The invention relates to methods and devices for protecting an article against theft. Once a protection element is in the on-position, a selection signal is transmitted from an emitter to a receiver provided in the protection element, in order to associate the protection element with the emitter and to shift said protection element into a connection mode. The receiver is then deactivated in the connection mode. The deactivation of the receiver reduces the energy consumption of the protection element, and prevents the protection element from unintentionally receiving other selection signals. Once the protection element has been shifted into an alarm state, for example, due to an attempted theft, the receiver thereof is reactivated, in order to reauthorize the reception of a selection signal. The alarm state can be terminated by one such selection signal.