General Privacy Policy   Child Privacy Policy

Pokémon Online Privacy Policy

ESRB Confirmation
Last updated April 11, 2008

Our Privacy Commitment

Pokémon respects the privacy rights of our online visitors and recognizes the importance of protecting all information that you may choose to share with us.

We also recognize the need to provide additional protections for children who visit our Websites. To learn about our privacy protections for kids under the age of 13, click here to read Pokémon's Kids Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy and the certification seal shown on this page confirms that Pokémon is a member in good standing of ESRB's Privacy Online Program. ESRB's Privacy Online Program is designed to ensure that our websites' information disclosure practices are responsible and appropriate. To protect your privacy, we have voluntarily undertaken this privacy initiative and all of our websites have been reviewed and certified by ESRB Privacy Online to meet established online information collection and use practices. As part of this privacy program, we are subject to frequent audits of our websites and other enforcement and accountability mechanisms administered independently by the ESRB.

Pokémon is a self-certified member of the U.S. Department of Commerce's EU Safe Harbor privacy program jointly established to comply with the European Commission's 1998 Directive on Data Protection. For more information about this privacy initiative, visit the Department of Commerce's website at http://www.export.gov/safeHarbor/.

Table of Contents

  1. What information does this Privacy Policy cover?
  2. What types of personally identifiable information do we collect about our guests?
  3. How is your personally identifiable information used and shared?
  4. What choices do you have about the collection, use, and sharing of your personally identifiable information?
  5. What kinds of security measures do we take to safeguard your personally identifiable information?
  6. How can you update your personal information and profile?
  7. How can you ask questions, or send us comments, about this Privacy Policy?
  8. How will you know if we amend this Privacy Policy?
  1. What information does this Privacy Policy cover?
This Privacy Policy applies only to personal information collected on the Websites where this Privacy Policy is posted, and, unless Pokémon specifies otherwise in writing, does not apply to any other information collected by Pokémon through any other means.
Please note that this Privacy Policy applies only to information submitted and collected online, and does not apply to information that may be collected by Pokémon offline. This Privacy Policy applies only to websites maintained by Pokémon, and not to our international affiliates, or any websites maintained by other companies or organizations to which we link. Pokémon is therefore not responsible for the content or activities provided on those websites.
This Privacy Policy applies to use and sharing of personal information collected as of the date this Privacy Policy is posted. Finally, the terms of this Privacy Policy are subject to all applicable laws.

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  1. What types of personally identifiable information do we collect about our guests?
We don't require personal information to access our website. However, if you prefer not to disclose personal information, you will not be able to enjoy certain features of our website. Personal information is information that identifies you and may be used to contact you.
Information You Provide to Us
We receive information from our guests and, with our guests' consent, from third parties such as Pokémon Organized Play ("POP") tournament organizers. We collect personal information directly from our guests when they:
  1. register on Pokémon's websites
  2. create a wishlist or purchase at one of our online stores
  3. participate in games, reward programs, contests, sweepstakes, events, or promotions
  4. send questions, correspond with us via e-mail concerning their participation in POP or request customer support
  5. participate in polls, surveys, or questionnaires
  6. use our Email-a-Friend feature
  7. provide us with business information, such as when they apply for or have a special role in POP (such as Pokémon professors or league or tournament organizers) or seek employment
Typically, this information includes:
  1. name
  2. email address
  3. telephone number
  4. shipping and billing address, and
  5. for those purchasing products online, credit card information.
Additionally, we may also collect other types of non-personal information (known as demographic information) such as your age, gender, dates of birth, hobbies, and toy and game ownership preferences. This demographic information may be associated with your personal information.
Business Information (Including Pokémon Professor, League or Tournament Organizer Applications)
Personal information submitted to us in a business capacity is not subject to this Privacy Policy. We treat personal information submitted to us online by persons applying to be or serving as a POP organizer as information submitted to us in a business capacity. We will share this personal information with independent third parties who run POP events so that they can contact the POP organizers about participating in those events and other POP matters. These independent third parties may not have agreed to abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy.
We also treat personal information submitted to us on-line by job applicants, and by persons specifying that they are submitting personal information in a business capacity, as information submitted in a business capacity. Personal information gathered in this context will be used solely for its intended purpose.
Information Collected Through Technology
We collect information through technology to make our websites more interesting and useful to you. For example, when you come to one of our websites, we collect your IP address. An IP address is often associated with the portal through which you enter the Internet, like your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your company, or your university. By itself, your IP address is not personally identifiable. At times, we also use IP addresses to collect information regarding the frequency with which our guests visit various parts of our websites. We may combine this information with personally identifiable information.
Cookies
Our Websites also use cookies. Cookies are pieces of information that a Website sends to your computer while you are viewing the Website. We and other companies use cookies for a variety of purposes. For example, when you return to one of our Websites after logging in, cookies provide information to the Website so that the Website will remember who you are. You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You can do this through your browser (like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies. If you turn cookies off, you won't have access to many features that make your web experience smoother, like the features mentioned above, and some of our services may not function properly.
Web Beacons and Log Files
Our Websites use a variety of technical methods for tracking purposes, including Web beacons. Web beacons are small pieces of data that are embedded in images on the pages of websites. We also use these technical methods to analyze the traffic patterns on our websites, such as the frequency with which our users visit various parts of our websites. These technical methods may involve the transmission of information either directly to us or to another party authorized by us to collect information on our behalf. Our Websites use log files to record which pages visitors to our site accessed, how long they stayed on the site, where they came from and other data. We also use these technical methods in HTML e-mails that we send our guests to determine whether our guests have opened those e-mails or clicked on links in those e-mails. The information from use of these technical methods may be collected in a form that is personally identifiable.
Finally, once you've clicked on an advertisement or other link and have left our Websites, our Privacy Policy no longer applies and you must read the privacy policy of the host of that site to see how your personal information will be handled on their site.

