About Personal Information Protection

Hitachi High-Technologies's Approach to Personal Information Protection

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation ("HHT") aims to create regulations and establish management systems with respect to personal information protection in addition to instituting the personal information protection policy published below, keeping executives and employees fully briefed, and striving for the appropriate protection of personal information in keeping with this policy.

Definition of Personal Information

At HHT, personal information indicates information that identifies, or is capable of identifying, a specific individual by means of one or a combination of two or more of pieces of information corresponding to any of the following including the individual's name, date of birth, age, gender, address, telephone number, family composition, hobbies, preferences, email address, workplace, affiliation, workplace address, workplace telephone number, credit card number, bank account as well as any ID number or string of characters assigned to the individual, information about purchased goods and products or services, information about websites accessed, complaints, consultations or inquiries.

Scope of Application

This "About Personal Information Protection document" establishes how the personal information of customers is handled at HHT.

Personal Information Protection Policy of HHT

1.	Collecting, Using and Providing Personal Information
	Bearing in mind that in the course of its business activity, HHT is entrusted with information about customers, we have established management structures tailored to operational status in order to protect personal information, and we handle the collection, use and provision of personal information appropriately and according to prescribed regulations.
2.	Compliance with Laws and Ordinances and Standards
	When handling personal information, HHT complies with laws and ordinances and other standards applicable to personal information protection. In addition, we have produced and adhere to HHT rules for the management of personal information protection that conform to these laws and ordinances and other standards.
3.	Implementing Security Measures
	In order to ensure the accuracy and security of personal information, HHT conforms to various regulations regarding information security, manages access to personal information, limits methods of carrying out personal information, implements measures to prevent illegal access from outside, and works to prevent the loss, destruction, falsification and leakage of personal information.
4.	Respect for the rights of the person involved with the personal information
	With regard to personal information, when the person involved requests HHT to disclose, correct or delete information, or refuses its use or submission, we will respond in good faith and with respect for the rights of the person involved with the personal information.
5.	Decisions on Rules for Personal Information Protection Management and Continuous Improvement
	HHT implements recognition of the importance of personal information protection among executives and employees, deciding on rules for personal information protection in order to safeguard and appropriately use personal information. In addition, we maintain and continuously improve the rules.

Purpose of Using Personal Information and Provision to Third Parties

1.	HHT uses personal information only within the scope necessary to achieve the following aims. In addition, when a customer submits personal information, we disclose the purpose of use in advance and receive the agreement of the customer.
	a) Fulfilling a contract concluded between the customer and HHT b) Contacting the customer for appointments and negotiations c) Providing aftercare services for products d) Sending out information about events and new products e) Providing membership services f) Matters concerning stocks g) Responses to inquiries h) Questionnaire-based analysis to improve products and services i) Providing personal information to the relevant Group Company in case HHT undertakes business activities in collaboration with a Group Company List of Group Companies i) Shipping products orders by a customer
2.	HHT does not provide the personal information of a customer to a third party without obtaining the agreement of the customer in advance. However, exceptions apply in the event of any of the following:
	a) Matters based on laws and ordinances; b) It is difficult to obtain the agreement of the customer when necessary in order to protect human life, body or property; c) It is difficult to obtain the agreement of the customer, in particular, when necessary in order to improve public health or to further the sound development of children; d) Obtaining the agreement of the customer carries the risk of impeding official duties when necessary to cooperate with an organ of the state, local public bodies or any person entrusted with the execution of duties as determined in laws and ordinances; e) Being entrusted with the handling of personal information within the scope necessary to achieve the purpose of use: f) Providing personal information following a handover of the business due to a merger or other reasons.
3.	In case of joint business activities with companies affiliated with Hitachi, dealerships in charge of selling the company's products, suppliers or third parties contracted for work ("Partners"), HHT may provide personal information of customers including name, workplace or home address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address etc, to the Partners as necessary. In this case, the personal information of customers will be provided in print or electronic media. Further, the customer may request HHT to stop the provision of personal information to Partners.

Usage of Cookies and Web Beacons

Cookies1 or web beacons (clear GIFs)2 are used on some HHT websites in order to make our websites more user-friendly for customers. By changing the settings on the web browser, the customer may refuse to accept cookies or display a warning message when a cookie is accepted. For details, please refer to the instructions for your browser of choice. The customer may also refuse web beacons by refusing to accept cookies. However, please be aware that all or some of the services provided on HHT websites may be unavailable in case of refusing to accept cookies. 1 Cookies Refers to information exchanged between the web server managing a website and the customer's web browser. Cookies may be stored as files on the hard disk of the customer's computer. By using cookies, the web server can record what pages on a website were viewed on a specific computer. However, HHT cannot pinpoint or identify the customer unless the customer enters their own personal information on the website. 2 Web beacons Refers to a technology that works with cookies to understand how many times a customer has accessed a specific page. However, HHT cannot pinpoint or identify the customer unless the customer enters their own personal information when accepting cookies.

Request to Disclose Personal Information and Accepting Complaints

In case of a request to disclose, correct, add, delete, stop using, stop provision to third parties or to notify the purpose of use ("Disclosure etc.") of the personal information of a customer held by HHT, or lodging a complaint, the following procedures apply.

1.	Request to disclose personal information provided by the customer to a business department at HHT. Please contact the relevant business department.
2.	Request to disclose personal information provided by the customer via an HHT website. Please contact the department in charge of the relevant webpage.
3.	Request to disclose personal information other than the abovementioned points 1 and 2. For details on requests for Disclosure etc., please refer to Details regarding Requests for the Disclosure,etc.
4.	Complaints about how HHT handles personal information. Please enter the required information in the Complaint Form regarding Handling of Personal Information (PDF format) and forward the form to the address below, or send us an inquiry using the Inquiry Form or by telephone. Contact for Complaints Legal & CSR Department, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation 1-24-14 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8717 Phone: 03-3504-7089 Fax: 03-3504-5943 Complaint Form regarding Handling of Personal Information(PDF format) Inquiry Form

Request to Customers

1.	Most services provided by HHT can be used without the personal information of the customer. However, please note that some services may not be available if the customer does not provide personal information to HHT.
2.	Please note that HHT cannot assume responsibility for ensuring the security of personal information on external websites linked from HHT websites.
3.	When a customer enters personal information on an HHT website, agreement with this Personal Information Protection document is presumed. If you do not agree with this Personal Information Protection document, you may not be able to use the services provided by HHT (including response to inquiries etc.).

Special Instructions

1.	HHT policy on personal information protection is based on the laws of Japan.
2.	HHT may revise this Personal Information Protection document due to revisions to laws and ordinances or other standards or to improve the handling of personal information.
3.	This Personal Information Protection document applies as of the date of publication (including the date of revisions).
4.	For content, if separate regulations for personal information protection are set, priority shall be given to those regulations.

For Enquiries Regarding This Website

Please use the Inquiry Form for other inquiries regarding this website than requests for disclosure of personal information or lodging complaints. Inquiry Form Note: Personal information sent to the inquiry point will be deleted at the time of replying to the inquiry and is not included in the personal information held by HHT.

Enacted April 1, 2005