Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Hiply.ai ("Hiply") uses personal information in connection with services provided by Hiply, our apps, and the use of the Hiply.ai website unless otherwise listed below.

Hiply.ai is a patent and intellectual property platform that connects patent lawyers and agents with inventors for patent searching and filing. Hiply is not a law firm and does not provide legal services directly. We facilitate connections between independent patent lawyers and agents and inventors seeking patent assistance.

Activities not covered by this Privacy Policy are:

• Personal information that may be collected or used by other businesses when you click on third-party links found on our website or use social media widgets that we provide. You can refer to the privacy policy of third-party websites and services for information about their privacy practices.
• Personal information collected and used in connection with Hiply's employment activities, including activities related to job applicants.
• Personal information collected and used by independent patent lawyers and agents who use our platform. Patent lawyers and agents who connect with clients through Hiply are independent professionals who maintain their own privacy practices and attorney-client relationships.

Hiply takes your privacy seriously and is mindful of potential concerns about how we use the personal information we collect from and about you. In addition to this Privacy Policy, we have internal policies and practices designed to keep your personal information secure and to ensure that information about you is only used consistent with this Privacy Policy. When building products we strive to apply principles of Privacy-by-Design and have privacy and security teams that are committed to ensuring that your personal information is safe and handled properly.

In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain the types of personal information we may collect. The specific information that we may collect about you depends on the type of interaction and whether you are using our platform as an inventor or as a patent lawyer.

Hiply potentially collects the following categories of personal information:

Identifiers

Examples of the types of identifiers that Hiply may collect include real names, signatures, postal addresses, online identifiers, Internet Protocol addresses, email addresses, and account numbers.

Sensitive Information

Examples of the types of sensitive information that Hiply may collect includes social security numbers, driver's license numbers, state identification card numbers, and usernames and passwords for accounts connected to Hiply.ai.

Biometric Information

With your consent, Hiply may work with Stripe, Onfido, Veriff or other vendors to use technology to verify your identity by comparing a digital image of your face to the picture on the government identification you provide.

Characteristics Protected Under Some Laws

Examples of the types of characteristics that Hiply may collect include age, national origin, citizenship, education, and professional credentials. Hiply does not use this type of information to analyze your health, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Commercial Information

Examples of the types of commercial information that Hiply may collect includes records of services purchased, obtained, or considered from Hiply or our partners, and other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.

Invention and Intellectual Property Information

For inventors using our platform, we may collect information about your inventions, innovations, patent applications, prior art searches, and intellectual property-related documents you upload or share through our platform for the purpose of connecting you with patent lawyers and agents.

Professional Credentials and Qualifications

For patent lawyers and agents using our platform, we may collect information about bar admissions, patent bar registration, areas of expertise, educational background, professional experience, and client reviews.

Internet Information

Examples of the types of internet activity information that Hiply may collect includes browsing history, search history, information about the device used to access our website or applications, and information regarding your interaction with websites, applications, or advertisements. We may also collect information from visitors to our website, such as browser settings, operating systems, referring/exit pages, and clickstream data. When we send you an email, Hiply may also collect information, including about how you interact with that email.

Geolocation Information

Hiply may collect information about where you reside, do business, or are otherwise located.

Audio and Visual Information

Hiply may make audio recordings of telephone calls with your consent. We may make visual recordings if you agree that we may videotape or photograph you. We may also collect visual images of you in connection with legal requirements, security purposes, or when required for providing certain services.

Professional, Business, and Employment-Related Information

Examples of the types of professional, business, and employment-related information Hiply may collect includes information about your professional status and affiliations, employment history, business associations, and areas of technical or legal expertise.

Other Types of Information

Examples of other types of information include telephone number, financial information including bank account, credit card, and debit card numbers for payment processing. It also includes additional information provided to Hiply directly by you, such as when you complete a questionnaire, upload a document, answer a survey, or participate in platform communications.

In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain where and how we collect personal information.

Users

Much of the personal information that Hiply collects comes directly or indirectly from our users and prospective users. Information that is collected directly from you is information that you provide when you create an account, complete a form online, upload a document, use a chat feature, or speak to us on the phone. We may also collect information indirectly about you when you interact with our website, using cookies and other tracking technologies.

Related Parties

We may collect information about you from someone you know. For instance, if you are referred to our platform by another user, we may be given information about you to facilitate the introduction.