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  1. How is your personally identifiable information used and shared?
We don't share, sell, or rent your personal information to third parties without your prior consent. We don't require personal information to access our website. However, if you prefer not to disclose personal information, you will not be able to enjoy certain features of our website.
Whatever the purpose may be, we will only collect information to the extent reasonably necessary to fulfill your requests and our legitimate business objectives.
Pokémon Online Tools and Events
For example, if you register on our website, your information will be used to provide you the benefits associated with registration, including an automatic subscription to our online store newsletter and the ability to make a purchase through our online store. Any credit card information is solely used to fulfill and process purchase orders. In addition, if you participate in a game, contest, sweepstakes, or other similar event ("promotion"), the information provided in connection with the promotion will be used to determine your entry eligibility, to contact you with the results, and for prize fulfillment purposes.
POP Participants
If you chose to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site, www.op.pokemon-tcg.com, then we will use your personal information about you to track your tournament results, Player Ranking, rating, player status (e.g., active, terminated, winner etc.). If you are 13 and older, we will post your full name or first name and last initial (as you direct us) and your state and country on our website with your Player Ranking. If you are under 13, then your parent or guardian can choose to post your username, full name, or first name and last initial in the Player Rankings.
Also if you chose to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site, www.op.pokemon-tcg.com, we will share your personal information with independent third parties who run POP events (such as league leaders and tournament organizers) so that they can run POP events that you may participate in. In most cases, these are independent third parties and not Pokémon employees. They've agreed to abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy, but Pokémon cannot guarantee that these independent third parties will safeguard your personal information. If you don't want your personal information shared with independent third parties who run offline POP events, then don't apply to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site.
Message Boards.
If you register for access to our message boards or chat rooms, we will use your personal information to enable you to view and post messages on the boards. However, you should understand that community forums and message boards are tools that allow you to communicate with members of the online community. That's why whenever you give out personal information online in public areas, that information can be collected and used by people you don't know.
Other sharing
Occasionally, we may share your personal information with a third party sponsor, co-sponsor, or other reputable third party that provides products or services that may be of interest to you.
Operational Uses
We may also use your personal information for other purposes such as "Operational Uses." For example, we may use your information to send you administrative communications either about your account with us or about features of our Websites, including any future changes to this Privacy Policy. If you have selected to receive online marketing communications from our site, your personal information may be used to send you marketing material about our products and services.
Internal vendors
Pokémon may share your personal information with outside entities hired to assist with internal website support operations (e.g., online product fulfillment, email services, or technical support). We also provide postal addresses to delivery service companies for delivery purposes. In the course of providing such services, these companies may have access to your personally identifying information. These entities have agreed to maintain the confidentiality, security, and integrity of all the personal information they obtain from us.
Aggregate Information
Finally, we may take your personally identifiable information and make it non-personally identifiable, either by combining it with information about other individuals (aggregating your information with information about other individuals), or by removing characteristics (such as your name) that make the information personally identifiable to you (de-personalizing your information). Given the nature of this information, no restrictions apply under this Privacy Policy on our right to aggregate or de-personalize your personal information, and we may use and share in any way with third parties the resulting non-personally identifiable information.
Purchase or Sale of Businesses
In the event of a merger, sale of assets, acquisition, dissolution, reorganization, bankruptcy, change of control or other similar event, your personally identifiable information may be transferred to our successor or assign, if permitted by and done in accordance with applicable law, or if we sell one or more of our businesses, your personally identifiable information may be transferred as a part of the sale. If we purchase a business, the personally identifiable information received with that business would be treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy, if it is practicable and permissible to do so.
Disclosures Required By Law and Disclosures to Help Protect the Security and Safety of Our Websites and Others
We will disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that such disclosures (a) are required by law, including, for example, to comply with a court order or subpoena, or (b) will help to: enforce our Terms of Use; enforce contest, sweepstakes, promotions, and/or game rules; protect your safety or security, including the safety and security of property that belongs to you; and/or, protect the safety and security of our Websites or third parties.

