Privacy Policy

This website (the "Website") and the website doi.statuspage.io (the "Statuspage Site"; together, the "Websites") provide information about, and facilitate use of, the Digital Object Identifier ("DOI®") and DOI system. The Websites are provided by the International DOI Foundation, Inc., which is referred to in this privacy policy as "we," "us" or the "DOI Foundation." By accessing this Websites or using the services provided by the DOI Foundation (the "Services") you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it you should not use the Websites or the Services.

The Services include the following: providing information about the DOI Foundation and the DOI system; providing public and private web-based mailing lists sponsored by the DOI Foundation; offering the possibility to send feedback; and resolving DOI names, which is what the DOI system calls the individual codes that identify a single entity. The data we collect and how we use your personal data will vary, depending on which of the Services you access via the Websites. In this policy we will use the terms "data" and "personal data" to refer to what is sometimes referred to as "information" or "personal information," depending on the applicable law.

What data we collect from you and how we use it

1. IP address and cookies

When you visit the Websites we collect the IP address of the computer being used by your browser for the sole purpose of sending you the information you request from the Websites. This is no different from what happens whenever you access any website on the Internet.

Like many service providers, we use cookies to collect basic data in order to allow us to serve you better and improve your experience while visiting the Website. Cookies are files with small amounts of data, which may include a unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a web site and stored on your computer's hard drive. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent

When you use the Service of resolving DOI names a cookie known as "_cfduid" will be deposited on your browser. The _cfduid cookie is a "session" cookie that is provided by a company called Cloudfare. It is used by Cloudflare to apply Cloudflare security settings on a per-client basis for individual clients behind a shared IP address. You can prevent this cookie from being deposited on your browser site by disabling cookies on your browser. More information about this cookie can be found at https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/200170156-Understanding-the-Cloudflare-Cookies.

If you subscribe to Updates from the Statuspage Site additional cookies may be deposited on your browser by Google, which provides the reCAPTCHA service, or by Atlassian Pty. Ltd. ("Atlassian"), which operates provides the Updates. Information about their cookies can be found on their privacy policies: https://policies.google.com/privacy; https://www.atlassian.com/legal/privacy-policy.

We may use other or different cookies in the future and if so we will notify this through updates to this Privacy Policy.

2. Newsletter subscription

You can subscribe to one of our mailing lists. The DOI Foundation sponsors both public and private web-based mailing lists, both for discussion and to distribute news and important information to interested parties. Subscribers may join and leave the subscriber lists using an automated mail list program or by sending a request to contact@doi.org. The mailing lists are used for no other purpose than to disseminate news and encourage the exchange of ideas.

3. Statuspage Update subscription

If you subscribe to Updates by clicking on the link on the Statuspage Site, you consent to our sending you periodic updates about the status of the DOI System and to communicating with you regarding renewal of your subscription. Your subscription will be terminated if you do not respond affirmatively to a renewal inquiry.

4. Feedback e-mails

You can send comments about the site or requests for information to contact@doi.org. Personal data contained in such communications is used only to enable the DOI Foundation's staff to respond.

The DOI Foundation keeps a log of information requests. If you wish to be removed from the log or from a mailing list you can send a request to contact@doi.org.

5. DOI name lookup

The DOI Foundation provides the Service of resolving individual DOI names. You access this Service whenever you click on a DOI name in a journal article reference section or by otherwise submitting a DOI name for resolution - for example, by entering a DOI name in the box shown on the Website and clicking "Submit." Your request, including your IP address and the DOI name you wish to resolve, will then be transmitted to the DOI system, which will use your IP address to return to you the record associated with the DOI name. Your IP address and the DOI name for which you sought resolution will be retained by the DOI system in a log file that is used for the purpose of monitoring system performance, troubleshooting in the event of problems and otherwise managing the DOI system. More information about the DOI system can be found on the Website.

Your IP address may be shared with the Registration Agency that maintains the DOI name. The use of your IP address by that Registration Agency will be governed by its privacy policy. If you are not sure which Registration Agency maintains a particular DOI name you can contact us to obtain that information.

Who do we share your data with?

The DOI Foundation shares your data only with its personnel and contractors who need to access it in order to provide the Services and to the Registration Agencies responsible for the DOI names that you may resolve using the Services. In addition, if you subscribe to Updates on the Statuspage Site, you will be using the reCAPTCHA service of Google and the Statuspage service of Atlassian. Information provided using those services is subject to their privacy policies as well as this privacy policy. The Google privacy policy can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy. The Atlassian privacy policy can be found here: https://www.atlassian.com/legal/privacy-policy. The DOI Foundation does not sell or otherwise share your data with third parties, unless required by applicable law.

IT security

The DOI Foundation protects the personal data in its possession against unauthorized use. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

International transfer of personal data

The DOI Foundation is a non-profit corporation organized under United States law, but it operates the DOI system internationally under the International Standard ISO 26324. To offer maximum accessibility and performance, the Website and DOI system use a system of interconnected computer servers, including servers known as DOI proxy servers, that are located in multiple jurisdictions throughout the world. The locations of the servers may change over time, depending on the needs of the DOI Foundation and the DOI system.

Depending on where you are located, some of the jurisdictions in which the Foundation has servers may offer fewer or less protection for your personal data than your home country. By accessing the Website or Services you acknowledge that you may be transferring your personal data to such less protective jurisdictions and, to the extent required by applicable law, you explicitly consent to the transfer.

The DOI Foundation operates the DOI system under its appointment by and agreement with the International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") as the Registration Authority for ISO standard 26324. The DOI Foundation provides the Websites and DOI system under its agreement with the Corporation for National Research Initiatives ("CNRI"). These facilities provide services that are in your interest as a visitor to the Websites and user of the DOI system, and the transfer of your personal data to the jurisdictions in which the DOI Foundation has servers is necessary for the performance of the DOI Foundation's contracts with ISO and CNRI.

Registration Agencies and other parties

DOI names are assigned by Registration Agencies, a list of which appears on the Website. Registration Agencies are members of, and assign DOI names under contract with, the DOI Foundation. Registration Agencies are independent organizations, each with its own privacy policy governing the personal data it collects and uses. Some of this personal data may be associated with a particular DOI name. The DOI Foundation does not control the personal data collected or used by the Registration Agencies, and for information about their policies you should consult each of their websites.

The DOI Foundation also does not control the privacy policies of any other sites to which we provide hyperlinks and automatic redirection. We encourage you to consult their privacy policies before disclosing any personal data to them.

Accessing, Correcting and Removing Your Information

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to ask us to delete and stop using personal data or information about you. You may also have a right to request copies of your personal data in our possession and request that we correct any information that is inaccurate or out of date, or to ask that it be erased where it is no longer necessary for us to have the data. To exercise any of these rights or otherwise communicate with us about the use of your data, you may contact us at: contact@doi.org.

Changes to the policy

We may make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time. We will let you know by giving notice on the Website or other appropriate means. If you access the Website or use the Services after any changes have been made you agree to the modified Privacy Policy. If the changes are not acceptable to you, you should discontinue using the Website or the Services.

Updated May 4, 2022