August 29, 2005
RIM simplifies licensing of music for ringtones
The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) has set up a one-stop centre to licence local music repertoire for digital distribution, reports The Malaysia Star.
"The move is to address the complex licensing issues associated with the digital distribution of music, it said. But for now the licensing is restricted to ringtones, as a test.
Previously, a content provider – a telecommunications company, for example – that wanted to sell “truetones” (a ringtone that contains an actual recording of a song) had to obtain a total of five licences.
.. Then there's broadcast rights which have to be obtained from three separate bodies This refers to the act of transmitting ringtone signals via SMS (short message service) to a consumer's handset.
... On top of that, the telco also had to obtain two reproduction licences from the recording company and the publisher (or composer).
The licences for normal polyphonic tones and monophonic tones are more straightforward because reproductions of a recording only involve royalties payable to MACP and the publishers (or composers).
With the setting-up of RIM's one-stop shop, the process of licensing local music is now relatively simple. The content provider just needs to deal with the association."
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