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  1. What choices do you have about the collection, use, and sharing of your personally identifiable information?
As mentioned above, you have control over the personal information you submit to us. If at any time you decide to remove your personal information from our database, you may do so by doing the following: If you contact us, please include the name of the website you used to register and the email address you used to register with us so we can verify your request.

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  1. What kinds of security measures do we take to safeguard your personally identifiable information?
The security and confidentiality of your information is extremely important to us. We have implemented technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access and improper use. From time to time, we review our security procedures to consider appropriate new technology and methods. However, please understand that, despite our best efforts, no security measure is perfect or impenetrable.

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  1. How can you update your personal information and profile?
You can access and update the contact information you gave us during registration (that is, your e-mail address or any other information that would directly enable us to contact you), as follows: If you contact us, please include the name of the website you used to register and the email address you used to register with us so we can verify your request.

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  1. How can you ask questions, or send us comments, about this Privacy Policy?
If you have questions or wish to send us comments about a Privacy Policy posted on one of our sites, you can contact us as follows:
For the following sites:
Websites Contact Information
www.go-pokemon.com
www.op.pokemon-tcg.com		 Pokémon USA, Inc.
Attn.: Privacy Policy Administrator
777 108th Avenue, NE
Suite 2000
Bellevue, WA 98004
fax your inquiry to +1(425)274-1041.
For all other sites, including:
Websites Contact Information
www.pokemon.com
www.pokemoncenter.com
www.pokemonmobile.com
www.pokemonlearningleague.com		 Pokémon USA, Inc.
Attn.: Privacy Policy Administrator
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 765 6000
privacyadministrator@pokemon.com
Pokémon is a licensee of the ESRB's Privacy Online Program. If you believe that we have not responded to your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, please contact ESRB at http://www.esrb.org/privacy/contact.jsp
ESRB
Attn.: Privacy Online Program
317 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10017
212-759-0700
privacy@esrb.org
Your California Privacy Rights
Since 2005, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits our customers who are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We do not share our customer’s personal information with unaffiliated third parties for their own direct marketing purposes. For inquires regarding our disclosure policy, please send us an e-mail or write us at the addresses above.

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  1. How will you know if we amend this Privacy Policy?
We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make any material changes in the way we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will notify you by sending you an email at the last email address that you provided us, or by prominently posting notice of the changes on the Websites covered by this Privacy Policy. Any material changes to this Privacy Policy will be effective 30 days following our dispatch of an email notice to you or 30 days following our posting of notice of the changes on the Websites covered by this Privacy Policy.
Please note that, at all times, you are responsible for updating your personal information to provide us your current email address. If the last email address that you have provided us is not valid, or for any other reason is not capable of delivering to you the notice described above, our dispatch of the email containing such notice will nonetheless constitute effective notice of the changes described in the notice.

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POKÉMON KIDS PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated July 6, 2007

OUR PRIVACY COMMITMENT

Pokémon has developed its websites with the goal of creating an enjoyable experience for all users. This Kids Privacy Policy is designed to answer your questions regarding our privacy policies and principles with respect to children under the age of 13.

