Privacy Policy

Personal data (usually referred to just as “data” below) will only be processed by us to the extent necessary and for the purpose of providing a functional and user-friendly website, including its contents, and the services offered there.

Per Art. 4 No. 1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, i.e. the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as the „GDPR“), „processing“ refers to any operation or set of operations such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation, alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination, or otherwise making available, alignment, or combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction performed on personal data, whether by automated means or not.

The following privacy policy is intended to inform you in particular about the type, scope, purpose, duration, and legal basis for the processing of such data either under our own control or in conjunction with others. We also inform you below about the third-party components we use to optimize our website and improve the user experience which may result in said third parties also processing data they collect and control.

Our privacy policy is structured as follows:

I. Information about us as controllers of your data
II. The rights of users and data subjects
III. Information about the data processing

I. Information about us as controllers of your data

The party responsible for this website (the „controller“) for purposes of data protection law is:

I. Informationen über uns als Verantwortliche

Verantwortlicher Anbieter dieses Internetauftritts im datenschutzrechtlichen Sinne ist:

SOTEC GmbH & Co KG
Calwer Straße 11
D-75395 Ostelsheim

Tel: +49 (0)7033 5458-0
E-Mail: info@sotec.eu
Management: Florian Holz
Link to imprint: https://www.sotec.eu/en/imprint/

The controller’s data protection officer is:
Markus Ziegler
E-Mail: dsb@sotec.eu
Tel: +49 (0)7033 54 58-27

II. The rights of users and data subjects

With regard to the data processing to be described in more detail below, users and data subjects have the right

to confirmation of whether data concerning them is being processed, information about the data being processed, further information about the nature of the data processing, and copies of the data (cf. also Art. 15 GDPR);
to correct or complete incorrect or incomplete data (cf. also Art. 16 GDPR);
to the immediate deletion of data concerning them (cf. also Art. 17 DSGVO), or, alternatively, if further processing is necessary as stipulated in Art. 17 Para. 3 GDPR, to restrict said processing per Art. 18 GDPR;
to receive copies of the data concerning them and/or provided by them and to have the same transmitted to other providers/controllers (cf. also Art. 20 GDPR);
to file complaints with the supervisory authority if they believe that data concerning them is being processed by the controller in breach of data protection provisions (see also Art. 77 GDPR).

In addition, the controller is obliged to inform all recipients to whom it discloses data of any such corrections, deletions, or restrictions placed on processing the same per Art. 16, 17 Para. 1, 18 GDPR. However, this obligation does not apply if such notification is impossible or involves a disproportionate effort. Nevertheless, users have a right to information about these recipients.

Likewise, under Art. 21 GDPR, users and data subjects have the right to object to the controller’s future processing of their data pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. In particular, an objection to data processing for the purpose of direct advertising is permissible.

III. Information about the data processing

Your data processed when using our website will be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose for its storage ceases to apply, provided the deletion of the same is not in breach of any statutory storage obligations or unless otherwise stipulated below.

Cookie Manager

To obtain consent for the use of technically unnecessary cookies on the website, the provider uses a cookie manager.

When the website is called up, a cookie with the settings information is stored on the end device of the user so that the request for consent does not have to be made on a subsequent visit.

The cookie is required to obtain legally compliant user consent.

You can prevent cookies from being installed by adjusting the settings on your internet browser.

Cookies

a) Session cookies

We use cookies on our website. Cookies are small text files or other storage technologies stored on your computer by your browser. These cookies process certain specific information about you, such as your browser, location data, or IP address.

This processing makes our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure, allowing us, for example, to display our website in different languages or to offer a shopping cart function.

The legal basis for such processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR, insofar as these cookies are used to collect data to initiate or process contractual relationships.

If the processing does not serve to initiate or process a contract, our legitimate interest lies in improving the functionality of our website. The legal basis is then Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

When you close your browser, these session cookies are deleted.

b) Third-party cookies

If necessary, our website may also use cookies from companies with whom we cooperate for the purpose of advertising, analyzing, or improving the features of our website.

Please refer to the following information for details, in particular for the legal basis and purpose of such third-party collection and processing of data collected through cookies.

c) Disabling cookies

You can refuse the use of cookies by changing the settings on your browser. Likewise, you can use the browser to delete cookies that have already been stored. However, the steps and measures required vary, depending on the browser you use. If you have any questions, please use the help function or consult the documentation for your browser or contact its maker for support. Browser settings cannot prevent so-called flash cookies from being set. Instead, you will need to change the setting of your Flash player. The steps and measures required for this also depend on the Flash player you are using. If you have any questions, please use the help function or consult the documentation for your Flash player or contact its maker for support.

