Windows Media Center for Windows Vista Privacy Statement
Last Updated: September 2007Changes to the Privacy Statement Microsoft may occasionally update this privacy statement. The "last updated" date at the top of the page is revised every time the privacy statement is updated. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.Contact Information If you believe that Microsoft has not adhered to this statement, please contact us using this Web form: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=5395626.Microsoft is committed to helping to protect your privacy. To help you make an informed choice regarding your privacy, Microsoft publishes privacy statements that disclose what information is collected, how that information is used, and which privacy controls exist. A printable version of this privacy statement can be viewed in your Web browser at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=57501.This privacy statement explains the data collection and use practices of Windows Media Center features that are included with your version of Windows Media Center for Windows Vista ("Windows Media Center"). This statement does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft Web sites, products, or services, which may have their own privacy statements. To read the privacy statement for the rest of Windows Vista, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=34493.When we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you, we will explicitly ask you for it. For example, if you choose to register your software, we will collect your name, address, telephone number, business name, and e-mail address. The personal information we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized, and may also be used to request additional information on feedback that you provide about the product or service that you are using; to provide notifications regarding the software; to improve the product or service; to provide you with advance notice of events; or to tell you about new product releases.The following topics are covered in this privacy statement: Windows Media Center and the Internet Electronic Program Guide Digital Tuner with CableCARD Enhanced Playback and Internet Services Music Information Playback of Protected Digital Content Customer Experience Improvement Program SecurityWindows Media Center and the Internet Windows Media Center has tightly integrated Internet capabilities to provide a rich set of features, such as the ability to create an enhanced media playback experience. The information that Windows Media Center sends across the Internet depends on the feature that is being used and which privacy controls have been set. Each of these features will be explained further in the statement below. When these features send information across the Internet, certain standard information from your computer ("standard computer information") is sent to Microsoft. Standard computer information includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, a code that identifies the manufacturer of your computer, and your regional and language settings. Information collected by Microsoft as part of providing you with these features may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country/region in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or agents maintain facilities. 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.We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as handling the processing and delivery of mailings, providing customer support, providing TV listings, reporting, researching, development, processing transactions, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies with the information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of that information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.Microsoft may access and/or disclose 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; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft and its family of Web sites; or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft products or services, or members of the public.Electronic Program Guide The Electronic Program Guide (or Program Guide) service provides you with customized television listings information specific to your television service. To customize the listings, you will be asked for your ZIP/postal code and which television service you receive. If you choose to use the Program Guide service, with a broadband connection to the Internet, up to 14 days of television listings will be downloaded to your computer every day. If you use a dialup connection to access the Internet, you must manually download the television listings or store your connection user name and password in the Internet Explorer connection settings so that the connection can be used automatically. Your connection user name and password will not be sent to Microsoft.When you use the Program Guide, it collects and provides information to Microsoft regarding the operation of the television listings that were downloaded from Microsoft to your computer ("Program Guide-related information"). This information includes the amount of data downloaded, the duration of the download, whether the download completed successfully, and any edits you make to remedy incorrect channel assignments. This information also includes certain standard information about your computer hardware and software such as your IP address, access times, and geographic information that may include your country and ZIP/postal code.You may terminate your use of the Program Guide at any time by doing the following:
Microsoft may provide Program Guide-related information in its anonymous or aggregate form to non-Microsoft companies who provide services to Microsoft. Such services include the provision of TV listings, reporting, customer support, and research and development. Microsoft may also disclose Program Guide-related information as described elsewhere in the privacy statement.Access and Modify Program Guide-Related Information Because Program Guide-related information is compiled automatically and anonymously by the Program Guide, you may not access or modify such data. You can, however, modify the data you provided to Microsoft when you registered to use the Program Guide (such as your customized TV listings, ZIP/Postal code, and television service provider).To access or modify Program Guide-related information, do the following:
When you run the Windows Media Center setup and have a digital tuner with a CableCARD connected to your computer, Windows Media Center will ask you if it is okay to silently connect to the Internet to upgrade the DRM components. If you agree, the DRM components will be upgraded at that time. After that point, Windows Media Center will automatically verify you have the latest DRM components each time a new Program Guide is downloaded by verifying that your DRM certificates are up-to-date. An Internet connection will be required (dialup or broadband). If your computer is not able to connect to the Internet for periods of longer than 30 days, Windows Media Center will prompt you to enable an Internet connection before secure content can be accessed.If the security of your DRM components is compromised, owners of secure content may request that Microsoft revoke the right of Windows Media Center to copy, display, and/or play secure content. Revocation does not alter the ability of Windows Media Center to play unprotected content. A list of revoked software can be sent to your computer whenever you download a new Program Guide. If Windows Media Center, a Microsoft codec, a display driver, or the security components on your computer have been added to the revocation list, Windows Media Center will not be able to play secure content until you update the DRM components to a more recent and secure version. Updated DRM components will be made available on Windows Update.Enhanced Playback and Internet Services Windows Media Center can frequently connect to the Internet to provide an enhanced Windows Media Center experience with Internet services, links to non-Microsoft Web sites, Sports information, and other Internet services as they become available. Microsoft collects certain standard information when you use online services. This information includes the amount of data downloaded, the duration of the download, and whether the download completed successfully. This information also includes certain standard information about your computer hardware and software such as your IP address, access times, and geographic information which may include your country and ZIP/postal code.You can prevent Windows Media Center from automatically connecting to the Internet to download music and movie information, as well as Internet services.To prevent Windows Media Center from going to the Internet to download this information, do the following:
