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To: The Duke of URL© who wrote (174011)	4/7/2003 1:11:02 PM
From: The Duke of URL©	Respond to of 186894

(I would assume that when inventory tracking becomes common place, a couple of trillion chips a year does not seem to be an outlandish estimate of demand.) From CNET: Benetton's chip plan unravels By Winston Chai Special to CNET News.com April 7, 2003, 8:22 AM PT Clothing maker Benetton won't be using radio tags on its products after all, a move that appears to be a victory for pro-privacy groups and a blow to Dutch electronics giant Philips. "We are currently analyzing RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to evaluate its technical characteristics, and no feasibility studies have yet to be undertaken with a view to the possible introduction of this technology," Benetton said in a statement Friday. "No microchips are present in the more than 100 million garments produced and sold throughout the world under Benetton's brand names, including the Sisley brand," the company added. The about-face comes three weeks after Philips Semiconductor announced it was providing its partners with RFID chips for use in Benetton's supply-chain management system. Philips had earlier said it would ship 15 million radio tags for Benetton's Sisley line of clothing. RFID is considered the future for inventory tracking. In Benetton's instance, a box containing clothes with embedded RFID tags could be scanned and the data uploaded in one pass, instead of having each item unpacked for bar code scanning. Despite the obvious merits, the ability to track a product's movement also raises a disquieting concern about privacy. With RFID tags, it becomes technically possible for marketers to obtain invaluable information on a host of consumer preferences, ranging from the clothes they like to the food they prefer. In addition, there are worries that such a technology could be exploited for government surveillance or be misused by hackers and criminals. Philips, on its part, has reassured consumers that the clothing can't be tracked beyond Benetton stores and warehouses, as its chips have an operating distance of about 5 feet. While the assurance may hold true for now, some industry experts say it is possible for criminals to increase the tracking distance by building a more sensitive RFID signal receiver. Such nagging privacy concerns have sparked consumer furor over the initial Philips-Benetton announcement. Soon after the announcement, U.S.-based privacy group Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering, lashed out at the international clothing chain and called for a worldwide boycott. The group urged consumers to avoid Benetton products until the company publicly renounced its involvement with RFID. While it is unclear if Benetton is bowing down to such pressures, the company did say it will consider the "potential implications relating to individual privacy" before firming up its RFID plans. Related story Major retailers to test 'smart shelves' Two major retailers and a consumer products giant are testing technology that allows for real-time tracking of inventory. CNETAsia's Winston Chai reported from Singapore. CNET News.com's Richard Shim contributed to this report.