Privacy Policy
Effective Date: March 27, 2023
Introduction and Scope
We understand the need for privacy, and we ensure we take that into consideration when you access and use www.backlitcomics.com to publish or read digital comic books (the “Backlit Services”) – hence this privacy policy (this “Policy”).
Whether you are publishing and selling or shopping and reading digital comic books on the Backlit Services, or perhaps you are simply passing by, we refer to you collectively as a “user,” and this Policy applies to you. We ensure all instances where we collect and use your information – and the purposes for the collection – are described under this Policy. This Policy describes the categories of information we collect, how we collect them, how we use them, how we secure them, and the rights applicable to you.
By using the Backlit Services, you confirm that you understand how we handle your information as described in this Policy, and you consent to it. If you do not consent to how we handle your privacy, we are sorry, but you should refrain from using the Backlit Services.
You are also required to review and agree to our Terms and Conditions to understand the dos and don’ts of publishing or shopping of digital comic books on the Backlit Services.
Who we are
The words “Backlit Comics,” “we,” “us,” or “our”, as used under this Policy, all refer to Backlit Entertainment Technologies LLC, the provider of the Backlit Services, with business address at 8 The Green, Suite A, Dover, Delaware, United States (US) 19901. Backlit Comics is responsible for the collection and handling of your information with respect to the Backlit Services. We decide how third parties we hire handle your information on our behalf. For any issues, concerns, or queries regarding the Backlit Services and your privacy, reach out to us through support@backlitcomics.com.
You can also reach out to our Data Privacy Officer (DPO), Joshua Garrison at josh@backlitcomics.com, for privacy-related issues, concerns, or queries.
The information we collect
We collect two kinds of information on the Backlit Services: personal and non-personal information. While personal information is any information that can be used to identify you (for example, your name and email address), non-personal information is the opposite – i.e., pieces of information that cannot be used to identify who you are (for example, anonymous information about user movements, clicks, and interests on the website).
You may provide us with some personal and non-personal information willingly when you fill out forms on our website (for example, when you sign up for an account) while we collect some of them automatically using certain technologies (as described below).
The information you provide
If you are a digital comic book reader or shopper, we require you to create an account and submit information such as your full name, email address, nickname (alias or username), payment method, country, etc.
If you request to publish and sell your digital comic books on the Backlit Services, we will collect additional information to the ones described above. The additional information may include your publisher profile picture, biography, publisher name, social media accounts, and payout information.
Depending on your use of the Backlit Services, you may submit the above information when you perform actions, such as signing up, completing your profile, getting in touch with us, subscribing to our newsletters, submitting your series and comics, purchasing a digital comic book, etc.
The information we collect automatically
When you access the website or interact with certain parts, features, or contents, we use third-party tools and certain technologies, such as cookies and beacons, to gather some anonymous information about you. The information we gather automatically may include your session time (including how long you browse a portion of the website), behaviors, interest, transaction history, the content you view, and your device properties (including IP address, geolocation, operating system, etc.). This information is mostly non-personal information; however, under certain privacy laws, some information collected automatically may be termed personal information (for example, your device IP address and geolocation).
Why we collect your information
We collect the information described above majorly to provide you with the Backlit Services, personalize your experience, secure the website, analyze trends, and communicate with you. Specific reasons include:
To provide the Backlit Services: Depending on your use of the Backlit Services, we may collect certain information to enable you to access the applicable Backlit Services, including to enable shoppers to purchase their preferred digital comic books or publishers to create a profile and advertise their comic series for sale.
To communicate with you: We collect your email address majorly to communicate with you, including providing support services, sending newsletters (if you subscribe), sending administrative messages, confirming your orders, and other email communications.
To personalize the Backlit Services: We collect certain information, for example, device properties, to personalize your experience, remember your choices and inputs, and save important information about you for a smooth experience. For example, we use your device properties to remember you when you come back to the website.
To process your payments and payouts: If you initiate to purchase a digital comic book, we collect your payment method information to enable Stripe to process your payment for the digital comic book. Likewise, if you make a sale, we collect your card information to enable Stripe to credit your earnings.
To comply with our legal obligations: We collect information, such as transaction history as legally required by law, including for our record keeping and audit purposes.
