Radio-frequency identification Definition

GLOSSARY

What does Radio-frequency identification mean?

A system of radio tagging that provides identification data for goods in order to make them traceable. Typically used by manufacturers to make goods such as clothing items traceable without having to read bar code data for individual items.

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Internet of Things (IoT)—key legal issues

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the term given to everyday objects (not just traditional computing devices, such as laptops and smartphones) which are connected to the internet. Other language used in connection with the IoT include: connected devices, smart objects, the internet of services, machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, sensor networks, the network of networks and pervasive computing or ubiquitous computing.IoT can be applied to objects as diverse as running shoes, buildings, cars, fridge-freezers and drones. Using embedded technology, such objects can communicate and interact over the internet, with each other, the user, the service provider and/or their environment, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.This Practice Note provides an introduction to IoT technology and considers the following issues:•The technology behind the IoT•Identifying the legal issues•Application programming interfaces (APIs)•Telecommunications and electrical equipment•Intellectual property—overview•Intellectual property rights ownership and licensing issues•Competition law•Consumer protection•Liability and fault•Compliance requirements•The appropriate contracting model•Legal issues of the futureThis Practice Note does not consider data protection, privacy or cybersecurity. These issues are addressed separately in Practice Note: Internet...

Radio spectrum regulation

Radio spectrum regulation Use of radio spectrum in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man is regulated by Ofcom under the Communications Act 2003 (CA 2003) and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (WTA 2006). This Practice Note covers Ofcom’s functions and duties in regulating the spectrum, as well as licensing of the spectrum and enforcement. Ofcom’s functions and duties In carrying out its functions, Ofcom’s principal duty is 'to further the interests of citizens in relation to communications matters' and 'to further the interests of consumers in relevant markets, where appropriate by promoting competition.' The electromagnetic spectrum comprises the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends. Among other things, Ofcom’s principal duty therefore requires it to secure optimal use of the electromagnetic spectrum for wireless telegraphy. In performing its duties, Ofcom must have regard in all cases to principles of transparency, accountability, proportionality and consistency and must target regulation only at cases in which action is needed. It must also have regard to other...

Discover our 13 Practice Notes on Radio-frequency identification

How do I obtain a bar code for a product?

How do I obtain a bar code for a product? There is no international treaty on bar codes. Equally, there is no national or European legislation on them. However, two norms have come into being within the retail trade. Bar codes themselves have existed since 1973 when a committee of businesses in the United States effectively decided that the 'Universal Product Code' (UPC) would be the standard—in the United States at least. The other bar code in widespread use is the European Article Number (EAN)—also known as an 'International Article Number'. Current bar codes are mostly 'one dimensional', that is, they are made up of a series of lines and spaces of various widths that together can be scanned and read by laser bar code readers. Why do I need a bar code? The vast majority of retailers require suppliers to have bar codes that adhere to the standards referred to below. If your products do not have any bar codes on them, you probably won't be able to...

Are internet domain names considered ‘personal data’ for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation/Data Protection Act 2018?

Are internet domain names considered ‘personal data’ for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation/Data Protection Act 2018? We do not have existing guidance which addresses your precise query, but hope the below will be useful for your research. For the purposes of this response we have limited our reply to the Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regime and those parts of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) which relate to that regime. Domain names A domain name is one of the components of the internet’s transport layer, being the internet’s naming and addressing system. Each computer or device that is connected to the internet is identified by an internet protocol address (IP address), such as 69.63.176.13. Because people find names easier to memorise than long strings of numbers, the domain name system evolved to help people locate resources on the internet. In this example, 69.63.176.13 is facebook.com. For further guidance on domain names generally (eg including on how the WHOIS...

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IP weekly highlights—8 August 2019

This week's edition of IP weekly highlights includes analysis of the judgment in A v B and Hewlett Packard v Manchester Technology concerning the right to inspect imaged digital data under search and seizure orders, commentary of Lord Kitchin’s speech at the World Intellectual Property Organisation conference on artificial intelligence and IP, a discussion of the future legal and regulatory changes in the TV sector and news that the UK’s first multimedia motion trade mark has been registered by the Intellectual Property Office.

IPEC rules on counterfeit goods in low value claim (NXP v ID Management)

IP analysis: The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court has ruled on a dispute relating to the sale of allegedly counterfeit radio-frequency identification (RFID) smart cards under the MIFARE name in the UK. It decided to treat the claim as a low value one, given that the amount claimed was £10,000 and that the only issue was trade mark infringement. It took a pragmatic view of the evidence and concluded, on the balance of probabilities, that one of the sets of smart cards at issue was counterfeit, but that the other was not. However, the claimant had not unequivocally consented to either of the sets of cards being put on the market under the MIFARE trade marks in the EEA. In the circumstances, the action succeeded in relation to both sets of cards.

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