diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.cpp
index 323522bcced..82b0002a69e 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ RuleBasedTransliterator::RuleBasedTransliterator(const UnicodeString& ID,
                                  const TransliterationRuleData* theData,
                                  UnicodeFilter* adoptedFilter) :
     Transliterator(ID, adoptedFilter),
-    data(theData), isDataOwned(FALSE) {}
+    data((TransliterationRuleData*)theData), // cast away const
+    isDataOwned(FALSE) {}
 
 /**
  * Copy constructor.  Since the data object is immutable, we can share
@@ -38,12 +39,18 @@ RuleBasedTransliterator::RuleBasedTransliterator(const UnicodeString& ID,
  */
 RuleBasedTransliterator::RuleBasedTransliterator(
         const RuleBasedTransliterator& other) :
-    Transliterator(other), data(other.data) {}
+    Transliterator(other), data(other.data) {
+    // TODO: Finish this -- implement with correct data ownership handling
+}
 
 /**
  * Destructor.  We do NOT own the data object, so we do not delete it.
  */
-RuleBasedTransliterator::~RuleBasedTransliterator() {}
+RuleBasedTransliterator::~RuleBasedTransliterator() {
+    if (isDataOwned) {
+        delete data;
+    }
+}
 
 Transliterator* // Covariant return NOT ALLOWED (for portability)
 RuleBasedTransliterator::clone() const {
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.h b/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.h
index c6b69c451cd..a55de1297f9 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/rbt.h
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class U_I18N_API RuleBasedTransliterator : public Transliterator {
     /**
      * If true, we own the data object and must delete it.
      */
-    bool_t dataIsOwned;
+    bool_t isDataOwned;
 
 public: