Data protection statement

When using this website, we collect, process and use data. Since protecting the privacy of our users when using this website is important to us, we would like to inform you below about which personal data we collect when providing the website and how we handle these data. Websites of Leica Camera AG may contain links to websites of other providers to which the data protection statement does not apply.

1. Responsible party / contact details of the data protection officer

You can contact the data protection officer of Leica Camera AG at: data-protection@leica-camera.com

2. Collection and use of your personal data


2.1 General use of the service

When using the website, we collect and store certain data automatically. This includes: the IP address or device ID assigned to the respective end user device, which we require for the transmission of requested content (e.g. in particular content, texts, images and product information as well as files made available for download, etc.), the type of end user device, the URL of the previously visited websites, the browser type and operating system used and the date and time of use.

This data processing takes place in order to facilitate the use of the website.

We hold this information for a maximum of one month for the purpose of recognizing and pursuing misuse.
Aside from this, we delete or anonymize these usage data, including the IP addresses, without undue delay as soon as they are no longer needed for the above mentioned purposes.
The processing of the data is carried out on the basis of legal provisions which authorise the data processing because it is necessary for the provision of the website to the user (Art. 6 para. 1(b) GDPR), or because we have a legitimate interest in safeguarding the security and functionality of our website as well as its proper use without the affected data subjects having an overriding interest (Art. 6 para. 1(f) GDPR).
Websites of Leica Camera AG may contain links to websites of other providers to which the data protection statement does not apply.

2.2 LOBA registration

When applying for the LOBA, you have to state your first and last name, your date of birth, your telephone number, the link on your website, and optionally a short CV and a valid e-mail address. You also need to upload a photo series. This information is stored with your profile. The data are processed on the basis of the statutory regulations permitting data processing, because they are necessary for providing this functionality to you (Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR).

We delete these data as soon as you request the deletion of your participant data at oskar-barnack-award@leica-camera.com.
Otherwise, we delete these data when the LOBA cycle has ended.

2.3 Consents to receive newsletter and other advertising

If you have given us your consent to receive newsletters and other promotional communications, we will use your provided data (including data you may have entered in your user account) on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 para. 1(a) GDPR) to send you newsletters and other promotional communications - depending on the preferences you set up - by mail, by telephone or by electronic mail (e-mail, SMS, MMS, instant message).

We verify your consent by using the so-called Double-Opt-In-Procedure. To this end, we will send you an e-mail to the e-mail address you provided in the course of the subscription to actively confirm your consent to receive newsletters and other promotional content before we start sending you respective advertisement. We use the information about the confirmation to document and, if necessary, to prove your given consent.

You can withdraw you consent at any time with effect for the future by sending an E-Mail to data-protection@leica-camera.com. The withdrawal of your consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on the given consent prior to its withdrawal. If you withdraw your consent, we will no longer us your data to send you newsletters or other promotional communications.

2.4 Usage of Cookies

We use cookies to increase the functionality of our website and to simplify your visit on our website. Cookies are text files containing information. When using our website, they are stored on your end devices (computer or mobile device) and do no damage there.

Persistent cookies store information which may contain personal data from your browser. These can for example include the following information: your anonymised IP address, the type of your device, the domain, the browser type and the language used, the operating system, the county and time zone, previously visited websites or information about an interaction with our websites, such as click behaviour, purchases and preferences. The persistent cookies used on our website are subject to the additional terms of section 2.5.

To maintain a login session, we use so-called session cookies. Session cookies are small information units in which randomly generated identification number, the so-called session ID, is stored. In addition, a session cookie stores information about its origin and the storage period. These cookies cannot store any other data. If you close your browser or log out of the Members’ Area, the session cookies used will be deleted.
The processing of the data is carried out on the basis of legal provisions which authorise the data processing because it is necessary for the intended and comprehensive provision of the website and the functionalities offered thereon (Art. 6 para. 1(b) GDPR).

You can also view our website without cookies. Most Internet browsers automatically accept cookies. You can prevent cookies from being stored on your computer by selecting "do not accept cookies" in your browser settings. Please refer to the help feature of your browser to find out how this works in detail. You can delete cookies already set on your end device at any time. If you do not accept cookies, however, this can lead to functional restrictions of our services.

2.5 Web analysis

2.5.1 User profiles

When using our website, we set up user profiles using cookies for the purpose of advertising, market research or a demand-oriented design of our website. We only use usage data based on pseudonyms. These are in particular features to identify the user (pseudonym) and information about the beginning, the end and the scope of the use of our website.

You can prevent cookies from being stored on your hard disk by selecting "do not accept cookies" in your browser settings. Please refer to the instructions of your browser manufacturer to find out how this works in detail. You can delete cookies already set on your computer at any time. If you do not accept cookies, however, this can lead to functional restrictions of our services.

The processing of the data is carried out on the basis of legal provisions which authorise the data processing because we have a legitimate interest regarding a demand-oriented design as well as the statistical evaluation of our website and the fact that your legitimate interests do not override (Art. 6 para. 1(f) GDPR, Sec. 15 para. 3 TMG).

2.5.2 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics on our website, a web analysis service of Google Inc. ("Google").  Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies", i.e. text data files which are stored on your end device and enable an analysis of how you use the website. The information produced by the cookies with regard to your use of this website (including your abbreviated IP address) is normally transmitted to a server of Google in the USA and stored there. This transmission of data takes place on the basis of a corresponding EU-US privacy shield certification of Google which can be seen at the following address: http://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI.

