Cookie Policy

1. Controller and Scope

The controller responsible for the use of cookies and similar technologies on this website is Nova Soft GmbH i.Gr., Torweg 1, 04435 Schkeuditz, Germany (hereinafter "Nova Soft", "we" or "us").

This Cookie Policy applies to the NovaSoft marketing website and supplements our general Privacy Policy. It provides transparent information about which cookies, web storage mechanisms and comparable technologies we use, for what purpose, on what legal basis, and how you can manage or withdraw your consent.

The relevant legal framework consists in particular of the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG, formerly TTDSG), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG).

2. What are cookies and similar technologies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored in your browser when you visit a website and can be read again on later visits. They allow information such as language preferences, session states or consent decisions to be retained across page loads.

In addition to classic HTTP cookies, we may rely on further technologies that work in a similar way. These include browser web storage mechanisms (localStorage, sessionStorage), IndexedDB, pixels (tracking pixels), tracking scripts, as well as server-side techniques such as device fingerprinting or the evaluation of access logs including GeoIP data.

Any operation by which we store information on your end device or access information that is already stored there is subject to section 25 TDDDG. This explicitly includes the use of localStorage.

3. Legal bases

The legal basis for storing information on your end device and for accessing information already stored there is section 25 TDDDG. Under this provision, consent is generally required; only operations that are strictly necessary to provide a telemedia service expressly requested by the user are exempt (section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG).

To the extent that personal data is processed, we rely for strictly necessary cookies on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in a secure and functional website) or Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (pre-contractual or contractual measures) and for consent-based technologies on Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent).

Where consent also covers data transfers to third countries without an adequacy decision, we additionally rely on Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR (explicit consent following information about the risks).

4. Cookie categories

We classify the technologies used in the following categories:

Strictly necessary: These cookies and storage mechanisms are technically required to operate the website, for example to store your language preference or your cookie consent state. Without them, the website could not be provided in a correct manner. No consent is required under section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG.

Preferences: These technologies allow settings and recognition features to be stored to provide you with an enhanced user experience (for example display options). They are only set with your consent.

Statistics: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information anonymously or pseudonymously. They are only used on the basis of your consent.

Marketing: Marketing cookies are used to make advertising more relevant and to measure its effectiveness. We currently do not use any pure marketing cookies; if this changes, we will transparently disclose this and activate such technologies only on the basis of your consent.

5. Cookies and similar technologies in use

The following table provides a complete overview of the cookies and storage mechanisms currently used or envisaged on this website. The list will be updated if the use of technologies changes.

6. Google Analytics 4, Consent Mode v2 and data transfer

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Technical provisioning may also be handled by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

GA4 is only activated after your prior consent given via our cookie banner. Without consent, no GA4 cookies are set and no measurement data enabling profiling is transmitted to Google.

We use Google Consent Mode v2. It ensures that the state of your consent is transmitted to Google services. If consent is denied or pending, no identifying cookies are set; in this case Google may only collect aggregated, non-personal modeling data based on cookieless signals. These signals are transmitted via URL parameters (including gcs, gcd, dma) and not via cookies.

In GA4, truncation or non-storage of the IP address is enabled by default and cannot be deactivated. IP addresses are used by Google only briefly to determine an approximate location (city/region level) and are then discarded; full IP addresses are not persistently stored in GA4 reports or logs.

The retention period for event-level user and event data in GA4 is set to the minimum available value (currently 2 months).

Google also processes data in the United States. Google LLC is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), so that an adequacy decision of the European Commission pursuant to Art. 45 GDPR generally applies. As an additional safeguard, we have concluded Standard Contractual Clauses with Google (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR).

For further information please refer to Google's privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy and to the Google Analytics terms.

7. Server-side analytics (self-hosted)

In addition to the optional use of GA4, we operate a server-side, self-hosted reach measurement. It evaluates only our web server's access logs in aggregated form. For rough geographical attribution (for example country or region) IP addresses are processed in a truncated form and are not persistently stored.

No cookies, web storage or other storage mechanisms are set or read in your browser in this process. The processing is strictly necessary for the secure, stable and needs-based operation of the website and is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest).

8. Third country transfers

Where you consent to cookies and similar technologies whose providers (for example Google) transfer personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area, in particular the United States, such transfers are based on the following grounds:

The adequacy decision of the European Commission of 10 July 2023 (EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework) for certified U.S. companies such as Google LLC (Art. 45 GDPR).

As an additional safeguard, the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR) and, where appropriate, further technical and organizational measures.

If none of these grounds apply, we base the transfer exclusively on your explicit consent pursuant to Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR. Please note that third country transfers may entail risks, for example possible government access in the United States without equivalent legal remedies always being available as in the EU.

9. Consent management, withdrawal and alternatives

When you visit our website for the first time, we display a cookie banner that allows you to grant granular consent to the use of non-essential cookies and technologies, to reject them or to make an individual selection. The "Accept all" and "Reject all" options are designed with equal prominence.

You can withdraw or change your consent at any time with effect for the future. To do so, reopen the cookie banner settings via the "Cookie settings" link in the footer of the website. Withdrawing consent is as easy as granting it.

Independently of this, you can delete cookies at any time via your browser settings or generally prevent cookies from being set, either completely or for individual websites. Please refer to the documentation of your browser (for example Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge).

For Google Analytics, Google additionally offers a browser add-on for deactivation at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

The lawfulness of processing based on your consent prior to its withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

10. Consequences of refusing consent

If you do not consent to non-essential cookies and similar technologies, the website remains fully usable. All content, functions, forms and information are available to you without restriction.

In that case, however, we cannot collect statistics about your use. This may mean that we are less able to optimize content and user experience in a targeted way. We are unable to measure advertising effectiveness without consent.

11. Storage and retention periods

Please refer to the table in section 5 for the specific storage period of the cookies and storage mechanisms we use. Session cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain until their respective lifetime expires or until they are manually deleted by you.

We store your consent decision in your browser (localStorage) for documentation purposes. Any additional server-side logs relating to the granting of consent are retained, where necessary, only for the duration required by statutory evidence obligations.

12. Your rights

With regard to the personal data processed through cookies and similar technologies, you are entitled to the rights set out in Art. 15 to 22 GDPR: access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability and objection.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular the authority competent for our registered office, the Saxon Data Protection and Transparency Commissioner.

To exercise these rights or for any other data protection questions, please contact us using the contact details provided in our Privacy Policy.

13. Changes to this Cookie Policy

We will update this Cookie Policy whenever the legal framework or the technologies we use change. The version published at the time of your visit to our website is the one that applies.

Material changes that require renewed consent will be implemented by displaying the cookie banner again. The "Last updated" date above indicates when this policy was most recently revised.