To improve the Backlit Services: We collect analytics about how users use the Backlit Services, including the portion of the website they browse, their inputs, book choices, and the like, and we use this information to improve the Backlit Services.
To market new features and products: We use analytics gathered about users to identify their interests and choices and use it to market features and products that match their interests and choices. For example, if you click on a certain book, we may display related books to you in the future.
To secure the website and monitor violations: We collect certain information – such as device properties – to detect fraud, secure the Backlit Services, monitor violations of our Terms and Conditions, and protect other users.
To fulfill other purposes upon collection: We may collect information based on the reasons disclosed at the point we collect such information.
Legal reasons for collecting information
Under applicable laws, for example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that applies to users in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and similar locations, we are required to have legal reasons for collecting personal information from users. Our legal reasons include the following:
Consent: Consent simply means that you have freely given us the right to collect your information and process it in accordance with the Backlit Services. An example of when you give consent is where you indicate that we send newsletters to your email address by ticking the newsletters subscription box. Where we process any information based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Legitimate interest: Legitimate interest means that we process your information (especially where we collect device properties, usage, and analytics) because it helps us to secure the website, detect and prevent fraud and other violations, detect errors, improve the Backlit Services, and conduct research and develop the Backlit Services in ways that do not override your rights.
Contractual obligation: This means that we legally process certain information, such as your payment card information, to enable us to perform our obligations to you. For example, this means that without your payment card information, the contract between us to process your payments or credit your earnings will be impossible.
Legal obligation: This means that we collect certain information (for example, information about your transactions) because certain laws require us to. For example, we are required by law to keep records.
How we disclose your information
We take our users’ personal information and privacy very seriously. Therefore, we do not disclose or share information with any third party unless such disclosure or sharing is necessary to perform the Backlit Services. The information we collect may only be disclosed under the circumstances below:
Third-party service providers: The third-party service providers we hire may require your information to provide their services (for example, Stripe requires a shopper’s payment card information to process their order payment). In that case, we are obligated to share your information to enable us to satisfy your requests.
Internal disclosure: Backlit Comics as an entity works with affiliates and agents, and we also consist of employees, management, and admins. In certain rare circumstances, we may disclose information within the Backlit Comics entity, including to individuals on a need-to-know basis. In such cases, such individuals are prevented by Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
The public: If you list a digital comic book for sale on your profile, the Publisher name you provide when you create the profile for that digital comic book series will be visible to any user who navigates to your listing.
Analytics third-party provider: As highlighted already, we use Google Analytics – a tool controlled by Google – to understand how users use the Backlit Services. Since Google controls this tool, it may have access to the information Google Analytics collects across all services. Google may use the anonymous analytics information gathered to target you with adverts that match your interest when you visit other websites or services.
Business transfer transaction: If Backlit Comics participates in a business transfer transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, consolidation, sale of assets, or a case of bankruptcy, we may need to disclose proprietary information, including our user database, to the parties involved in the business transfer transaction.
Legal requirement: Applicable law enforcement or government agencies may legally request that we provide information about any user, which may be in line with an ongoing investigation. In such a case, we will have no choice but to comply with the government. It may also be possible that we share information with public and private institutions if we believe the sharing is necessary to help us protect our intellectual property and rights or those of other users or third parties.
Promotions and surveys: Third parties may sponsor events, sweepstakes, promotions, or organize surveys through the Backlit Services. If you participate in such events by submitting personal information, the sponsors of those events may access the information submitted as part of the event.
Other than as described above, we may disclose personal information to third parties with any other reason communicated at the time of disclosure. Your consent will be sought in such cases before the disclosure.
Cookies, similar technologies, and third-party APIs
Cookies and similar technologies: We and some of our third-party service providers use cookies – and similar technologies, including beacons, gifs, and tags – on the website. Cookies and other technologies are pieces of data that are installed on a user’s device when the user accesses the website, views certain contents, or takes specific actions (including accessing email and website content).
Cookies do not harm your device. They are merely used to perform certain functions on the Backlit Services, including identifying users, personalizing each user’s use, saving user inputs and items in carts, saving publisher content, gathering analytics, securing the website, and monitoring violations of our Terms and Conditions.
