Hey, I’m Marc. And yes, you’re probably one of the few people who actually reads these pages. That tells me something important about you: you care about the details, you value transparency, and you want to know who you’re working with. Exactly the kind of person I want to build a long-term relationship with.
Why This Page Exists (And Why You Should Care)
I could fill this with legal jargon and call it a day. But if you’re going to trust me with your data—and potentially your projects—you deserve to understand exactly what I do with that information and why.
Privacy isn’t just a legal checkbox for me. It’s part of how I build lasting professional relationships. In a world where your information gets bought and sold constantly, I think you deserve something different.
My Commitment to You
Three simple principles that guide everything I do with your information:
1. I only ask for what I actually need
I’m not going to ask for your birthday, your favorite color, or your first pet’s name. If I’m asking for something, it’s because I need it to give you better service.
2. Your information is yours, not mine
I don’t sell it. I don’t rent it. I don’t make lists to sell to others. Your information exists for one thing: making your OpenBCN Studios experience exceptional.
3. Total transparency
If something changes in how I handle your information, I’ll tell you. No fine print, no tricks.
What Information I Collect (And Why I Do It)
When You Browse the Website
Your browser automatically tells me a few things:
- Where you’re connecting from (your IP)
- What kind of device you’re using
- What pages you’re looking at
Why do I care about this? Because it helps me understand what equipment interests you, what content is useful, and how to improve the experience. If I see lots of people checking out lighting gear but nobody’s looking at audio, that tells me something.
When You Contact Me
This is where it gets interesting (and useful for both of us).
When you fill out a form—whether it’s to request a quote, ask a question, or just say hi—I need:
- Your name (so I don’t have to call you “hey you”)
- Your email (so I can actually respond)
- Your phone if you want me to call
- Details about your project (so I understand what you need)
Here’s something important: When you send me a form, your name and email are automatically added to my contact list. Why? Because I assume that if you’re reaching out, you probably want to know when I update equipment, when there’s special availability, or when I create content that might help with your work.
Don’t want to receive anything? Zero problem. Every email has an unsubscribe link. One click and you’re out. No questions, no drama.
When You Book the Studio
Here I need more serious information because we’re entering legal territory (invoices, taxes, all that fun stuff):
- Full name and tax ID (NIF/CIF/NIE)
- Postal address
- Email and phone
- Information about your project
The legal part: I’m required by law to keep your billing data for 4 years. It’s not that I want to, it’s that the tax authorities say I have to.
The interesting part: I keep information about your preferences and projects. Why? Because if you come back in 6 months, I want to remember that you preferred a certain lighting setup, or that your last session was for product photography. I don’t want you to have to explain everything from scratch every time.
This is about building a relationship, not just doing transactions.
The Equipment Catalog
I use WooCommerce to display all available gear. Yes, it’s an e-commerce platform, but no: you can’t buy anything online (yet). I just use it so you can see what I have available.
The system might remember what you’ve looked at, but it’s simply to show you “hey, you were checking this out the other day” when you come back.
Cookies: What They Are and Why They Exist
Cookies are basically little notes your browser saves to remember things. Like when you leave a post-it on your fridge.
The Cookies I Use
WPML (The language selector)
Remembers if you prefer to read in English, Spanish, or Catalan. So you don’t have to select it every time.
Duration: while you browse
LiteSpeed Cache (Speed)
Makes the website load faster by saving temporary versions of pages. Nobody sees these files except you.
Duration: temporary, automatically deleted
Session cookies
The basic WordPress ones. They verify your browser works properly and remember if you logged in.
Duration: 2 days (or 2 weeks if you check “remember me”)
Marketing Cookies (The Most Interesting Ones)
Facebook/Meta Pixel
If you’ve visited my website and then see something from OpenBCN Studios on Instagram or Facebook, it’s not a coincidence. It’s remarketing. I show you relevant content because you’ve already shown interest.
Google Ads (coming soon)
Same thing but in the Google universe.
Can you disable them? Absolutely:
- Google Settings
- Facebook Settings
- Network Advertising Initiative
- Or directly in your browser settings
The Tools I Use (And Their Own Rules)
I don’t work alone. I use some amazing platforms that help me function:
17Hats – My central nervous system
I manage bookings, send quotes, and keep everything organized here. When you fill out a quote form, your data goes through 17Hats. They have their own privacy policy you should check out.