You can use Internet TV through Windows Media Center to access third-party content and services. To provide content using Internet TV and to help provide you with better service, Microsoft may share information about the operation of the Internet TV service with non-Microsoft content and service providers, but that information is not used to personally identify you.Non-Microsoft Web Sites and Applications Online Media, More Music, More TV, More Pictures, and More Radio provide you with access to Microsoft and non-Microsoft Web sites, content, and services. When you access non-Microsoft Web sites, content or services, you will be subject to that Web site's privacy practices. Similarly, when you run non-Microsoft applications in Windows Media Center, you will be subject to the other company's privacy practices. Microsoft is not responsible for the privacy practices of non-Microsoft sites or applications.Some applications and Web sites available from Online Media request information from your computer to provide you with an enhanced experience. They can ask Windows Media Center for information about the currently-playing song or video, including title, artist, and length of the content. Applications and Web sites cannot obtain any information about television shows you watch or information that personally identifies you, but they can request other information such as the ZIP/Postal code you used when you configured the Electronic Program Guide. A Web site might use this information to customize content, such as providing weather information based on your ZIP/Postal code.You can turn this feature off by doing the following:
Some of the features in this software use cookies in conjunction with an associated Web site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web server. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.A cookie is often used to personalize your visit to a Web site or to save you time. For example, to facilitate a purchase, the cookie could contain information such as your current selection, as well as personally-identifiable information such as your name or e-mail address. Similarly, streaming media servers you connect to through the Internet may also establish cookies on your computer. To help Web sites track individual visitors, cookies often contain a unique identifier. It is up to the Web site that created the cookie to disclose to you what information is stored in the cookie and how that information is used.You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you decide to block one or more cookies, the Web sites that use them may not function correctly. For example, if the WindowsMedia.com cookie is blocked, you may lose some features such as the ability to set Radio Tuner Presets in the Windows Media Player.Cookies previously saved to your hard drive may still be read by Windows Media Center unless you remove them. If you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, you can use the Internet Options in Microsoft Windows to modify your browser settings for cookies as follows:
Windows Media Center uses Windows Media technology to play music files (e.g., WMA and MP3 files) that are located in the Windows Media Library (the same library used by Windows Media Player). When you play music files, the Windows Media technology will access the Internet if:
When you play music or video content that is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), Windows Media Center will need to retrieve media usage rights (a license) from a license server on the Internet if you don't already have a license. Most license servers are operated by companies other than Microsoft. When requesting a license, Windows Media Center will provide the license server with certain standard information that includes your computer’s IP address, an ID for the music or video file, the action you have requested (such as play), information about the DRM components on your computer such as their version and security level, and a digital certificate. This digital certificate is used only to generate a license and is not available to the license server in a way that uniquely identifies your computer.By default, Windows Media Center will automatically attempt to acquire a license unless the license server requires some input from you (such as registration information or a fee). You can turn off automatic license acquisition in Windows Media Player. If you do so, you will be prompted to obtain a license for any new content that requires one.To learn more about automatic license acquisition and how DRM affects your privacy, see the Windows Media Player Privacy Statement available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=44073.WindowsMedia.com and Enhanced Playback of CDs and DVDs To enrich your experience when playing CDs and DVDs, Windows Media Center can download display-related media information about your content such as the album title, album art, song title, DVD title, artist, and composer from WindowsMedia.com. For CDs and DVDs, Windows Media Center sends an identifier for the CD or DVD to a service operated by WindowsMedia.com. If related media information is found for the CD or DVD, WindowsMedia.com will send the information back to your computer, where it will be displayed for you.This information is cached on your computer for as long as Windows Media Center is open. Album art retrieved by Windows Media Center for CDs and DVDs is not available when you are not connected to the Internet. When Windows Media Center is closed, the information will be removed, following the policies you have set for your Internet cache. For more information about your Internet cache, see the Help documentation in your Web browser.To prevent Windows Media Center from searching for related media information for CDs and DVDs, do the following:
For the latest features and improvements, you can get updates to Windows Media Center from Windows Update. You can control whether and how Windows Update operates. The Windows Update Privacy Statement is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50142.Usage History within Windows Media Center Windows Media Center keeps track of the last TV channel watched or recorded so that the next time you select TV, it will be tuned to that channel. A list of recently-recorded shows is also created and displayed under Recorded TV. This list can only be altered by deleting a show from the list or by making more recent recordings.A history of what has been recorded, and what hasn’t been recorded because of problems, is kept indefinitely. To clear this list, do the following:
If you choose to participate, the Customer Experience Improvement Program ("CEIP") will collect basic information about your hardware configuration and how you use our software and services to identify trends and usage patterns. CEIP also collects the type and number of errors you encounter, software and hardware performance, and the speed of services. CEIP will not collect your name, address, or other contact information. CEIP uses this information to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft software and services.You are offered the opportunity to participate in CEIP during setup. If you choose to participate and later change your mind, you can turn off CEIP at any time by doing the following:
Microsoft is committed to protect the security of your information by using a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.Windows Media Center Privacy Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 To find contact details for the Microsoft subsidiary or affiliate in your country/region, see http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/.  |