As earlier highlighted, cookies and similar technologies may be installed on your device by Backlit Comics or any of the third-party service providers whose tools or services we use (for example, Stripe, our payment processor, also install cookies on your device when you access the payment page). While cookies embedded directly from Backlit Comics are called “first-party cookies,” those from third-party service providers are referred to as “third-party cookies.”
However, if you do not like your online activities to be tracked through cookies, you have the right to reject cookies. You can reject cookies when the prompt pops up on your first access, and you can go through your browser privacy settings as an alternative at any time.
Cookies are important elements to the Backlit Services, even to you. They enable you to enjoy certain benefits like remembering your searches, inputs, and watchlist. If you reject cookies, some of these benefits may become unavailable to you (for example, items in a shopper’s cart may disappear once they close their browser).
Third-party API: We use third-party APIs such as Google Analytics (a Google tool that gathers analytics and usage information on our behalf). Google may embed cookies in Google Analytics, which are responsible for the successful gathering of the analytics described under this Policy. If you do not want us to gather analytics and monitor your movements and behaviors on the website through Google Analytics, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on on your browser.
How we secure your information
We care about your privacy – we make use of systems and networks that make any transmission of your information safe from unauthorized third parties. Some of our technical security practices include, without limitation, using HTTPS/encrypted network connections, not storing your payment card information on our database (Stripe handles all payments), authenticating our admins by assigning roles to them, encouraging strong login password, salting and encrypting your password, not collecting more than the information we need to provide you with the Backlit Services, and storing your information with trusted data cloud storage provider – Amazon Web Service (AWS).
While we strive to maintain confidentiality with respect to your information, be advised that no method of information security is 100% reliable. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your information will always be secure or safe from alteration, theft, or misuse by unauthorized third parties.
You also have a duty of confidentiality. Please, endeavor to keep your login credentials and other access information personal. Also, if you detect any unauthorized access of your account, reach out to us immediately for support.
How long we retain your information
Unless you ask us to delete your account and information, we will retain the information on your profile and content for as long as you use the Backlit Services. For your payment card information, Stripe retains it in accordance with its privacy policy.
However, even if you request that we delete your information, some information, such as your transaction history, may linger for periods required by applicable laws. Likewise, we may retain information in backups for business continuity purposes.
Where we transfer your information
Backlit Comics provides the Backlit Services from the United States where we handle and process your information in accordance with all applicable US laws. However, we use third-party service providers from other locations outside of the US, and we may share information about our users with them to perform their services. This means that when you share personal information with respect to the Backlit Services, your information may be transferred to the US and any other location where any applicable third-party service provider is. However, we hire third-party service providers who practice an “adequate” level of data protection. Therefore, any information we transfer about you outside of our base of operation in the US will receive the same level of adequate protection.
If you transfer information to us from the EU, EEA, and locations with similar laws, you may enjoy additional information transfer protection, which may include employing safeguards required by the European Commission (EC), including using Standard Contract Clause.
Your choices and rights
Regarding how we process your information, you have certain rights and choices, which are described below:
You may refuse to provide us with information: You have a choice not to provide us with any information when you use the Backlit Services. However, you understand that we may be unable to fulfill your request without access to your information.
You can opt out of Newsletters: When you toggle on the newsletter feature on your account, you consent to receive news about products and events that we believe will match your interest. At any point in time, you have a choice to opt out of receiving newsletters by using the unsubscribe instructions provided at the bottom of any email we send to your email address.
You can access and edit your information: The profile area of your account provides you with the ability to access the information you provide when you create an account. You can edit any information on your profile at any time by clicking the appropriate box and clicking the “save changes” button at the bottom of the form.
You can delete your information (erasing your account): If you no longer want Backlit Comics to process your information, you have the right to request that we delete your information by deleting your account. You can delete your account by using the “Delete Account” button in the Account Settings section. Please be advised that your request to delete your information may not be granted if your information is the subject of any legal, contractual, or business interest event.
You can withdraw your consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time if we process specific information based on your consent (for example, you have the right to opt out of newsletters at any time).
You can restrict us from processing specific information: It may be sometimes possible for us to restrict processing certain information about you, including without limitation, if you believe it is inaccurate; it is no more needed, but you do not want us to delete it; or you believe we are unlawfully processing it.
