6.3 Identifiers

6.3.1 Stability

When obtaining data from a Relinquishing Rights Controller, an Acquiring Rights Controller should, if at all possible, continue to use, wherever possible, previously used identifiers. Ideally, these identifiers should not be proprietary identifiers but either standard or widely used industry identifiers.

For example, identifiers uniquely identifying parties, musical works or sound recordings should, if at all possible, not be changed. In most cases the assignment rules of the relevant identification systems would not allow the allocation of a new identifier in any case.

6.3.2 Provision of Old and New Identifiers

In cases where the Acquiring Rights Controller needs to update an identifier, it should provide this identifier, together with previously-used identifiers for the same entity, to the DSP. The purpose of this is to furnish the DSP with a mapping between old identifiers, particularly ICPNs/UPCs, and their replacements.

This mapping should be provided:

  • From the Acquiring Rights Controller to any Aggregator/Distributor the Acquiring Rights Controller is using to distribute its content to DSPs; and

  • From the Acquiring Rights Controller or Acquiring Aggregator/Distributor to any DSPs who will receive Electronic Release Notification messages with transferred content in the future.

The content of this Mapping Table is provided in Clause 7.

These Best Practices do not define a specific method of delivering the Mapping Table. Possible approaches include email attachments or placing the Mapping Table onto a mutually agreed SFTP server.

DSPs should use this Mapping Table to identify any creations in a Release delivery received from (or on behalf of) the Acquiring Rights Controller that are subject to a Catalogue Transfer and apply any logic that assists in transitioning the transferred creations over.

When the Acquiring Rights Controller needs to update the information sent in the Mapping Table, it should replace the entire Mapping Table (i.e. not send a Mapping Table for just the updated creations). This approach makes the process of applying the mappings consistently much easier especially when managing the Catalogue Transfer manually.

The only exception to this rule is when (i) the DSP has provided feedback to the Acquiring Rights Controller or Acquiring Aggregator/Distributor that it has successfully ingested the Mapping Table; and (ii) the two companies have mutually agreed to using Mapping Tables for just the updated creations.

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