and take appropriate action as a result of such investigation.

1. Introduction

This website is operated by the Canadian Thoracic Society. The terms “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to Canadian Thoracic Society. The use of our website is subject to the following terms and conditions of use, as amended from time to time (the “Terms”). The Terms are to be read together by you with any terms, conditions or disclaimers provided in the pages of our website. Please review the Terms carefully. The Terms apply to all users of our website, including without limitation, users who are browsers, customers, merchants, vendors and/or contributors of content. If you access and use this website, you accept and agree to be bound by and comply with the Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the Terms or our Privacy Policy, you are not authorized to access our website, use any of our website’s services or place an order on our website.

2. Use of our Website

You agree to use our website for legitimate purposes and not for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, including without limitation, in violation of any intellectual property or privacy law. By agreeing to the Terms, you represent and warrant that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence and are legally capable of entering into a binding contract. You agree to not use our website to conduct any activity that would constitute a civil or criminal offence or violate any law. You agree not to attempt to interfere with our website’s network or security features or to gain unauthorized access to our systems. You agree to provide us with accurate personal information, such as your email address, mailing address and other contact details in order to complete your order or contact you as needed. You agree to promptly update your account and information. You authorize us to collect and use this information to contact you in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

3. General Conditions

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time, for any reason. We reserve the right to make any modifications to the website, including terminating, changing, suspending or discontinuing any aspect of the website at any time, without notice. We may impose additional rules or limits on the use of our website. You agree to review the Terms regularly and your continued access or use of our website will mean that you agree to any changes. You agree that we will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of our website or for any service, content, feature or product offered through our website.

4. Membership

Refunds will be allowed within a period of thirty days, provided the applicant has not benefited from any of the membership benefits having a monetary value, such as attendance at networking events or conferences. A 10% administration fee will be subtracted from the refunded amount. Membership is non-transferable. Requests for refunds must be submitted by the applicant in writing, by mail or email. Refunds will be processed within thirty days. By completing purchases with us you agree to have your Credit card and personal information securely stored as part of a payment profile within a 3rd party payment gateway. This securely stored payment profile will be used, when authorized, for automated recurring payments and will allow for easier and faster checkouts. No credit card information is stored within Member365 and all payment data is accessed by way of a secure API. Under no circumstances do we share credit card or personal details.

5. Products or Services

All purchases through our website are subject to product availability. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel the quantities offered on our website or limit the sales of our products or services to any person, household, geographic region or jurisdiction. Prices for our products are subject to change, without notice. Unless otherwise indicated, prices displayed on our website are quoted in Canadian dollars. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to refuse orders, including without limitation, orders that appear to be placed by distributors or resellers. If we believe that you have made a false or fraudulent order, we will be entitled to cancel the order and inform the relevant authorities. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the colour or design of the products on our website. We have made efforts to ensure the colour and design of our products are displayed as accurately as possible on our website.

6. Links to Third-Party Websites

Links from or to websites outside our website are meant for convenience only. We do not review, endorse, approve or control, and are not responsible for any sites linked from or to our website, the content of those sites, the third parties named therein, or their products and services. Linking to any other site is at your sole risk and we will not be responsible or liable for any damages in connection with linking. Links to downloadable software sites are for convenience only and we are not responsible or liable for any difficulties or consequences associated with downloading the software. Use of any downloaded software is governed by the terms of the license agreement, if any, which accompanies or is provided with the software.

7. Use Comments, Feedback, and Other Submissions

You acknowledge that you are responsible for the information, profiles, opinions, messages, comments and any other content (collectively, the “Content”) that you post, distribute or share on or through our website or services available in connection with our website. You further acknowledge that you have full responsibility for the Content, including but limited to, with respect to its legality, and its trademark, copyright and other intellectual property ownership. You agree that any Content submitted by you in response to a request by us for a specific submission may be edited, adapted, modified, recreated, published, or distributed by us. You further agree that we are under no obligation to maintain any Content in confidence, to pay compensation for any Content or to respond to any Content. You agree that you will not post, distribute or share any Content on our website that is protected by copyright, trademark, patent or any other proprietary right without the express consent of the owner of such proprietary right. You further agree that your Content will not be unlawful, abusive or obscene nor will it contain any malware or computer virus that could affect our website’s operations. You will be solely liable for any Content that you make and its accuracy. We have no responsibility and assume no liability for any Content posted by you or any third-party. We reserve the right to terminate your ability to post on our website and to remove and/or delete any Content that we deem objectionable. You consent to such removal and/or deletion and waive any claim against us for the removal and/or deletion of your Content.