You can report Backlit Comics: If at any point in time, you believe that Backlit Comics handles or processes your information unlawfully or as otherwise not as described under this Policy, you have the right to report us to any data regulatory authority of your geographic location.
You can request a copy of your information: Users under the GDPR have the right to request that we transfer their information to another service environment in a machine-readable format.
You can object to the processing of your information: Users have the right to object that their information is processed for direct marketing purposes (for example, where we send newsletters to your email address, you can object by unsubscribing).
We may modify this policy
This Policy is subject to review and modification based on factors such as changes to our practices or applicable laws. Any modifications to any portion of this Policy will go into effect immediately after we post such modifications to this page. We may notify you of modifications to this Policy via any applicable channel, including via your account-associated email address and/or any portion of the website. Nevertheless, you should frequently review this Policy to keep yourself updated about our privacy practices.
By continuing to purchase (or read books) or sell your digital comic books – whichever applies – on the Backlit Services after we modify any portion of this Policy, you confirm your consent to the modifications made.
Additional disclosure to California users
This section applies to you if you are using the Backlit Services from the State of California, US. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) as amended, California Online Privacy Act (CalOPPA), and similar laws provide you with additional disclosures and rights.
Rights under the CCPA and CPRA as amended: In addition to the rights and choices under this Policy, you have the right to:
Request to know the categories of information we have collected, used, and disclosed about you.
Request to opt out of the sale of your information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
Exercise any of your rights without being discriminated against.
Categories of information we have collected, the types, and the purpose of collection: In the past 1 year, we have collected the following categories of information and used them for the purposes specified:
Categories of information collected
Types of information
Purpose for collection
Identifiers
Such as your Names, email address, and device IP address
To identify you, communicate with you, and personalize the Backlit Services
Photos and visuals
Such as a Publisher profile image
To validate and identify your business information.
Internet and network activity
Such as user behaviors, search terms, inputs, duration of use, and choices
To monitor the website, detect violations, comply with our legal obligations, and analyze how the Backlit Services are being used and improve on them
Location and geolocation
payment card location of issue and your IP address geolocation
To determine the country of issue and process payments accordingly
Financial information
payment card details
To process your payments and/or payouts.
Commercial information
transaction and purchase history
To comply with set laws and keep records for future claims
Professional information
Publisher’s business name and similar details
To create a profile for your series.
Sources of the information collected: The information we collected above is either provided by you willingly (including when you fill out forms on the website) or collected by us automatically through cookies and similar technologies and third-party tools.
Disclosure of information: In the past 1 year, we have disclosed personal information to (i) our third-party service providers, such as Amazon, Stripe, Google, and Slack; and (ii) other users who navigate to your Publisher profile.
Exercising your rights: If not already provided under this section, you can exercise your CCPA and CPRA rights by getting in touch with us at support@backlitcomics.com. We may use the resources available to us to verify that you reside in California before we grant your rights.
Do Not Track: Under CalOPPA, we are required to disclose if we respond to signals from the Do Not Track browser feature. A Do Not Track is a feature in web browsers that sends a signal to website owners to stop tracking the online activity of the sender. At this time, the Blacklit Service does not respond to Do Not Track signals due to its inconsistency among industry participants.
Additional disclosure to Nevada users
In addition to the rights established under this Policy, Nevada users have, under the Nevada privacy law, the right to opt out of the “sale” of their personal information to a third party for monetary consideration and for that third party to transfer the personal information to additional third parties.
Backlit Comics does not engage in the sale of personal information for monetary consideration. However, Nevada users can still request to opt out of any future sale of their personal information. You can make this request by getting in touch at support@blacklitcomics.com. Please be aware that before we comply with your request, we may verify you.
Our policy about children
Although some of the digital comic books sold on the Backlit Services are suited for individuals categorized as children (minors) under applicable law, specifically people under 13 years of age, we do not welcome children to submit personal information to us. You may only create an account, purchase a book, create a publisher account, or use any of the Backlit Services as a child if supervised by at least a parent or legal guardian.
Third-party services
Parts of the website may contain adverts, links, or content that lead to third-party services. Such adverts, links, and contents are not governed by this Policy, they exist on the website and Backlit Services for informational purposes only. If you connect to a third-party service and submit personal information to them, ensure you review their privacy policy to understand their privacy practices.