If you prevent or restrict the installation of cookies, not all of the functions on our site may be fully usable.

Contact

If you contact us via email or the contact form, the data you provide will be used for the purpose of processing your request. We must have this data in order to process and answer your inquiry; otherwise we will not be able to answer it in full or at all.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Your data will be deleted once we have fully answered your inquiry and there is no further legal obligation to store your data, such as if an order or contract resulted therefrom.

Online job applications / publication of job advertisements

We offer you the opportunity to apply for jobs with our company via our website. In the case of these digital applications, we collect your application data electronically in order to process your application.

The legal basis for this processing is §26 Para. 1 S. 1 BDSG in conjunction with Art. 88 Para. 1 GDPR.

If you are hired as a result of the application process, we will store the data you provide during the application process in your personnel file for the purpose of the usual organizational and administrative process, naturally in compliance with further legal obligations.

The legal basis for this processing is §26 Para. 1 S. 1 BDSG in conjunction with Art. 88 Para. 1 GDPR.

If we do not hire you, we will automatically delete the data submitted to us two months after the final decision is made. We will not delete the data, however, if we must store the data for legal reasons such as evidence of equal treatment of applicants, until any legal action is concluded, or four months.

In this case, the legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR and §24 Para. 1 No. 2 BDSG. Our legitimate interest lies in any legal defense we may have to mount .

If you expressly consent to a longer storage of your data, e.g. for your inclusion in a database of applicants or interested parties, the data will be processed further on the basis of your consent. The legal basis is then Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time with future effect per Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect.

Server data

For technical reasons, the following data sent by your internet browser to us or to our server provider will be collected, especially to ensure a secure and stable website: These server log files record the type and version of your browser, operating system, the website from which you came (referrer URL), the webpages on our site visited, the date and time of your visit, as well as the IP address from which you visited our site.

The data thus collected will be temporarily stored, but not in association with any other of your data.

The basis for this storage is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the improvement, stability, functionality, and security of our website.

The data will be deleted within no more than seven days, unless continued storage is required for evidentiary purposes. In which case, all or part of the data will be excluded from deletion until the investigation of the relevant incident is finally resolved.

General introduction

General linking to third-party profiles

The provider includes a link on the website to the social media listed below.

The legal basis for this is Article 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The legitimate interest of the provider is to improve the quality of use of the website.

The plugins are integrated via a linked graphic. The user is only forwarded to the service of the respective social media by clicking on the corresponding graphic.

After the customer has been forwarded, information about the user is recorded by the respective social media. This is initially data such as IP address, date, time and page visited. If the user is logged into his/her user account of the respective social media at the same time, the social media operator can, if required, assign the information collected from the user’s specific visit to the user’s personal account. If the user interacts via a “Share” button of the respective social media, this information can be stored in the user’s personal user account and, if required, be published. If the user wants to prevent the collected information from being directly assigned to his/her user account, the user must log out before clicking on the graphic. It is also possible to configure the respective user account accordingly.

The following social media are linked by the provider:

LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Irland, a subsidiary of LinkedIn Corporation, 1000 W. Maude Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 USA.

X

Twitter International Unlimited Company , One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland. Privacy Policy:: https://x.com/de/privacy

Facebook plug-in

Our website uses the plug-in of the Facebook social network. Facebook.com is a service provided by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Irland.

In case you have granted your consent to this processing the legal basis is Article 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. The legal basis can also be Article 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website.

Further information about the possible plug-ins and their respective functions is available from Facebook at

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/

If the plug-in is stored on one of the pages you visit on our website, your browser will download an icon for the plug-in from Facebook’s servers in the USA. For technical reasons, it is necessary for Facebook to process your IP address. In addition, the date and time of your visit to our website will also be recorded.

If you are logged in to Facebook while visiting one of our plugged-in websites, the information collected by the plug-in from your specific visit will be recognized by Facebook. The information collected may then be assigned to your personal account at Facebook. If, for example, you use the Facebook Like button, this information will be stored in your Facebook account and published on the Facebook platform. If you want to prevent this, you must either log out of Facebook before visiting our website or use an add-on for your browser to prevent the Facebook plug-in from loading.