Building on our general Privacy Policy, we recognize the need to provide additional privacy protections when children visit the sites on which this Kids' Privacy Policy is posted. We explain those additional protections in this Kids' Privacy Policy.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") requires that we inform parents and legal guardians about how we collect, use, and disclose personal information from children under 13 years of age; and that we obtain the consent of parents and guardians in order for children under 13 years of age to use certain features of our Web sites. Below we explain how we do that for these "kids." Also, when we use the term "parent" below, we mean to include legal guardians.

This Privacy Statement and the certification seal shown on this page confirm that Pokémon USA, Inc. is a member in good standing of ESRB's Privacy Online Program. ESRB's Privacy Online Program is designed to ensure that our website's information disclosure practices are responsible and appropriate. To protect your privacy, we have voluntarily undertaken this privacy initiative and all of our websites have been reviewed and certified by ESRB Privacy Online to meet established online information collection and use practices. As part of this privacy program, we are subject to frequent audits of our websites and other enforcement and accountability mechanisms administered independently by the ESRB.

Pokémon is a self-certified member of the U.S. Department of Commerce's EU Safe Harbor privacy program jointly established to comply with the European Commission's 1998 Directive on Data Protection. For more information about this privacy initiative, visit the Department of Commerce's website at http://www.export.gov/safeHarbor/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. What types of information do we collect about kids?
  2. How do we use and share the personally identifiable information that we collect from kids?
  3. How do we notify and obtain consent from parents for the collection of personal information from their kids?
  4. How can parents access, change or delete personally identifiable information about their kids?
  5. What kinds of security measures do we take to safeguard kids' personally identifiable information?
  6. How will we notify parents if our Kids' Privacy Policy changes?
  7. Who do guests contact with questions or concerns about our Kids' Privacy Policy?
  1. What types of information do we collect about kids?
Kids can surf Pokémon's sites, view content, and enjoy many features without any personal information being collected. We don't collect personal information from kids while they use our sites unless they register on Pokémon's sites. We receive information from our guests and, with our guests' consent, from third parties such as Pokémon Organized Play ("POP") tournament organizers. We collect personal information directly from kids to:
  1. register on Pokémon's websites
  2. create a wishlist or purchase at one of our online stores
  3. participate in games, reward programs, contests, sweepstakes, events, or promotions
  4. send questions, correspond with us via e-mail concerning their participation in POP or request customer support
  5. participate in polls, surveys, or questionnaires
  6. use our Email-a-Friend feature
Typically, this information includes:
  1. name
  2. email address
  3. telephone number
  4. shipping and billing address, and
  5. for those purchasing products online, credit card information.
We may collect demographic information (date of birth, gender, and preferences) and combine it with the child's personal information. Pokémon will only collect this information if it is voluntarily and properly submitted to us by either the child or parent.
Note that all commercial sites directed to children under 13 are prohibited by U.S. law from conditioning a kid's participation in an online activity on the kid's providing more personal information than is reasonably necessary.
Some areas of our website offer features like electronic postcards that allow kids to submit personal information (e.g., email address) without first disclosing their age or obtaining verifiable parental consent. These areas of our website provide services in a way that doesn't require prior verifiable parental consent.
Finally, we may collect demographic information about a kid. For example, if a kid participates in a survey, we may collect those responses. Among them, we may collect age, gender, hobbies, and interests or other demographic information about gaming and preferences. We also use some passive technologies, including cookies and web beacons, to monitor traffic on our websites. This demographic information may be associated with a child's personal information.

