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Swiss join Safe Harbour
Switzerland has signed an
agreement with the USA to
establish the US-Swiss Safe
Harbour Framework –allowing
Postal VAT policy review sparks clarity calls
certified American companies
to transfer data from a Swiss
As the European Court of Justice (ECJ) prepares “Clearly, there are benefits from
company to the USA.
to review EU-wide postal VAT exemption policies harmonisation of EU postal VAT, not
Previously, companies had to
this year, mail industry leaders are calling for least in the stimulus it will give posts
sign a contract agreeing to
fairness to be top priority. to outsource services that can be
provide for an appropriate
Mail and messaging technology specialist more efficiently provided by third
level of protection of the
Pitney Bowes is among those calling for increased parties. Equally, the competitive Dr Tim
personal data. The framework
clarity and consistency in the principles that are distortion arising from current VAT
Walsh
is modelled on the Safe
likely to emerge from ECJ discussions. rules –particularly affecting
Harbour agreement between
Speaking at the Postal Economics forum –the end-to-end new entrants –also needs to be
the USA and the European
Königswinter Seminar –towards the end of last addressed. But the solution to the VAT issue must
Union –approved in 2000.
year, Dr Tim Walsh, vice-president of corporate not be worse than the problem itself.
and regulatory affairs, Pitney Bowes, outlined the “Clearly, this a critical time for the industry to
Sweden: ad complaints up
industry’s concerns over changes under review. come together to work through the VAT issues
A record number of
He said: “Mailers pay for postal services based that are likely to impact all players within the
advertisements fell foul of
on the convenience and efficiency of the different postal industry over the course of 2009.”
Sweden’s Trade Ethical Council
payment channels (stamps, meters and post-paid
ID data breaches soar in US
against Sexism in Advertising
impressions (PPI). Any EU-wide basis for on-going
(ERK) in 2008. Pictures of
exemption of some postal services must be
The amount of data breaches across the public
scantily-clad women,
channel neutral. It would not be good for mailers
and private sector –business, governmentaland
misleading claims and ad copy
or for posts if there was a discriminatory
educational organisations –rose in America by
which upset feminist groups
imposition of VAT on the same or functionally
almost 50 per cent in 2008, affecting the records
were among 65-70 ads found
substitutable postal products.
of some 35.7 million people.
to be sexist by ERK –up from
“Any decision by the ECJ on postal VAT in
So says a nonprofit group which works to
50 in 2007. One example of an
2009 is likely to raise significant pricing and
prevent ID fraud –the Identity Theft Resource
ad reported to ERK was for
implementation issues for posts and mailers alike.
Center of San Diego. It announced that some 656
Coca Cola Zero where the
Now is precisely the wrong time for VAT-exempt
breaches were reported last year, up from 446 in
copy includes dialogue
mailers such as charities and financial services
2007. Nearly 37 per cent of the breaches occurred
between a couple breaking up
companies to have further uncertainty over
at businesses, while schools accounted for roughly
because the man doesn’t want
possible VAT-induced price increases for direct
20 per cent of the reported incidents.
to keep to one girl when there
and transactional mail.
The centre also found that the percentage of
are so many to choose from.
Irish adopt stringent spam law
breaches attributed to data theft from current and
Another contravening the
former employees more than doubled from seven
ethics council’s rules was an
New legislation in Ireland, which was signed into per cent in 2007 to nearly 16 per cent in 2008.
ad by Black & Decker –a spa
effect in December, makes the sending of Linda Foley, the center’s co-founder, said: “This
treatment was offered for ‘the
unsolicited electronic communications for direct may be reflective of the economy, or the fact that
wife’ if a man bought tools.
marketing purposes a criminal offence, reports there are more organised crime rings going after
FEDMA (Federation of European Direct and company information using insiders. As companies
Obvious, but legal
Interactive Marketing: www.fedma.org). become more stringent with protecting against
Cadbury is to print the
Upon referral by the Data Protection hackers, insider theft is becoming more prevalent.”
warning ‘Contains Milk’ on bars
Commissioner, the courts can impose fines of up The largest single cause of data breaches came
of Dairy Milk chocolate,
to ¤250,000. Less serious offences will carry a from human error, the centre found. Lost or stolen
despite the presence of the
fine of up to ¤5,000. laptops and other removable electronic devices,
name and the logo, which
According to the Data Protection Commission, along with the accidental exposure of consumer
depicts milk being poured into
complaints about spam increased from 66 in data, such as the inadvertent posting of personal
a piece of chocolate. The
2005 to 538 in 2007. data online, were named as the cause for more
warning is being introduced on
The legislation gives Ireland one of the most than 35 per cent of reported incidents.
wrappers to meet legal
stringent spam enforcement laws in Europe. Computer hacking and software that steals
requirements concerning
Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, is data were blamed for nearly 14 per cent of
ingredients, according to the
reported to be determined to fight unwanted breaches.
company, which announced:
communications, which he considers are ‘more Foley claimed many businesses fail to report
“We want people to know
than a nuisance, wasting money and energy’. data breaches and nearly 42 per cent of
allergens are listed on all
Newspapers quote the minister as saying: organisations that did disclose a breach last year
products.” Three years ago,
“Marketers must make sure that any marketing did not divulge the number of consumer records
retail giant Tesco put similar
has the permission of the consumer.” possibly affected.
warnings on milk cartons.
www.dmi-news.com January/February 2009 41
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