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Current EU legislations requires all website operators to inform their users about their usage of cookies and to collect the user’s consent to such cookie usage. Please read this Cookie Policy carefully to find out which cookies we employ and which information we collect in this context.
Cookie Consent
If you visit our websites and your current browser settings accept cookies, and if you continue to use our websites without changing your browser settings, we consider this as your consent in the usage of cookies as described in this Cookie Policy.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files which are sent to your device (computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet) by the website you visit. Cookies are stored on your device in your browser’s file directory. Your browser sends these cookies back to the website each time you revisit it so it can recognize your device and improve your user experience on each subsequent visit. Cookies allow us e.g. to tailor a website to better match your interests or to store your password so that you do not need to re-enter it every time.
If you do not want us to recognize your device, please configure your internet browser to erase cookies from your device, to block cookies or to issue a warning prior to storing a cookie on your device. Below you can find a short instruction. Please note that certain functions of our website may no longer work or work not correctly without cookies.
If you want to learn more about cookies and how they work, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu.
Categories of cookies
Depending on their function and their intended purpose, cookies can be assigned to the following categories: absolutely necessary cookies, performance cookies, functional cookies and cookies for marketing purposes.
Absolutely necessary cookies
Absolutely necessary cookies are required to navigate our websites and operate basic website functions. Without these cookies basic functionalities cannot be offered. Absolutely necessary cookies can be placed without your consent.
Performance cookies
Performance cookies collect information on your usage of our websites. They identify e.g. your internet browser, operating system, visited websites, duration and number of website visits, previously visited website, most commonly visited websites and errors you experienced. The information collected is aggregated and anonymous. It does not allow a personal identification. It only serves the purpose of evaluating and enhancing the user experience of our websites.
Functional cookies
Functional cookies enable a website to store information and options you have already previously entered (e.g. user name, language settings, layout settings, contact preferences or your location) in order to offer you improved personalized functions. They are also used to enable requested functions, like playing videos.
Cookies for marketing purposes
Cookies for marketing purposes are used to offer more relevant and interest-specific content to you, to limit the display frequency of ads and to measure the efficiency of an advertising campaign. They register if you have visited a promoted website or not, and which content you used. Such information may be shared with third parties, e.g. advertisers.
Depending on their duration on your device, it can be distinguished between session cookies and permanent cookies:
Session cookies
Session cookies are only active during a browser session. They allow us to link all actions of a user during this browser session. They expire when you closer the browser.
Permanent cookies
Permanent cookies remain on your device even after the browser session has been terminated. They are reactivated each time you revisit the website which created the cookie. They can remain on your device for a longer period of time until they expire. Typical expiry periods for permanent cookies can range from several days to several years.
Cookies we use on our website
We currently employ the following cookies on our websites:
Adobe Analytics (Performance cookie)
We use Adobe Analytics service from Adobe Systems Software Ireland Ltd., 4-6 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Park, Dublin 24, Ireland ("Adobe"), to continuously improve our website and/or detecting errors. For this purpose, Adobe anonymously stores and analyses various user data, including the visited websites, websites which link to Linde, and the time of the visit. These data are used to create user profiles.
Please click here to prevent Adobe from aggregating and analysing such a user profile. By doing so, you will create a so called exclusion cookie in your browser. If you delete this exclusion cookie or if you change your computer or your web browser, you will need to create a new exclusion cookie.
You can find further information on the functioning of cookies and on the opt-out option from Adobe Analytics under the following URL: http://www.adobe.com/en/privacy/opt-out.html.
Google Analytics (Performance cookie)
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies” which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how you use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.
In case of activation of the IP anonymisation, Google will anonymize the last octet of your IP address for Member States of the European Union as well as for other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases, the full IP address will be sent to Google servers in the US and shortened there. IP anonymisation is active on this website. On behalf of the website provider, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website provider.
Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. Please note, however, that if you do this, you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. You can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en-GB.
WiredMinds / Etracker (Performance cookies )
For marketing and optimisation purposes we use products and services of Wiredminds AG (www.wiredminds.de) and of etracker GmbH (www.etracker.de). These products collect, store and process data to create aggregated usage profiles under a pseudonym. Where possible and practicable, such usage profiles are fully anonymised. The data collected will not be used to personally identify website visitors without the user’s explicit consent, and it will not be merged with other information under a pseudonym. Any IP addresses recorded are anonymized immediately by deleting the last number block. You may disable the cookie setting at any time with effect for the future by clicking here:
- Exclude from website tracking (WiredMinds)
- Exclude from website tracking (etracker)
Xaxis (Marketing cookie)
We permit the company Xaxis (a division of GroupM Competence Center GmbH, Derendorfer Allee 10, 40476 Düsseldorf), to place cookies on our websites that collect information on usage-based online advertising (“targeting”).
For this purpose, Xaxis collects and stores anonymized data on our website. The cookie stored on your device collects information about your activities on the websites you have visited (e.g., surfing behaviour, sub-pages visited, ad banners clicked, etc.). Based on this data, Xaxis generates anonymous user profiles that cannot be used for personal identification, meaning that you as the user cannot be personally identified.
Your device is identified for ad delivery purposes and assigned to a target group. On the basis of this information it is possible to display more relevant advertising on the websites of other providers. You will find additional information on the technology used on our website and on data privacy at the following link: http://www.xaxis.com/page/privacy-policy
You can always block the future collection and storage of data by creating an exclusion cookie.
Adobe Target (Marketing cookie)
We use Adobe Target to provide content that is specifically tailored to your interests. For this purpose, Adobe Target analyzes anonymized information about your previous visits to our website.
Please click here to prevent Adobe Target from aggregating and analyzing the data collected from your visit of this website.
A list detailing all other cookies which are placed by us on our websites can be found here.
How can I deactivate cookies or withdraw my cookie consent?
You can withdraw your cookie consent at any time with effect for the future. In order to do so, you need to deactivate / delete your cookies.
One way to deactivate cookies placed by our websites is to click on the links contained in the above cookie information and to follow the instructions there.
Another way to deactivate cookies is to change the cookie settings on your internet browser. The browser settings for cookies are typically found in the “options”, “tools” or “preferences” menu of your internet browser. You may also consult your browser’s “help” menu. Different browsers may use different mechanisms to disable cookies. Below we have compiled some links under which you will find some more detailed information on how to disable cookies on different common browsers:
Questions?
Please address all your questions and your requests regarding our Cookie Policy to our Contact.
Updates
This Cookie Policy is updated from time to time. You can find the date of the last update at the start of this Cookie Policy.
Munich, November 2016