Service Providers

We may collect information about you from our Service Providers or other companies that we work with to deliver services to you. As used in this Privacy Policy, Service Providers means entities that Hiply has contracted with to provide us with services to help fulfill our business needs. Service Providers may also assist us in collecting information both directly and indirectly from you.

Patent Lawyers and Agents

If you are an inventor, we may receive information about you from the patent lawyers and agents you work with through our platform. Hiply does not intend to collect any information from patent lawyers and agents where the collection would result in a waiver of the attorney-client privilege. Information shared between you and patent lawyers and agents regarding your legal matters is subject to attorney-client privilege and confidentiality obligations that exist directly between you and your attorney.

Business Partners

We may receive information about you from our Business Partners. As used in this Privacy Policy, Business Partners means entities that Hiply has contracted with to engage in cross-promotional or product integration activities. An example of the type of information that we may receive from our business partners is information about services you purchased from them.

Affiliates and Subsidiaries

We may receive information about you from our affiliates and subsidiaries. For example, if we acquire an ownership interest in a company, we may receive information about you as part of that acquisition if you have previously done business with them.

Publicly/Commercially Available Information

We may collect information about you from publicly available sources of information, including government records, patent databases, social media sites, and other commercially available sources of personal information. Examples of the type of information we may collect from publicly available sources include existing patents, published patent applications, USPTO records, or professional credentials listed in public directories.

In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain our commercial and business purposes for collecting information. Hiply uses the information that it collects for the purposes listed below. We use technology, including automated processing, AI, and human review to accomplish these purposes. We may also combine information that we have collected from multiple sources.

If we decide to use the personal information we have collected for additional purposes that are inconsistent with what is described below, we will let you know of our plans and give you information about your legal rights regarding your personal information.

Providing Platform Services

We use personal information to provide and support our platform services. Examples of these uses include connecting inventors with patent lawyers and agents, facilitating communications between users, administering the Hiply.ai website, and displaying content based on user preferences. For inventors, this includes matching you with appropriate patent lawyers and agents based on your needs. For patent lawyers and agents, this includes presenting you with relevant inventor inquiries.

Security

We use personal information to ensure we maintain appropriate security over computer networks and our physical facilities, as well as detecting fraud or other suspicious activities.

Marketing and Advertising

We use personal information for marketing to current and prospective users. More information about how you can control the use of your personal information for marketing purposes can be found in the section "Your Options Regarding Personal Information Collected by Hiply."

Product Development

We use personal information for product development, including improving our existing offerings and developing new products and services, including machine learning or Artificial Intelligence ("AI") technologies.

Analytics

We use personal information for various types of analytics. For example, Hiply uses personal information to analyze how visitors arrive at and interact with our website, and to gain insight into the types of users that may be interested in our services. We may also use the information to develop inferences from the information we collect regarding user preferences, characteristics, predispositions, behaviors, and attitudes.

Operational Purposes

We use personal information for operational purposes, and the operational purposes of our service providers, business partners, affiliates, and subsidiaries. For instance, Hiply may use the information to maintain our website and other infrastructure, training, quality assurance, for conducting surveys or sweepstakes, to promote our brand, and to use in connection with our relationships with service providers and business partners.

Financial Reporting

We use personal information in connection with various types of financial reporting and other similar internal uses. Examples of the types of financial reporting that Hiply may use personal information in connection with includes internal budgets and projections, compensation calculations, and public reporting.

Meeting Legal Requirements

We use personal information to meet our legal obligations, such as performing customer due diligence, maintaining records as required by law, or responding to subpoenas for information.

Business Transfers

If Hiply undertakes or is involved in any merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or insolvency event, then we may sell, transfer, or share some or all of our assets, including information related to users in connection with the transaction or in contemplation of the transaction (such as conducting due diligence). If such an event occurs, your information may be treated like any other Hiply asset and sold, transferred, or shared with third parties, or used in ways not contemplated or permitted under this Privacy Policy. In this case, you will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.

In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain to whom we disclose personal information and under what circumstances we may make a disclosure.

Service Providers

We may share personal information with our service providers who assist us with running our business. These companies are not authorized to use the information we share with them for any purpose other than providing services to Hiply or to you.