Google uses this information on our behalf for the purpose of analysing your use of the website, compiling reports about the website activities and additional services for us involved with the use of the website and the internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties if this is required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of Google.

For more information about how Google uses your information, please see Google's Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

You can deactivate Google Analytics using a browser Add-on if you do not want the website analysis. The browser Add-on can be downloaded under the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. Alternatively, you can prevent cookies from being stored on your hard disk by selecting "do not accept cookies" in your browser settings. Please refer to the instructions of your browser manufacturer to find out how this works in detail. You can delete cookies already set on your computer at any time. If you do not accept cookies, however, this can lead to functional restrictions of our services.

The processing of the data is carried out on the basis of legal provisions which authorise the data processing because we have a legitimate interest regarding a demand- oriented design, the statistical evaluation of our website as well as the efficient advertising of our website and the fact that your legitimate interests do not override (Art. 6 para. 1(f) GDPR, Sec. 15 para. 3 TMG).

2.6 Embedded videos on our website

Our site uses embedded videos from the vimeo.com site operated by Vimeo, Inc. and YouTube, LLC, operated by youtube.com. Operator of the website is respectively Vimeo, Inc. 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA ("Vimeo") or YouTube, LCC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA ("YouTube"). If you click on an embedded video on our website, a connection to the Vimeo or YouTube servers is established. The respective Vimeo or YouTube server is informed of our websites you have visited.

If you are logged into your Vimeo or YouTube account, you allow Vimeo or YouTube to associate your surfing behaviour directly with your personal profile.

For more information on the handling of user data, please refer to the Vimeo and YouTube privacy policy.

3. Disclosure of data

A disclosure of your personal data without your express prior consent occurs, in addition to the other instances mentioned in this data protection statement, only in the following cases:

  • Personal data will be disclosed to criminal prosecution authorities as well as, if necessary, harmed third parties if necessary to investigate illegal or abusive use of the website. However, this only occurs if there are specific indications for illegal use or misuse. A disclosure can also take place if this serves to enforce the terms and conditions for the use of the website or other agreements or if necessary, to assert, exercise or defend legal claims. Our legitimate interest for the processing is safeguarding the proper functioning of our website and to assert, exercise or defend legal claims, as the case may be.
  • We are also required by law to provide information to certain governmental agencies.  These are the criminal prosecution authorities, public authorities that prosecute administrative misdemeanors sanctioned with fines and the tax authorities.
  • We may have to rely on third party companies and external service providers under contractual relationships which may be located outside the EU or the EEA in order to provide our service, for example, for our customer service or the hosting of the website.  In such situations, information will be disclosed to these companies or individual persons, in order to permit the further processing. We carefully select these external service providers and regularly examine them in order to make sure that your privacy is preserved, and the data can only be used for the purposes determined by us. They are also obligated under contracts with us to treat your data exclusively in accordance with this data protection statement as well as the German laws on data protection. To the extent a party outside the EU or the EEA is involved, we make sure that there is an adequate level of data protection, for example, by concluding corresponding contracts or using certifications of the respective recipient that keeps the data.
  • During the course of the further development of our business, it is possible that the structure of our company will change by changing the legal form, establishing, purchasing or selling subsidiaries, company divisions or parts of the company. In case of such transactions, the customer information is passed on together with the part of the business which is transferred. We make sure in the case of each disclosure of personal data to third parties as described above that this takes place in accordance with this data protection statement and applicable data protection laws.

4. Rights of the data subject

You have the right to obtain information at any time about the data stored about you. You may also be entitled to the following rights in case the respective requirements are met:

  • Right to rectification: You have the right to have false personal data concerning you be corrected.
  • Right to erasure: You may also request the deletion of your personal data, for example if your data are no longer required for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
  • Right to restriction of processing: You also have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted; in such a case, the data will be blocked for any processing. This right exists in particular if the accuracy of the personal data between you and us is debated.
  • Right to data portability: If we process your personal data to fulfil a contract with you or on the basis of your consent, you also have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, provided and to the extent that you have made the data available to us.
According to Art. 21 para. 1 GDPR, you may additionally object to data processing on grounds relating to your particular situation. However, this only applies in such cases in which we process data to fulfil a legitimate interest of Leica Camera AG or a third party. If you can state such a ground and we cannot assert a compelling interest worthy of protection in the further processing, we will not process these data for the respective purpose. This does not affect the other rights of objection described in this data protection statement.

This does not affect the other rights of objection described in this data protection statement.
If you wish to have information about your stored personal data, enforce your other rights or if you have questions about how we protect data, you can contact us either by mail (Leica Camera AG, Am Leitz-Park 5, 35578 Wetzlar) or by E-Mail via data-protection@leica-camera.com. After final answering of your inquiry, we delete your inquiry with a period of three years after the end of the respective calendar year.
You also have the right to file a complaint at any time with a supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State where you are staying, working or the place of alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of personal data concerning you is in violation of applicable data protection laws.

5. Deletion of data

Unless otherwise described in this data protection statement, we will only store your personal data for as long as it is necessary to achieve the purposes stated herein or within the framework of a statutory storage period; in the latter case, we will block your data for other processing.

6. Amendments to this data protection statement

We always keep this data protection statement at the newest level. Therefore, we reserve the right to amend them from time to time and make changes when collecting, processing or using your data. We will inform you prior any amendments coming into force. The current version of the data protection statement is always available under leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/en/data-protection.html.