Programmable hearing assistive device

A hearing assistive device having a programming interface providing secure access to programming data stored in the hearing assistive device, and a communication manager managing communication over a wireless connection, wherein

• the communication manager, when receiving a write access request from a programming device, sends a first message to a programming-rights-management server;
• the communication manager, when receiving a second message containing a programming rights permission list from the programming-rights-management server in response to the message sent, sets up a programming session with the programming device based upon the programming rights permission list;
• and
• the communication manager terminates the programming session once data writing has been completed.

A programming system for programming a hearing assistive device, and including a programming device and a programming-rights-management server, wherein:

• the programming device is adapted to initiate a programming session by requesting write access to the hearing assistive device, the hearing assistive device is adapted to send a first message, in response to the request, to the programming-rights-management server;
• the programming-rights-management server is adapted to generate a programming rights permission list, and to send the programming rights permission list in a second message to the hearing assistive device;
• and
• the programming device is adapted to transfer programming data in the programming session to the hearing assistive device, the hearing assistive device is adapted to write the received programming data as control data sets permitted according the programming rights permission list received from the programming-rights-management server;
• wherein the programming device is adapted to terminate the programming session once data writing has been completed.