Businesses Providing Services

Hiply may disclose personal information with other businesses in order to provide you with services that you have requested from Hiply. Personal information disclosed to other businesses will be subject to those third parties' privacy practices. For instance, we may use FedEx, the United States Postal Service, or other shipping providers to deliver physical products. Similarly, we may use WorldPay, Adyen, or Stripe for purposes of processing payments or providing identity verification services. In doing so, these companies may collect and process personal information for their own uses, including improving its services and for fraud detection and prevention.

Patent Lawyers and Agents

If you are an inventor, we will share relevant information about you and your invention with patent lawyers and agents on our platform for the purpose of facilitating connections and enabling them to assess whether they can assist you. Patent lawyers and agents who connect with you through our platform are independent professionals who are not employees or agents of Hiply. Once connected, the attorney-client relationship and associated confidentiality obligations exist directly between you and your attorney, not with Hiply.

Inventors

If you are a patent lawyer or agent, we may share your profile information, credentials, and areas of expertise with inventors who are seeking patent assistance.

Business Partners

Hiply may share personal information with business partners. When we share personal information with business partners, it will generally be subject to their privacy policy.

Parties Related to You

We may provide information about you to someone you know or that you have connected with through our platform. For instance, we may provide information connected to your Hiply account with your authorized contacts.

Government Entities

Hiply may share information about users with government entities when required by law or when necessary to fulfill services. For example, information may be shared with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in connection with patent applications filed by patent lawyers and agents working with inventors through our platform. Information submitted to the USPTO becomes public record and is published on the USPTO website.

Public Disclosures

Hiply may publicly disclose personal information in limited circumstances:

• We may display testimonials and reviews received through email surveys on our website or other marketing or that are posted to publicly available websites.
• When you post content in any forum or comment area on our website, these posts may be publicly available. You should use caution when deciding whether to disclose your personal information in public areas of our website.
• When we collect publicly available information, we may share that information on our website.

Required by Law

Hiply may disclose personal information as required by law, such as in response to a subpoena or a lawful request by a public authority, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements, or similar legal processes. We may also disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a legitimate request from a government entity.

Parties Related to Hiply

Hiply may disclose personal information with businesses controlling, controlled by, or under common control with Hiply. If Hiply is merged, acquired, or sold, or if some or all of our assets or equity are transferred, we may disclose or transfer consumer data in connection with the associated transactions.

Hiply retains your personal information for at least as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected the data, to provide you with services, to comply with our data retention obligations, and to successfully run our business.

This section describes how you can access and control the information that Hiply may have about you. It applies to all consumers worldwide, including individuals who have used our services or who believe that information about them may have been provided to us by a third party. Depending on where you reside, you may have additional rights beyond what is described in this section. If you are a U.S. resident of a state with a comprehensive privacy law, the European Union, or the United Kingdom, please review the sections "Information for U.S. Residents of States with Comprehensive Privacy Laws" or "Information for EU and UK Customers and Visitors" for more information about your rights.

Confirmation of Possession of Information Related to You

Upon a verified request, subject to the privacy interests of others and technical limitations, Hiply will provide you with information about whether we hold any information related to you. At Hiply's sole discretion, unless otherwise required by law, we may, in some instances, correct or delete information upon a verified request. Please note, however, that in certain circumstances, we may be required by law to retain your personal information or may need to retain your personal information to continue providing services to you or another user.

If you would like to submit a request about your data, you may do so by completing the form located on our website, or by calling us at 251-289-9787. After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your email address and may also be asked to provide additional information to verify your identity.

User and Authorized Contact Access to Account Information

Hiply will give you, or anyone listed as an authorized contact for your account, information about your account. This may include information about the nature and status of your account, the information you provided when creating your account, payment information, and contact information. If you want someone to have access to your account, you must list them as an authorized contact, or they may not obtain such information. You can confirm who is listed as an authorized contact for your account, add new authorized contacts, or remove authorized contacts by signing into your Hiply account and navigating to the "authorized contacts" section. We may send a confirmation email to your authorized contact(s) alerting them that they have been added as an authorized contact.

User Access to and Ability to Update Personal Information Online

You may visit your personal account profile at any time by signing in to your account at www.hiply.ai. On your account, you may: (i) review and update basic information about yourself, (ii) manage your profile settings, and (iii) update your preferences.

