Privacy Policy

Welcome to www.shaping-futures.com! This site is owned by ETHICON, INC. This Privacy Policy is designed to tell you about our practices regarding collection, use, and disclosure of information that you may provide via this site. Please be sure to read this entire Privacy Policy before using or submitting information to this site. This site is intended for use by health care professionals of the United States.

Your Consent
By using this site, you agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy. Whenever you submit information via this site, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

About Children
This site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We will not knowingly collect information from site visitors in this age group. We encourage parents to talk to their children about their use of the Internet and the information they disclose to Web sites.

Active Information Collection
Like many Web sites, this site actively collects information from its visitors both by asking you specific questions and by permitting you to communicate directly with us via e-mail, feedback forms, and/or chat rooms. Some of the information that you submit may be personally identifiable information (that is, information that can be uniquely identified with you, such as your full name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and so on). Some areas of this site may require you to submit information in order for you to benefit from the specified features (such as newsletter subscriptions, tips/pointers, order processing) or to participate in a particular activity (such as sweepstakes or other promotions). You will be informed at each information collection point what information is required and what information is optional.

Passive Information Collection
As you navigate through a Web site, certain information can be passively collected (that is, gathered without your actively providing the information) using various technologies and means, such as Internet Protocol addresses, cookies, Internet tags, and navigational data collection.

We use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses on this site. An IP Address is a number assigned to your computer by your Internet service provider so you can access the Internet and is generally considered to be non-personally identifiable information, because in most cases an IP address is dynamic (changing each time you connect to the Internet), rather than static (unique to a particular user's computer). We use your IP address to diagnose problems with our server, report aggregate information, determine the fastest route for your computer to use in connecting to our site, and administer and improve the site.

A cookie is a bit of information that a Web site sends to your Web browser that helps the site remember information about you and your preferences.

Session cookies are temporary bits of information that are erased once you exit your Web browser window or otherwise turn your computer off. Session cookies are used to improve navigation on Web sites and to collect aggregate statistical information. This site uses session cookies. Persistent cookies are more permanent bits of information that are placed on the hard drive of your computer and stay there unless you delete the cookie. Persistent cookies store information on your computer for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (e.g., passwords), helping to determine what areas of the Web site visitors find most valuable, and customizing the Web site based on your preferences. This site uses persistent cookies.

Internet tags (also known as single-pixel GIFs, clear GIFs, invisible GIFs, and 1-by-1 GIFs) are smaller than cookies and tell the Web site server information such as the IP address and browser type related to the visitor's computer. We do not use Internet tags at this site.

Navigational data ("log files," "server logs," and "clickstream" data) are used for system management, to improve the content of the site, market research purposes, and to communicate information to visitors. This site uses navigational data.

Use and Disclosure of Information
Except as otherwise stated, we may use your information to improve the content of our site, to customize the site to your preferences, to communicate information to you (if you have requested it), for our marketing and research purposes, and for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.

If you provide personally identifiable information to this site, we may combine such information with other actively collected information unless we specify otherwise at the point of collection. We will take reasonable measures to prevent personally identifiable information from being combined with passively collected information, unless you consent otherwise.

We may disclose your personally identifiable information to other Johnson Johnson affiliates worldwide that agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. In addition, we may disclose your personally identifiable information to third parties, located in the United States and/or any other country, but only

(i) to contractors we use to support our business (e.g., fulfillment services, technical support, delivery services, and financial institutions), in which case we will require such third parties to agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy;

(ii) in connection with the sale, assignment, or other transfer of the business of this site to which the information relates, in which case we will require any such buyer to agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy; or

(iii) where required by applicable laws, court orders, or government regulations. In addition, we will make full use of all information acquired through this site that is not in personally identifiable form.

Access and Correction
To keep your personally identifiable information accurate, current, and complete, please contact us as specified below. We will take reasonable steps to update or correct personally identifiable information in our possession that you have previously submitted via this site.

Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your personally identifiable information as you transmit your information from your computer to our site and to protect such information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. You should keep in mind that no Internet transmission is ever 100% secure or error-free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from this site may not be secure, and you should therefore take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail. Moreover, where you use passwords, ID numbers, or other special access features on this site, it is your responsibility to safeguard them.

Links to Other Web Sites
This site may contain links or references to other Web sites. Please be aware that we do not control other Web sites and that, in any case, this Privacy Policy does not apply to those Web sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every Web site you visit.

Other Terms
Your use of this site is subject to our Legal Notice .

How to Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the information practices of this site, please contact us as follows:

ETHICON, INC.
Communications Department
Attention: Webmaster
P.O. Box 151 Route 22 West
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 218-3195
webmaster@ethus.jnj.com

Changes to This Privacy Policy
If this Privacy Policy changes, the revised policy will be posted on this site. Please check back periodically, and especially before you provide any personally identifiable information. This Privacy Policy was last updated on March 1, 2005.