Data Protection - A Guide to the Data Protection Acts and their implications for managers in the arts and entertainment industryby Roger Tomlinson, Arts Marketing Association and TMA, January 2000 As an arts manager who has always felt deeply inadequate about her knowledge of and, importantly, adherence to the Data Protection legislation, I was gripped by abject terror when I learned of the implications of the 1998 Act (in force from 1 March 2000). Roger Tomlinson's Guide provides long-awaited clarity, guidance and reassurance. It stresses, crucially, that responsibility for the interpretation and implementation of the legislation lies firmly with us, as "Data Controllers". Equally essential, it reminds us for whom and what the legislation exists: our customers and their best interests. In eight short sections, the Guide demystifies the (real or perceived) complexities and ambiguities of the new Data Protection Act and related Regulations. It does this through placing the definitions and principles of the legislation, and the resulting rights of the customer, in an arts context. It then spells out clear action points for organisations to proceed in the implementation process. (Usefully, this section is flagged up in the Introduction for readers keen to skip the minor legal jargon and get to the nitty gritty!) The Section "Frequently Asked Questions" collates various concerns and relates them back to the legislation in a useful, relevant way. What the Guide outlined for me is that Good Practice in Data Protection could, if we are clear enough about the process in our own organisations, benefit us as well as our customers (rather than create a rod for our backs!). And it's highly likely you'll find, as I did, that you have already created an environment where the next steps to compliance will come very easily. Whew!
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