[pp.int.general] WIPO releases 'Basic Principles of the International Music Registry'

[Rodney Serkowski]

I've seen this idea floated around at conferences, public meetings and
lectures for the last year or so. At one, this was touted as a possible
solution to 'piracy' - a government subsidised registry. How, I'm not
quite sure.

http://www.internationalmusicregistry.org/portal/en/basic_principles.html

Has any Party or individual yet commented to the IMR Secretariat or
Steering Committee? Or does anyone know where I can find some current
analysis on the idea?

I am a little concerned with point 6, in that it should be business
model neutral, yet should not in anyway alter the current
arrangements/relationships or models. This seems to be counterintuitive
and ignores very fundamental reasons for the 'copyright crisis', as
described by Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General.

Apologies if this has already been discussed at length on the list.

----

When a representative group of the global stakeholders in music began to
discuss collaborating on a global registry of all rights in music in
November 2010, the first task they undertook was to decide upon a set of
Basic Principles which could be the foundation of such a registry, to
ensure that there was a common understanding of the result that all
wanted to achieve. They believed that initiatives as ambitious as the
IMR need to be guided by a set of solid, universal principles that are
clear and generally agreed. Principles that capture the efficiency and
practical orientation of the project but that also reflect the vital
importance of transparency, openness and non discrimination.

That initial group of stakeholders became the Steering Committee of the
IMR; current list of those participating.

To design such a system is obviously a substantial undertaking, but the
first step is to define the basic principles that should define the
foundation of the system at the strategic level. These have been
identified to be as follows:

   1. We have come to the point where more and more stakeholders
      throughout the value chain of music agree that a transparent,
      global registry of all rights and right holders is a pre-requisite
      for the efficient handling of pan-territorial licensing in the
      digital age.
   2. Participation, whether as a licensor or licensee, should be
      voluntary, open, and provide incentives for participation.
   3. It should be a global public good that serves both culture and
      commerce indiscriminately. Confidential information will remain
      confidential.
   4. The system should incorporate information regarding all rights
      necessary to access, use, and remunerate musical works and
      recorded performances of them, (whether sound recordings or
      audiovisual performances), however expressed, by all right holders
      therein and be extensible to other media.
   5. It should allow all rights holders and other relevant stakeholders
      to register the rights they control or own without interfering
      with existing rights-management arrangements.
   6. It should be business-model-neutral - not designed to displace any
      sector or attempt to change existing business models or rights
      management mandates. It must respect the existing relationships in
      the industry.
   7. The features that the system offers to all stakeholders -
      throughout the value chain - should respond to all stakeholders'
      reasonable needs - and over time the features it offers should
      respond in a timely manner to new developments.
   8. The system should not be profit-making - it should operate on a
      cost-recovery basis only, sufficient to allow efficient operation,
      maintenance, and improvement of the features it offers over time.
      But it should seek to use technology to carry out its operations
      as cost-effectively as possible.
   9. Its governance structures should ensure that it operates for the
      benefit of its stakeholders and the key decisions affecting its
      operation should be responsive to the expressed wishes of those
      who have a stake in it.
  10. Wherever they exist it should leverage open standards.
      Interoperability is important for the system to be accessed by all
      stakeholders, and is especially helpful in ensuring developing
      country stakeholders can effectively use the services the system
      offers.
  11. It should ensure it provides equal access indiscriminately for
      those it serves irrespective of geographic location or size of the
      stakeholders using it.
  12. It should be a tool for both users and right owners, containing
      features that ensure it serves the commercial interests of users
      of the rights it contains for online uses. It should also serve
      the public interest, such as by facilitating diligent search and
      "awaiting claim" capabilities for orphan works and delimitation of
      the public domain.
  13. To the greatest extent possible the information it contains on
      rights and right holders should be accessible. Are you interested
      in commenting or discussing the Basic Principles?
  14. The Basic Principles are meant to evolve over time, rather than
      being fixed in stone. There will be a formal comment process to
      allow stakeholders to express their views on the principles but
      that process is still under development. As soon as we have it
      ready, we will make an announcement and explain how it will work.

If you would like to be kept informed about the IMR so you know when the
comment process begins, please subscribe on the left hand side of our
home page and we will make sure you are notified. If you want to reach
the IMR secretariat or steering committee, email us at imr at wipo.int

----

-- 
Kind Regards,

-- 
Rodney Serkowski
Pirate Party Australia
----
(e) rodneyserkowski at pirateparty.org.au
(w) http://pirateparty.org.au
(m) +61 409 159 904
(t) @serkowski


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