London, 18 October 2007: GS1 UK, the independent global supply chain standards and solutions organisation, today announced the launch of a new scheme delivering a license for single bar code numbers to the music industry.  In collaboration with the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and the UK record labels body BPI, GS1 UK has now made it easier for independent musicians to get their music into the market legally and cost effectively, and ensure they receive the royalty rewards they deserve.

The licence for a single bar code number, also known as a Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), is now available from GS1 UK for an annual subscription of £25.  The GS1 bar code uniquely identifies music products and is often used within the industry to accurately track music sales.  The use of GS1 bar codes ensures that the correct royalty payments are made to record labels and reduces the risk of out of stock instances.  It also ensures that the music track or album is rewarded with the right chart position. 

The GS1 scheme to license single bar codes aims to address the issue of piracy ensuring that musicians are purchasing legal GS1 bar codes and not those sold illegally by third party on sellers.  Each music producer should get a licence from GS1 UK to guarantee a direct link with the bar code issuing authority and to be able to receive up-to-date information on issues affecting the use of their bar codes.  GS1 UK rules prevent companies from selling or leasing bar codes to other companies.  Companies that do so will have their bar codes withdrawn.   

“GS1’s decision to license single bar codes within the music industry is great news for the independent record sector as it provides a wide range of labels with a cost effective means of generating legitimate bar codes.  It’s an excellent initiative that will be warmly welcomed by small labels and AIM is pleased to support it,” said Michael Fuller, Head of legal and business affairs, AIM.

BPI Director of independent member services, Julian Wall said: “As an industry body representing the interests of all sectors of the UK recorded music industry, it is important that we help and support our members by making it easier for them to get their music into the market - the much maligned bar code is one very important aspect of this operation!  The new mechanism of single issue GS1 licensed bar codes enables our members to legally track their music sales and BPI is very pleased to be a part of this initiative.”

“If you wanted single bar code numbers in the past, you may have gone to companies who on the surface were legitimate, but are actually counterfeiters. This meant that the process of manufacturing, distributing, retailing and recognising artists’ work could be exposed to errors, undermining the integrity of the music industry,” explains Alaster Purchase, operations director of GS1 UK.  “The introduction of GS1 licensed single bar codes reaches out to companies and individuals who previously could not justify a full membership of GS1, but need legitimate bar code numbers to ensure utmost accuracy when producing and selling music.”

About GS1 UK

GS1 UK has driven innovation in the supply chain for over thirty years. It is part of the global GS1 organisation, dedicated to the development and implementation of global data standards and solutions for the supply chain.  GS1 standards are the most widely used in the world. 

GS1 UK aims to make it faster, more cost effective and safer for our members to serve their customers through the industry wide adoption of global GS1 standards and locally delivered services.  GS1 UK helps industry to implement these data standards through the use of bar codes, RFID, Global Data Synchronisation (GDS) and electronic business messaging. 

AIM, Association of Independent Music
Uniting and Empowering Independents

AIM is a non-profit trade body established in 1998 by UK independent record labels to represent the independent record sector. With over 800 members, from the smallest start-ups to the largest and most respected independents in the world, AIM promotes this sector globally, leveraging the sector’s power as a fifth major to enable its members to grow, grasp new opportunities and break into new markets such as digital in which AIM has negotiated and agreed numerous collective licensing deals with digital retailers through its new media arm AIM Digital.

BPI - Representing the British Recorded Music Industry

The BPI is the British record industry's trade association.  It has represented the interests of British record companies since being formally incorporated in 1973.  Its membership comprises of more than 400 companies including all four major record companies, associate members such as manufacturers and distributors plus hundreds of independent music companies representing literally thousands of labels which together account for over 90% of recorded music output in the UK.

For more information contact:

Lisa Henshaw or Kirsty Sewter
Fourth Day PR
+44 (0)20 7403 4411

Suraya Adnan-Ariffin
GS1 UK
+44 (0)20 7092 3575

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