MailChimp – How I communicate with you
All the emails I send you go through MailChimp. They’re serious about privacy (they have to be, it’s their business). Here’s their privacy policy.
WordPress + WooCommerce – The website foundation
Industry standards. Secure. Tested by millions of sites.
What I’ll Never Do With Your Information
I want to be very clear about this:
❌ I’ll never sell your information
Your email won’t show up on any spam list bought by third parties.
❌ I’ll never share it for others to do marketing
I don’t do database exchanges. I don’t do “collaborations” where your information is the currency.
❌ I’ll never spam you
If I write to you, it’s because I have something I think will interest you. If I’m wrong, you tell me and I adjust.
❌ I’ll never do anything shady
My reputation is worth infinitely more than anything I could gain by playing dirty with your information.
When I Might Share Your Information
There are only three situations:
1. When the law requires it
If a judge, tax authorities, or any legal authority formally requests it, I have to comply. I hope it never happens, but you need to know.
2. When it’s necessary to provide the service
If you hire a service that requires a third party (for example, equipment shipping), they’ll need to know your address. Obviously.
3. When you give me explicit permission
If I ever ask you “can I share this with X?” and you say yes, then yes.
That’s it. Nothing more.
Your Rights (In Plain English)
The GDPR gives you rights. Lots of them. Here they are in human language:
Right to know – You can ask me what information I have about you and I’ll give you all of it.
Right to correct – If something’s wrong, tell me and I’ll fix it.
Right to delete – Want me to delete everything about you? I’ll do it. (Except invoices, I have to keep those by law for 4 years).
Right to limit – You can tell me “don’t use my data for X thing” and I’ll respect it.
Right to move – You can ask for your data in a format you can take elsewhere.
Right to object – Don’t want me to use your info for something specific? Tell me and I’ll stop.
To exercise any of these rights: hola@openbcnstudios.com
I’ll respond within a maximum of 1 month (2 if it’s something very complex).
How Long I Keep Your Information
While you’re on my contact list: Until you ask me to remove you. Simple.
Your invoices and tax data: 4 years from the last invoice. That’s the law, not me.
Information about your projects and preferences: As long as we stay in touch. This is what allows me to give you increasingly better service and not start from scratch every time.
Inquiries and communications: 3 years from the last time we talked.
International Information
Some services I use (MailChimp, 17Hats) are based in the United States. Your data may be processed there. These services comply with:
- EU standard contractual clauses
- The EU-US Privacy Framework
- All necessary regulations
Basically: they’re as obligated to protect your information as I am.
If Something Goes Wrong
If you think I’ve messed up with your information:
First, talk to me: hola@openbcnstudios.com
I’d rather you give me the chance to fix it directly.
If that doesn’t work, you can contact:
Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD)
C/ Jorge Juan, 6, 28001 Madrid
www.aepd.es
Tel: +34 901 100 099 / +34 912 663 517
Minors
If you’re under 13, I need your parents’ permission for everything.
If you’re between 13 and 18, you can subscribe to informational emails, but I need written permission from your parents for any booking or paid service.
Updates
I may update this policy when:
- I add new services
- I change tools
- The law changes
If I make important changes, I’ll notify you directly by email. I’m not going to make sneaky changes and hope you discover them.
One Last Thing
I know this is long. I know most people don’t read these things.
But if you’ve made it this far, thank you. Really.
The fact that you’ve taken the time to understand how I handle your information tells me you value transparency as much as I do. And that’s exactly the kind of professional relationship I want to build: one based on mutual trust, not fine print.
If you have any questions—literally any—about this policy or how I work: hola@openbcnstudios.com
Let’s talk.
Marc Barrera Díez
OpenBCN Studios
Tax ID (DNI): 44011749F
Carrer del Perill 38, baixos, 08012, Barcelona
hola@openbcnstudios.com
Last updated: October 2, 2025
PS: If you’ve read this far and have feedback on how I can improve this policy or make it more useful, I’d love to hear it. This is also part of the infinite game: continuously improving.
