as an author
as a producer
as a broadcaster

AS AN AUTHOR

What is the interest for a creator to see his works assigned an ISAN?

As a unique identifier, the ISAN is useful in a wide range of computerised applications, particularly for tracking the use of his audio-visual works for anti-piracy and for exchanging information about their works.

Because each ISAN is a unique number that is permanently assigned to an audio-visual work, it can identify his work across national boundaries and language barriers. It is a tool to facilitate exchanges with collecting societies, agents, studios etc…

AS A PRODUCER

ISAN is a tool mainly developed for the Audio-visual Producer community. It is meant to enable a unique and permanent identification of all audio-visual works.

Burnt into the master and subsequent copies of audio-visual works, it will be a key tool for :

• library and audio-visual rights management;
• tracking and verification of use by buyers/licensees such as broadcasters and/or video/DVD editors, etc;
• tracking of illicit/unlicensed uses (anti-piracy).

It will also prove a useful tool for producers’ collecting societies, and an important asset in the fight against audio-visual piracy.

AS A BROADCASTER

Broadcasters benefit from ISAN will be two-fold: first, in their broadcasters’ role after delivering content by means of television transmission or Internet to the public and, second, when they produce such content themselves.

Whatever the mode of delivery used, broadcasters’ business essentially calls for good planning and tracking the content they broadcast. They need to manage a competitive schedule, keep a log of each programme transmission and pay royalty streams to rights holders.

ISAN will simplify broadcasters’ administrative process. A time sheet and an ISAN will streamline the job of managing and keeping records of on-air output. No more mix-ups with work titles. Whatever its language version or whatever its original title, a work will not be confused with another bearing the same or close title. The work will have its ISAN, its own/personal ISAN. Automated reports can be run, databases can communicate quickly, safely and reliably.

Most broadcasters are also prolific producers of programmes. To have all their works immediately recognizable thanks to the ISAN identifier, will simply make it possible to keep track of the circulation of films wherever they are used, whether on TV or on the Internet. Considering the number of items to keep track of and/or the fact that on Internet, a work can only be identified thanks to an identifier, ISAN’s usefulness is obvious.