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  1. How do we use and share the personally identifiable information that we collect from kids?
We may collect personal information from parents to allow kids to participate in certain activities offered on our websites and within our kids' subscription products. These activities may include participating in games, reward programs, contests, sweepstakes, events or other promotions; purchasing in one of our on line stores or creating a wishlist.
We may use your child's information to allow your child to send questions or request customer support. We may also use your child's information to participate in polls, surveys or questionnaires. We may also use that information to send your child email and messages with promotional information about new products and features, special offers, and other interesting events concerning new products, events and other information about Pokémon.
Other website features include sending e-mail message to "tell-a- friend" and product ratings. If a parent allows us to collect personal information about their kid, we may link certain information collected through technology (see the "Information Collected Through Technology" section of A2 of our General Privacy Policy) to that personal information.
We may use the information that we collect from and about kids for our business purposes, including record-keeping, transaction fulfillment, and marketing. The contact information gathered from a kid is used to obtain consent to our information collection from their parents.
After registration, contact information may also be used to notify users of promotional activities such as contests, sweepstakes, newsletters or new products, or functional changes to our website or privacy policy. Finally, we may use personal and demographic information for our internal marketing and study ways to better improve our services.
If a kid wins a sweepstakes, contest or other promotional event if we have not already collected the parent's consent, we notify the parent at the email address provided to us during the registration process, and request that the parent provide his or her postal address for purposes of delivering the prize. We may publish a winner's first name, city, and state of residence on our web site.
If you allow your child to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site, www.op.pokemon-tcg.com, then we will use personal information about your child to track your child's tournament results, Player Ranking, rating, player status (e.g., active, terminated, winner etc.). As parent or guardian, you can choose to post your child's username, full name, or first name and last initial, in the Player Rankings.
Also if you chose to allow your child to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site, www.op.pokemon-tcg.com, we will share your personal information with independent third parties who run POP events (such as league leaders and tournament organizers) so that they can run POP events that you may participate in. In most cases, these are independent third parties and not Pokémon employees. They've agreed to abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy, but Pokémon cannot guarantee that these independent third parties will safeguard your personal information. If you don't want your personal information shared with independent third parties who run offline POP events, then don't apply to participate in the POP tournament ratings and rankings portion of our site.
Pokémon may share kids' personal information with outside entities hired to assist with internal website support operations (e.g., online product fulfillment, email services, or technical support). These entities have agreed to maintain confidentiality, security, and integrity of all the personal information they obtain from us.
We do not share any information about a child with any third parties unless the disclosure is reasonably necessary to:

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  1. How do we notify and obtain consent from parents for the collection of personal information from their kids?
When a child under the age of 13 attempts to register with our website, we send their parent an e-mail notifying them that their child would like to register, and asking them to visit our website to grant consent for their child to register. If the parent ignores or refuses to register their child, we will delete all contact information from our database. If the parent permits the registration, their child will be granted access to the features described in the notification e-mail.
Alternatively, your child can download and print a parental consent form. Then, you, as the parent, can fill out and sign the parental consent form and mail or fax it to Pokémon or an authorized third-party, like a Tournament or League Organizer. These parental consent forms may also be available at Pokémon Organized Play and other Pokémon events.

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  1. How can parents access, change or delete personally identifiable information about their kids?
At any time, a parent can contact our customer service department to access, change or delete the personal information that we have collected from his or her kid as follows: Please include the kid-member's name and the parent's e-mail address in the e-mail so that we can better assist you with your inquiry or request.

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  1. What kinds of security measures do we take to safeguard kids' personally identifiable information?
We take the security and confidentiality of kids' information very seriously. We have implemented technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect kids' personal information from unauthorized access and improper use. From time to time, we review our security procedures to consider appropriate new technology and methods. However, please understand that, despite our best efforts, no security measure is perfect or impenetrable.

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  1. How will we notify parents if our Kids' Privacy Policy changes?
We may amend our Kids' Privacy Policy at any time. We will provide parents notice by e-mail of any material changes in the way we intend to collect, use, or share kids' personal information. Please note that, at all times, parents should update their personal information to provide us current e-mail addresses. We will apply material changes in our Kids' Privacy Policy only in conformance with applicable law, including any applicable provisions of COPPA that require parental consent.

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  1. Who do guests contact with questions or concerns about our Kids' Privacy Policy?
If you have questions or wish to send us comments about a Privacy Policy posted on one of our sites, you can contact us as follows:
For the following sites:
Websites Contact Information
www.go-pokemon.com
www.op.pokemon-tcg.com		 Pokémon USA, Inc.
Attn.: Privacy Policy Administrator
777 108th Avenue, NE
Suite 2000
Bellevue, WA 98004
fax your inquiry to +1(425)274-1041.
For all other sites, including:
Websites Contact Information
www.pokemon.com
www.pokemoncenter.com
www.pokemonmobile.com
www.pokemonlearningleague.com		 Pokémon USA, Inc.
Attn.: Privacy Policy Administrator
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 765 6000
privacyadministrator@pokemon.com
Pokémon is a licensee of the ESRB's Privacy Online Program. If you believe that we have not responded to your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, please contact ESRB at http://www.esrb.org/privacy/contact.jsp
ESRB
Attn.: Privacy Online Program
317 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10017
212-759-0700
privacy@esrb.org
Your California Privacy Rights
Since 2005, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits our customers who are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We do not share our customer’s personal information with unaffiliated third parties for their own direct marketing purposes. For inquires regarding our disclosure policy, please send us an e-mail or write us at the addresses above.

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