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In a message dated 30/01/2001 20:26:55 GMT Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << This very intelligent analysis, and struggle with the statute, underlines the difficulty of bringing law into some sort of rationale relationship to a practice that is used in many realms other than business. It also underscores the danger of legislating specifically against business, which this was intended to do, without understanding what you are talking about. >> [cut short for obvious reasons] ------------------------ Dear oh dear, we have got up on the wrong side of the bed today. Some of the aspects of this law are seen by many as sops to business, what with negative consent being still lawful when collecting new data and s11 requiring the data subject to write in (at their own cost) to prevent their data being used for direct marketing where they know the data is already in the possession of a controller, not to mention subject access requests costing £10 and the controller having a full 40 days even though it takes a few seconds to print off a computer record, the commissioner not allowing anonymous complaints, letting credit reference agencies have access to the whole electoral register even where the person has no intention of requesting credit, and so on. Others, however, see it as an administrative burden. In respect of the discussion on fundraising, were it not for the fact that all universities and many schools are commercial concerns in competition with other universities and schools, your argument about it being "beneficial to the society" may have held some water. Surely we would want them all to play by the same rules, on a level playing field. Next thing you know they'll all be using parents' data for marketing with the excuse that "one or two have done it already and got away with it, why should we be left in an uncompetitive position just because we want to comply with the law?" How would it be if some marketing companies used illegal software to save costs and give them a financial advantage over other direct mailing companies? Ian B MD Keep IT Legal Ltd www.keepitlegal.co.uk