Privacy Policy

Deutsche Fassung

1. Data Controller and Scope

The controller responsible for the processing of personal data is:

GNT Publishing GmbH
Lasiuszeile 2
13585 Berlin
Germany
Represented by its Managing Director, Martin Barth
Phone: +49 (0) 30 / 375 88 571
Fax: +49 (0) 54 41 / 594 79 79
Email: info@gnt-verlag.de

This Privacy Policy applies to the websites operated by GNT Publishing GmbH at https://www.gnt-verlag.de and https://l-i-c.org. Independent services provided by third parties are also subject to the respective providers' privacy notices.

2. Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer is Ralf Hahn. He can be contacted by post at the address above, marked "Confidential – For the attention of Ralf Hahn, Data Protection Officer", or by email at privacy@gnt-verlag.de with the subject line "Confidential – Data Protection Officer".

3. Website Access and Server Logs

When you access our websites, we process certain technical information, in particular your IP address, the date and time of access, the requested URL or file, the referring URL where applicable, and information about your browser and operating system. These data may be stored in server logs by our hosting provider. Processing is necessary to provide and secure our websites, analyse technical errors and prevent misuse. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); our legitimate interest is the secure and reliable operation of our websites.

Server logs are normally retained for seven days. In the event of a specific security incident, data required for investigation or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims may be retained for longer where necessary and lawful. Hosting and IT service providers acting on our behalf may have access to the technical data required for their services.

4. Cookies and Technically Necessary Storage

On www.gnt-verlag.de, we use a technically necessary session cookie for interactive functions, particularly the shopping cart. It contains a session identifier that enables related page requests to be associated with one another. The session normally ends when the browser is closed or after a period of inactivity (currently approximately 20 minutes). You can delete or restrict cookies in your browser settings; doing so may impair interactive functions.

Where storing or accessing information on your device is strictly necessary to provide a service you have expressly requested, the legal basis is Section 25(2) of the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (Telekommunikation-Digitale-Dienste-Datenschutz-Gesetz, TDDDG). Any associated processing of personal data is based, depending on the function, on Article 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR. Under the current configuration, we do not use non-essential analytics or advertising cookies on our own websites.

5. Contact Form, Email and Other Enquiries

If you contact us using the contact form, by email, telephone or post, we process the information you provide, in particular your name, contact details and the content of your enquiry, in order to respond and, where necessary, handle follow-up questions. Mandatory fields in the contact form are identified as such. Without the required contact information, we may be unable to process your enquiry.

For enquiries relating to an existing or prospective contract, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Other enquiries are processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in responding to and documenting enquiries). Separate consent is generally not required for this purpose. Data are deleted when no longer needed to handle the enquiry, unless statutory retention obligations or legitimate reasons justify further storage. If you request that we forward your enquiry to an author or cooperation partner, we disclose only the information necessary for that purpose.

6. Orders, Payments and Delivery

For orders handled directly by us, we process the data required to enter into and perform the contract, process payments, issue invoices, arrange delivery and provide customer service. These data include, in particular, names, contact and delivery addresses, products ordered, and payment and billing information. The legal bases are Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (contractual performance) and Article 6(1)(c) GDPR (compliance with legal obligations, particularly accounting and tax requirements). The necessary details must be provided so that we can process your order.

Where necessary, shipping companies, payment service providers, banks, and contracted IT and accounting service providers receive the information required for their respective tasks. Contractual and accounting records are retained for the applicable statutory retention periods, in particular six, eight or ten years depending on the type of record. Other order data are deleted when no longer needed and when no retention obligation applies.

Certain offers, particularly on l-i-c.org, link to the external sales platform Digistore24. For purchases made through Digistore24, the relevant Digistore24 reseller is generally the customer's contractual partner and an independent data controller for the purchase and payment process. The privacy notice of the respective provider applies. To the extent that we receive order data required to arrange delivery, provide downloads or assist customers, we process those data on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in proper fulfilment and customer support) and, where we are subject to our own statutory obligations, Article 6(1)(c) GDPR. If, exceptionally, you have a direct contract with us, Article 6(1)(b) GDPR may apply.

7. Newsletter

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we process your email address and any additional information you provide voluntarily in order to send it to you. Registration is generally confirmed by a verification email (double opt-in). To document your subscription, we may retain the date and time of registration, confirmation details and the technical information necessary as evidence. The legal basis for sending the newsletter is your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR); the documentation serves to demonstrate that the subscription was lawful.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in each newsletter or by contacting us. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal. After unsubscription, we delete the data used for mailing unless a statutory retention obligation or a legitimate interest in retaining limited evidence of consent or unsubscription applies. Where we use an external newsletter service provider, that provider processes the necessary data on our behalf.

8. Reader Feedback and Reviews

If we publish reader feedback, comments or personal statements on our websites, we process the information authorised for publication, such as names, locations and the wording of the statements. The publication of personal information is generally based on the individual's consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). The reproduction of reviews already published elsewhere may, within the limits of applicable law, be based on our legitimate interest in providing editorial information about our publications (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). We assess justified requests for deletion or objections on a case-by-case basis.

9. External Links and Social Media Accounts

Our websites link to external services, including bookshops, social networks and video platforms. When you visit such services, the respective providers process personal data under their own privacy policies. This Privacy Policy also applies to processing that we carry out in connection with our own social media accounts, such as responding to messages. The legal basis is generally Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (communication and public relations) or, for contract-related enquiries, Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

Platform operators may also process data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Further information is available in their respective privacy notices. Where we ourselves transfer personal data to recipients outside the EEA, we do so only in accordance with the applicable legal requirements, in particular where an adequacy decision or appropriate safeguards are in place.

10. Your Data Protection Rights

Subject to the applicable legal requirements, you have the right to access your personal data (Article 15 GDPR), to have inaccurate data rectified (Article 16), to request erasure (Article 17), to restrict processing (Article 18) and to data portability (Article 20). You may withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future (Article 7(3) GDPR).

Right to Object

Where we process personal data on the basis of legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), you may object at any time on grounds relating to your particular situation (Article 21 GDPR). You may object to processing for direct marketing purposes at any time without giving reasons. To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided above.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Article 77 GDPR). The supervisory authority generally competent for GNT Publishing GmbH is:

Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit
Alt-Moabit 59–61
10555 Berlin
Germany
Email: mailbox@datenschutz-berlin.de
www.datenschutz-berlin.de

11. Data Security

Our websites are generally provided through encrypted HTTPS connections (TLS). This helps protect data in transit against unauthorised interception but cannot guarantee absolute security. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data.

12. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We update this Privacy Policy when changes in the law or our data processing activities make this necessary. The version currently published on this website applies.

Berlin, 29 October 2026