8. Your Personal Information

Please see our Privacy Policy to learn about how we collect, use, and share your personal information.

9. Errors and Omissions

Please note that our website may contain typographical errors or inaccuracies and may not be complete or current. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions and to change or update information at any time, without prior notice (including after an order has been submitted). Such errors, inaccuracies or omissions may relate to product description, pricing, promotion and availability and we reserve the right to cancel or refuse any order placed based on incorrect pricing or availability information, to the extent permitted by applicable law. We do not undertake to update, modify or clarify information on our website, except as required by law.

10. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

You assume all responsibility and risk with respect to your use of our website, which is provided “as is” without warranties, representations or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, with regard to information accessed from or via our website, including without limitation, all content and materials, and functions and services provided on our website, all of which are provided without warranty of any kind, including but not limited to warranties concerning the availability, accuracy, completeness or usefulness of content or information, uninterrupted access, and any warranties of title, non-infringement, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We do not warrant that our website or its functioning or the content and material of the services made available thereby will be timely, secure, uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that our websites or the servers that make our website available are free of viruses or other harmful components. The use of our website is at your sole risk and you assume full responsibility for any costs associated with your use of our website. We will not be liable for any damages of any kind related to the use of our website. In no event will we, or our affiliates, our or their respective content or service providers, or any of our or their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, suppliers or employees be liable to you for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, losses or causes of action, or lost revenue, lost profits, lost business or sales, or any other type of damage, whether based in contract or tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of, or the inability to use, or the performance of, our website or the content or material or functionality through our website, even if we are advised of the possibility of such damages. Certain jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, some or all of the above disclaimers, exclusions, or limitations, may not apply to you and our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend and indemnify us, and hold us and our affiliates harmless, and our and their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, and employees against any losses, liabilities, claims, expenses (including legal fees) in any way arising from, related to or in connection with your use of our website, your violation of the Terms, or the posting or transmission of any materials on or through the website by you, including but not limited to, any third party claim that any information or materials provided by you infringe upon any third party proprietary rights.

12. Entire Agreement

The Terms and any documents expressly referred to in them represent the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the subject matter of the Terms and supersede any prior agreement, understanding or arrangement between you and us, whether oral or in writing. Both you and we acknowledge that, in entering into these Terms, neither you nor we have relied on any representation, undertaking or promise given by the other or implied from anything said or written between you and us prior to such Terms, except as expressly stated in the Terms.

13. Waiver

Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the Terms will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. A waiver by us of any default will not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default. No waiver by us is effective unless it is communicated to you in writing.

14. Headings

Any headings and titles herein are for convenience only.

15. Severability

If any of the provisions of the Terms are determined by any competent authority to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, such provision will to that extent be severed from the remaining Terms, which will continue to be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

16. Governing Law

Any disputes arising out of or relating to the Terms, the Privacy Policy, use of our website, or our products or services offered on our website will be resolved in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario without regard to its conflict of law rules. Any disputes, actions or proceedings relating to the Terms or your access to or use of our website must be brought before the courts of the Province of Ontario in the City of Ottawa, Ontario and you irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such courts.

17. Questions or Concerns

Please send all questions, comments and feedback to us at info@cts-sct.ca.

Who can access the Canadian Thoracic Society member portal?

Please note that the CTS member portal is to be used by members of CTS only. Certain workspaces within the member portal will be tailored for and restricted to certain membership types; access to these areas will be determined and approved by CTS staff. The Content that is displayed in your member portal will automatically vary based on your user / membership type.

What can be posted?

To ensure all interactions within the CTS member portal are safe and friendly, CTS staff will oversee the member portal activity and will review, edit, and delete any inappropriate content that has been submitted. This includes abusive or offensive language, spam, malicious files, or other disrespectful contact. To help provide a productive environment, please report any offensive or suspicious activity to CTS staff. Please note that not all user-submitted content is representative of CTS, nor does it necessarily represent the views of CTS, its staff or members.