IV. CREATIONS IDENTIFIERS AND METADATA
In November 1998, a European Union funded project called INDECS (Interoperability of Data in E-Commerce Systems) started. INDECS concerns interoperability of digital content identification systems and rights metadata within multimedia e-commerce.
At the beginning of the project the specific problem was described as follows:
How can rights owners (people and companies-"participants") be uniquely identified when names are far from unique and the same participant is identified in different ways in different sectors?
How can systems automatically recognize different kinds of identifiers and find further information about the objects which have been identified?
Where in digital objects will rights owners place their identifiers, and with what accompanying information (metadata formats)?
The aim was not to create another identifier, because several different identification codes were already in use or under preparation. These included old identifiers, like ISBN- and ISSN-numbers for books and journals, and new initiatives, like DOI (digital object identifier). Most of the existing identifiers were sector-specific, the DOI, however, is meant for all creation types.
The aim of INDECS was to study and make proposals on interoperability between different schemes and provide for a basic rights metadata model.
The INDECS participants include four copyright management organizations:
ALCS (UK, literary works, Authors society)
Three organizations represent multimedia and reprographic rights:
Two organizations represent producers in different sectors:
Representatives of most creative industries are represented in the project through affiliation. The INDECS Affiliates include the following organizations:
During the first period of the project some common tools and standards have been developed.
These include:
Detailed working papers exist from issues listed under a - c. The two last mentioned are still subject to consideration, taking into account resources available.
The first Evaluation Conference was held in July, with more than 80 participants representing all interested parties. This evaluation meeting was technical of its nature, with the presentation of all deliverables.
The conference showed that people in many sectors recognized the value of the developments proposed by INDECS. There was a clear request for active participation in the further proceedings of the project. A promise was made that during the forthcoming Affiliates meeting (September 29, 1999) a proposal for the governance and further development of the INDECS deliverables will be made.
This proposal has been discussed among the Partners, but has not been submitted to the Affiliates yet. Due to this, the following information is given on a confidential basis.
The heart of INDECS activity is about the links between identifiers and metadata, and the links between identifiers. Therefore those organizations which are responsible for the administration of already approved content identifiers are the most immediate interested parties. These identifiers are as follows:
Identifier |
Content Type |
Standards Body |
BICI Book Item and Component Identifier |
Book content |
NISO |
DOI Digital Object Identifier |
Any creation |
NISO |
ISAN Int. Standard Audiovisual Number |
Audiovisual programs |
ISO (TC46) |
ISBN Int. Standard Book Number |
Books |
ISO (TC46) |
ISMN Int. Standard Music Number |
Printed music |
ISO (TC46) |
ISRC Int. Standard Recording Code |
Sound Recordings |
ISO (TC46) |
ISSN Int. Standard Serial Number |
Serials |
ISO (TC46) |
ISWC Int. Standard Musical Works Number |
Musical works |
ISO (TC46) |
SICI Serial Item and Contribution Identifier |
Serial content |
NISO |
UMID Unique Material Identifier |
Audiovisual content |
SMPTE |
A discussion will be initiated between the representatives of the above standards on the future governance of the INDECS tools. This will be in response to the clear call by the INDECS Affiliates and other interested parties at the July Evaluation Conference. A proposal for a continuing framework which would allow for the development and running of the various tools and standards identified by the project was promised in July.
The proposal recognizes that creation identifiers such as ISBN, ISSN, ISRC, ISWC, DOI, ISAN, and UMIC logically form the core of the developing multimedia intellectual property metadata "network." It will be relationships between these identifiers which will provide the critical links between different element of multimedia content; between "old" and "new" forms of exploitation of intellectual property, and between descriptive and rights metadata. These links must be secured to enable effective e-commerce in intellectual property.
The tentative proposal is to form a Consortium comprised of organizations which are responsible for the administration of internationally recognized identifiers of creations. The purpose of this Consortium will be to promote interoperability between identifiers and metadata to support multimedia commerce in intellectual property.
It is proposed that discussions will be initiated between the INDECS Project and WIPO to find out what interest, if any, there might be within WIPO to take part in the development of the tools and standards discussed under point 2. WIPO has the best expertise for legal definitions and their meanings, and would therefore be an optimal candidate for developing and maintaining the IP legal data dictionary/namespace.
Taking into account the requests put forward during the first Advisory Committee on the Exercise and Management of Copyrights and Related Rights, December 1998, an active monitoring of the developments, and participation in the further planning, when appropriate, would benefit the parties concerned.
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