Opting Out of Promotional Email

You can opt-out of promotional emails by using the "Unsubscribe" link and following the unsubscribe instructions in an email you receive from us or by emailing us at privacy@hiply.ai. We may also send service-related or transactional communications, which are not promotional. Generally, you may not opt-out of these communications. If you do not wish to receive service-related communications, you may terminate your account by contacting us at privacy@hiply.ai or 251-289-9787.

Opting Out of Marketing Calls

If you wish to be placed on Hiply's internal "Do Not Call" list, you can tell us either while speaking to us on the phone or by emailing us at privacy@hiply.ai.

Opting Out of SMS/Text Messages

If you wish to stop receiving SMS or text messages from Hiply, you can reply STOP to any SMS/text that you receive from us. You may also let us know by emailing or calling us at privacy@hiply.ai or 251-289-9787.

Hiply is committed to protecting the personal information that we collect and ensuring our services are provided in a secure manner. We have implemented security measures designed to protect the personal information that we maintain. This includes implementing physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to secure the information we collect. We use industry-standard SSL/TLS to transmit payment card information. We also regularly monitor our systems for possible vulnerabilities and attacks. We have also implemented Multi-Factor Authentication for all user accounts.

Regardless of the measures and efforts that Hiply takes to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute protection and security of your personal information. For instance, when we transmit documents to you via mail delivery services or electronically, there remains the possibility that this information may be misdirected, misdelivered, or intercepted.

If you believe that you have discovered a security vulnerability in our website or services, you may let us know at security@hiply.ai. If you believe that someone has accessed your personal information or that your personal information has been misused, please let us know immediately by submitting your concerns through our online Privacy Form.

If you are a U.S. resident of a state with a comprehensive privacy law, this section provides information regarding your rights, and Hiply's responsibilities, regarding your personal information.

Your Rights

Certain states have privacy laws that provide consumers with rights regarding their personal information, such as the right to request:

• Specific information about what information Hiply has collected about you,
• A copy of your personal information,
• Corrections to inaccuracies in the personal information Hiply maintains about you, and
• The deletion of your personal information.

These rights are not absolute, and in some circumstances, Hiply may decline to satisfy your request. For example, if we are unable to verify your identity or if your request impacts other people's privacy rights, we may deny your request to exercise these rights. We may also deny your request when Hiply has the legal right to do so, such as when we have an ongoing business relationship with you, an ongoing need to use the information for purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or we are legally required to retain your personal information. If Hiply denies your request to exercise your privacy rights, we will tell you why we are denying the request and provide you with information about how to appeal this decision.

If you choose to exercise your privacy rights, we will not charge you different prices or provide a different quality of services unless those differences are related to your personal information.

How to Submit a Request for Access, Correction, or Deletion of Personal Information

If you would like to submit a request about your personal information, we encourage you to do so by completing the form located on our website. You can also submit a request by emailing privacy@hiply.ai or by calling our toll-free number at 251-289-9787.

After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your email address and may also be asked to provide additional information to verify your identity. Hiply will attempt to verify your identity by asking for information that correlates with the information that we have previously collected about you. If this is not possible, Hiply may request you submit additional information for verification, such as proof of residency or redacted government-issued identification.

You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. To designate an authorized agent, you must provide Hiply with written permission for the agent to make the request on your behalf or provide us with an executed power of attorney. You will also be required to submit both your and the authorized agent's valid government-issued identification.

How to Appeal a Denial of a Request for Access, Correction, or Deletion of Personal Information

If Hiply denies your request about your personal information, you may submit an appeal of the decision by completing the form located on our website. You can also submit a request by emailing privacy@hiply.ai. After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your email address.

Once an appeal is submitted and your email is verified, the request and Hiply's response will be reviewed. In connection with this review, Hiply may request that you submit additional information regarding your request. We will notify you of the outcome of the appeal within 60 days.

Selling, Sharing, and Use of Personal Information for Targeted Advertising or Cross-Contextual Behavioral Advertising

Hiply engages in routine online marketing activities that include sharing personal data with third parties to help ensure you see more relevant advertising and to help us understand how to better reach customers.

If you would like to opt-out of the use of your personal information for these purposes, you can submit this request through the link at the bottom of our homepage called "Your privacy choices" or by emailing us at privacy@hiply.ai.

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes to our practices. We encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information on our privacy practices.

If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact us by submitting your question through our online Privacy Form or using the information below.