new online consultations Working Party 29: IP and RFID

The Working Party 29 has adopted a working document on data protection issues related to intellectual property rights (Working Document 104) adopted on January 18th, 2005.

The working document recalls the application of the main data protection principles contained in the data protection Directive (Directive 95/46/EC) in the following two scenarios: First, in the deployment of on-line services using the so-called digital management of rights systems (?DRMs?). Second, in the processing of personal data to conduct investigations of users suspected of copyright infringement


Data protection issues related to RFID technology
On January 19th, the Working Party 29 adopted a Working Document on data protection issues related to RFID technology (Working document 105).

After outlining the potential use of RFID technology in various sectors, the Working Document recalls the need to comply with the basic principles set out in the EC data protection Directives (Directive 95/46/EC and Directive 2002/58EC) whenever personal data is collected using RFID technology. The paper also provides guidance to manufacturers of the technology (RFID tags, readers and applications) as well as RFID standardization bodies on their responsibility towards designing privacy compliant technology in order to enable deployers of the technology to carry out their obligations under the data protection Directive.