The retention of personal information online: A call for international regulation of privacy law

New technologies permit online businesses to reduce expenses and increase efficiency by, for example, storing information in “the cloud”, engaging in online tracking and targeted advertising, location and tracking technologies, and biometrics. However, the potential for technology to facilitate long term retention of customers' personal information raises concerns about the competing right of individuals to the privacy of their personal information. Although the European Commission has recently released a proposal for regulation to “provide a data subject with the right to be forgotten and to erasure”, neither the OECD Privacy Guidelines nor the APEC Privacy Framework includes any requirement to delete personal information. While New Zealand includes a “limited retention principle” in the Privacy Act 1993, apart from one limited exception the privacy principles cannot be enforced in court. Taking New Zealand privacy law as an example, this paper examines the issue of retention of customer data, explains why this is a serious problem and argues that although it could be addressed by appropriate amendments to domestic laws, domestic privacy legislation may not be sufficient in an online environment. In the same way as other areas of law, such as the intellectual property regime, have turned to global regulatory standards which reflect the international nature of their subject matter, international privacy regulation should be the next stage for the information privacy regime.     

EU update

This is the latest edition of the Bristows column on developments in EU law relating to IP, IT and telecommunications. This news article summarises recent developments that are considered important for practitioners, students and academics in a wide range of information technology, e-commerce, telecommunications and intellectual property areas. It cannot be exhaustive but intends to address the important points. This is a hard copy reference guide, but links to outside web sites are included where possible. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy of information contained in these links.     

Internet of things – Governance quo vadis?

The Internet of Things (IoT) as an emerging global Internet-based information architecture facilitating the exchange of goods and services is gradually developing. While the technical aspects are being discussed in detail a legal framework does not exist so far. The first supranational organization trying to work out an IoT governance framework has been the European Commission by appointing a large group of experts to examine the relevant aspects of a possible IoT governance regime. In the meantime, however, the activities have been degraded. Nevertheless, even if the differences between the IoT and the Internet have been overestimated at the beginning, many elements of the IoT differ in part from the corresponding problems in the Internet. Therefore, an analysis of the major IoT governance issues (legitimacy, transparency, accountability, anticompetitive behavior) seems to be worthwhile to conduct.     

基因权的私法规范：背景、原则与体系

基因权是自然人基于自己的特定基因而享有的人格权,其终极目标是实现“基因正义”。在风险社会、多维利益、医疗决策等社会交往关系背景下,基因权利话语得以铺展,并凝炼出风险预防、权利相对、多元正义、宽容规制等特别的规范原则。我国恰当的规范选择是法律与伦理的互动模式,建构的重点和主线是以人格权保护为中心的基因权私法规范。基于我国现阶段的社会状况和立法背景,制定一部《基因权法》的可能性似乎并不存在,但《基因权法》的形式意义无疑具有政治的和法的正当性。     

揭开集合侵权的面纱——从术语翻译到制度建构的追问

Masstort应译为“集合侵权”。“大规模侵权”存在形式和实质上之不足,不能标识恰当的判断标准,无法揭示整体性侵害这一本质,也难以统摄两大基本类型。基于整体结构转型、构成技术和归责机制失灵等原因,集合侵权不能融入传统侵权法,属于侵权法上的“情势变更”。为应对集合侵权,实体法须采取拟制集合团体、醇化责任基础、损害赔偿模型化、缓和证明责任等措施;同时,应以集团诉讼为中心构建程序制度,并实现私人自治和国家强制的结合。我国初步具备了应对集合侵权的实体法基础;程序法上还亟待建立集团诉讼制度,改变行政主导应对程序的现状。     

扒窃的实质解释——以结果无价值为基本立场

刑法上的扒窃需要充分考虑刑法目的和罪刑法定原则进行实质解释.扒窃入罪的根据应站在结果无价值立场进行分析,这一根据正是甄别、筛选和归纳扒窃概念诸要素的实质理由.扒窃行为只有达到足以造成数额较大损失的程度才能认定为犯罪.依此,扒窃是指行为人在公共领域对一般人所携带财物实施的技术性盗窃行为.同时,刑法上扒窃不以财物“随身”携带和“秘密性”为必要条件.     

推动检察机关基层法警队伍建设发展的紧迫性

随着我国民主法治进程与经济社会转型的加速,社会管理创新的滞后,客观地处于人民内部矛盾凸显期。如此,给政府和公安司法机关化解社会矛盾,维护社会稳定,强化执法为民的履职能力建设和司法机关自身安保力量建设,提出了新的要求新的标准。但检察机关基层法警队伍建设的现状与履职能力的客观要求,差距较大。所以,推动检察机关司法警察队伍建设的持续发展,具有紧迫的现实意义。     

论以民法补充海商法的单位

一直以来,“以民法补充海商法”的原则成为国内学者和实务界解决海商法与民法之间的法律冲突、补充《中华人民共和国海商法》立法漏洞的惯用思维;然而,这一原则的模糊性导致对以民法补充海商法的单位是事项还是要素产生争议。从《中华人民共和国立法法》与《中华人民共和国海商法》具体条文出发,通过法律解释得出民法补充海商法的单位是事项而非要素的初步结论;进而结合海商法的外来性和海上责任的独立性进行理论分析,对以上初步结论进行进一步印证;在此基础上提出对海商法研究与《中华人民共和国海商法》修改的建议。     

民间借贷的软法治理模式探析

民间借贷作为民间融资的重要形式,在解决金融资源公平、有效配置问题方面发挥着不可替代的作用.目前,硬法治理模式在规范民间借贷时出现了系统性的制度缺位,随着软法治理模式的日渐兴起,民间借贷的软法治理方案成为一种弥补硬法局限的金融治理模式.通过分析不难发现,民间借贷与软法治理在制度供给与制度需求、价值取向和治理方式诸方面有较高的契合度.构建以保障民生为宗旨的民间借贷软法治理模式,将是理顺和规范民间贷关系的一种理性选择.