Further information about the collection and use of data as well as your rights and protection options in Facebook’s privacy policy found at

https://www.facebook.com/policy.php

X plug-in

Our website uses the plug-in of the Twitter social network. The Twitter service is operated by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA („Twitter“).

If the plug-in is stored on one of the pages you visit on our website, your browser will download an icon for the plug-in from Twitter’s servers in the USA. For technical reasons, it is necessary for Twitter to process your IP address. In addition, the date and time of your visit to our website will also be recorded.

If you are logged in to Twitter while visiting one of our plugged-in websites, the information collected by the plug-in from your specific visit will be recognized by Twitter. The information collected may then be assigned to your personal account at Twitter. If, for example, you use the Twitter Tweet button, this information will be stored in your Twitter account and may be published on the Twitter platform. To prevent this, you must either log out of Twitter before visiting our site or make the appropriate settings in your Twitter account.

Further information about the collection and use of data as well as your rights and protection options in Twitter’s privacy policy found at

https://twitter.com/privacy

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics on our website, a web analysis service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to as “Google”.

Google Analytics helps us analyse website usage and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. The user can revoke consent to the use of Google Analytics in accordance with Art. 7 para. 3 GDPR at any time for the future via the “Cookie Settings” on our website.

Information such as time, location and frequency of website visits as well as interactions with the website (e.g. click paths, ads seen/clicked, clicks on links) including the user’s IP address are transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there for a maximum of 2 months.

Google LLC is part of the “Data Privacy Framework”, for which the EU Commission has issued an adequacy decision in accordance with Art. 45 GDPR:

https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/list

Google also records “demographic characteristics” and can create statistics that allow statements to be made about the age, gender and interests of site visitors. This is done through the automated analysis of advertising and information from third parties.

If the user has activated personalised ads in their Google account and agrees to Google Analytics, Google can analyse usage behaviour across devices – that is, across all devices that the user has linked to their Google account. Google creates models for cross-device conversions; only anonymous statistics are sent to us, no personal data.

If the user wishes to deactivate this cross-device analysis, he or she can deactivate the “Personalised Advertising” function in the settings of his or her Google account using the following link:

https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=de

We use Google Analytics with an anonymisation function. As a result, Google will shorten the user’s IP address within the EU member states or in other contracting states to the EEA Agreement.

Google uses the data collected to evaluate the user’s visit to the website and to compile reports on website activities for us. The data are also used to provide other services related to website and internet usage. Google may transfer this information to third parties where required by law, or where such third parties process the data on Google’s behalf.

According to Google, under no circumstances will the user’s IP address be linked to other Google data. Google offers further information and options for preventing data usage here:

https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/partners

If the user does not agree to the collection, he or she can also prevent it by installing the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics.

Google Tag Manager

We use the Google Tag Manager to integrate various functions on our website. This product comes from Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to as “Google”.

The Google Tag Manager is used exclusively to integrate certain content into our website and to enable the management of these functions via an interface provided by Google.

When you access the website, the corresponding functions are loaded from a Google server, which may also be located in the USA. The user’s IP address is processed in order to provide the functions.

The functions used are listed in our privacy policy. Any consent not granted by the user for certain functions will also be respected when using the Google Tag Manager.

Google LLC is also part of the “Data Privacy Framework”, for which the EU Commission has issued an adequacy decision pursuant to Art. 45 GDPR:

https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/list

The legal basis for use is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimisation and economic operation of our website.

FontAwesome

In order to be able to display fonts and visual elements of our website, we use FontAwesome’s external fonts. FontAwesome is a service of

Fonticons Inc., 6 Porter Road, Apartment 3R, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA, hereinafter referred to as „FontAwesome“.

When you access our website, a connection is established to the FontAwesome server in the USA in order to enable and update the display of fonts and visual elements.

The legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimisation and economic operation of our website.

By connecting to the FontAwesome server when you access our website, FontAwesome can determine from which website your request was sent and to which IP address the font should be sent.

https://fontawesome.com/privacy

FontAwesome offers further information, in particular on the options for preventing data use.

Google Fonts

Our website uses Google Fonts to display external fonts. This is a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland (hereinafter: Google).

To enable the display of certain fonts on our website, a connection to the Google server in the USA is established whenever our website is accessed.

The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimization and economic operation of our site.

When you access our site, a connection to Google is established from which Google can identify the site from which your request has been sent and to which IP address the fonts are being transmitted for display.

Google offers detailed information at

https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated

https://policies.google.com/privacy

in particular on options for preventing the use of data.

Google-Maps

Our website uses Google Maps to display our location and to provide directions. This is a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland (hereinafter: Google).

If you access the Google Maps components integrated into our website, Google will store a cookie on your device via your browser. Your user settings and data are processed to display our location and create a route description. We cannot prevent Google from using servers in the USA.

By connecting to Google in this way, Google can determine from which website your request has been sent and to which IP address the directions are transmitted.

If you do not agree to this processing, you have the option of preventing the installation of cookies by making the appropriate settings in your browser. Further details can be found in the section about cookies above.

In addition, the use of Google Maps and the information obtained via Google Maps is governed by the Google Terms of Use and the Terms and Conditions for Google Maps .

Google also offers further information at

https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated

https://policies.google.com/privacy

jQuery CDN

We use the service jQuery CDN, a Content Delivery Network („CDN“), on our website to optimise the retrieval speed, the design and presentation of the content of our website on different devices.

This is a service of the jQuery Foundation, hereinafter referred to as „jQuery“. jQuery is distributed for the JS Foundation via the StackPath CDN.

In order to be able to deliver the content of our website quickly, the service uses so-called JavaScript libraries. Relevant files are loaded from the CDN server if they are not already available in your browser cache when you visit another website. In the case of a connection to the CDN server, your IP address is recorded. It cannot be ruled out that a connection will be established to a server outside the EU.

The legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in speeding up loading times and protecting our website, as well as in analysing and optimising our website.

To totally prevent the execution of jQuery’s JavaScript code, you can install a so-called JavaScript blocker, such as noscript.net or ghostery.com. . If you were to prevent or restrict the execution of the Java Script code, this can mean that for technical reasons not all the content and functions of our website may be available.

Shopify (Shop-Software + Web-Analyse)

a) Shopify-Shop-Software

We use “Shopify” to host our shop system, to present our offers and for the processing of contracts.

The legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b) GDPR (contract initiation/contract processing).

„Shopify“ is the service of a group of companies consisting of the companies Shopify Data Processing (USA) Inc., Shopify Payments (USA) Inc., Shopify (USA) Inc., Shopify Commerce Singapore Pte. Ltd., and Shopify International Limited.

Insofar as we are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), processing is carried out by Shopify International Limited, Victoria Buildings, 2nd floor, 1-2 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, D04 XN32, Ireland, hereinafter referred to only as „Shopify“.

However, due to the interconnection of the companies, it cannot be ruled out that processing will also take place in Canada and the USA, i.e. outside the EEA. However, when the data is transmitted to Shopify Inc., Canada, an appropriate level of data protection is guaranteed by the adequacy decision of the European Commission.

Shopify processes the following data on our behalf:

Name, billing and, if applicable, delivery address, email address, payment details, possibly company name, possibly telephone number, IP address, information about orders, information about the shops supported by Shopify that you visit, as well as information about your device and your internet browser.

https://www.shopify.de/legal/datenschutz

Prospectone Sp.z.o.o. offers further data protection information.

b) Shopify web analysis

Insofar as we also use Shopify’s web analysis service on our website, Shopify will save cookies on your device via your internet browser. These cookies transfer and evaluate further information to a Shopify server, such as i.e. the location, time or frequency of your visit to our website.

If you do not agree to this processing, you have the option of preventing the installation of cookies by making the appropriate settings in your browser. You can find more information on this under “Cookies” above.

Model Data Protection Statement for Anwaltskanzlei Weiß & Partner

Google Forms

We use Google Forms for orders and for collecting customer feedback. This product comes from Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to as “Google”.

When you access and submit the form, the corresponding functions are loaded from a Google server, which may also be located in the USA. The user’s IP address and other device-specific details are recorded in the process.

Google LLC is also part of the “Data Privacy Framework”, for which the EU Commission has issued an adequacy decision in accordance with Art. 45 DSGVO:

https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/list

The legal basis for the use is Art. 6 Abs. 1 lit. b DSGVO.

The legal basis can also be Art. 6 Abs. 1 lit. f DSGVO. Our legitimate interest lies in collecting customer feedback.

Your data will be deleted once your request has been fully answered and provided that no legal retention obligations prevent deletion, as may be the case, for example, with any subsequent contract processing.