Turkey

The First Year of ISMN Work in Turkey (2001)

1. Unlike the ISBN and ISSN systems, the application of ISMN - an ISO and TSE standard - was not taken over by a government department. Our Foundation aims to improve information and documentation services in Turkey and to create an “Information Society” that will solve its problems through “information.” We therefore undertook the responsibility and, with the support of the Minister of Culture, founded “The Turkish ISMN Agency” one year ago. Due to the concept of “restructuring,” the State is now ceasing to carry out such duties and other services which NGOs and the private sector may now provide, and a noteworthy progress has been made in this respect. ISMN agencies in countries as the USA, Germany, France and England have provided examples for us.
   ISMN services are provided by a separate division of our Foundation which primarily aims to provide services of research and publications in the field of information and documentation. This is in agreement with the Foundation's aims and principles. ISMN possesses its own logo and is generally recognised as an institution in its own right throughout the country.
2. An ISMN application file (booklet and brochures, explanations and essential forms) was prepared and sent to 3.000 addresses in early April. All book publishers, music magazines and associations and foundations for music producers, professional associations and press and publications organisations were informed. As a result, three subsequent “Written Press Releases” were submitted. A few of these institutions have reacted and we have received encouraging remarks from scholars as well as parents of music students. We have formed an “Address Log” that comprises 500 addresses of people related with the music sector. Currently, a total of 12 music publishers have obtained a publisher ID in accordance with the ISMN system. We can list our observations and evaluations on this issue as follows:
   
   2.1.     Although not all are professionals in the field of music, some of the 5.000 publishers have obtained a publisher ID from the Turkish ISMN Agency and have been appropriately informed about the system. 80% of those who solely or mainly publish musical notation and/or music items have registered with the Turkish ISMN Agency. We hope that, in time, publishers who publish only few music pieces/works will also join the system. As yet, though, this is not enough.
   
   2.1.1.     Because academic circles and schools which follow the principles set by Europe already possess a collection of sheet music. Those musical notations which are still required are ordered from abroad.
   
   2.1.2.     Although many Turkish traditional/folk music works have been compiled, some of them have not been transcribed into musical notation yet. And few works of which the transcription has been completed have been published.
   
   2.1.3.     There is a lack of demand in our music sector for “musical notation.” The number of those composers who would like their work to be published is small, because composers are afraid that their work, once published, will be used without their permission.
   
   2.1.4.     It is assumed that, at present, musical notations are photocopied in case the original is not obtainable.
   
   2.2.     Some institutions that compile and print music works are concerned that, once they join the ISMN system, they will be in a vulnerable position. They believe it will be easy for government organs concerned, professional bodies and copyright agencies to prosecute them in cases where they may have violated copyright laws. We have stressed that this worry does not rest on solid grounds: We have no organisational link or co-operation whatsoever with such bodies. Nor are our records open to just anybody from home or abroad. Our main aim is rather to help promote their music publications in the world so that their sales can increase and the composers' royalties can rise.
   
   2.3.     Some publishers are concerned that once they join the ISMN system, they will be charged a fee in return for the service provided. Some think that, although there is no charge demanded today, there may be a charge in the future. Not surprisingly, there are those who ask why such services should be carried out by a foundation whereas the State used to be responsible, and we believe that certain circles may be pushing these views. As a matter of fact, it is not compulsory to join this international standard. It is a system, an application, that will be to their benefit. Therefore, we have informed them that, as it is important that music publishers should keep ISMN records, we will provide any kind of information and guidance service they should require free of charge for the first 100 works/pieces. After the first 100 publications we will only ask for a moderate contribution towards administrative and material expenses. However, those who are used to receiving such services for free are still not fully satisfied.
   
   2.4.     The Turkish ISMN Agency believes that some music publishers still use the old system of applying for ISBNs despite having been fully informed of the new system which depends solely on documentation from ISO, TSE and the International ISMN Agency.
   
   2.5.     Music printing and publication is not a large domain in the publishing world, nor is it very profitable. We believe that this publishing domain should receive support from the State and private sector. The potential for such developments does actually exist.
   
   2.6.     We believe that there is a deficiency in communications:
   
   2.6.1.     Some feel that ISMN services should be carried out directly by the State, as is the case in other fields such as broadcasting, library services and copyrights. Music publishers seem to be unaware of the fact that due to the “restructuring” approach adopted by the State, (see above) the State no longer assumes such responsibilities. Therefore, the Agency will need to provide publishers with relevant information on this issue.
   
   2.6.2.     Press and broadcasting services have not been sufficiently helpful in terms of communication. Reasons for this may be recent financial and social developments, the country's efforts to integrate with the EU, as well as the events of 11^th September, which have been the main focus of the press.
   
   2.6.3.     Furthermore, in our attempts to promote the use of ISMN in the music publishers' sector, we seem to have neglected a group, which we consider to be of utmost importance. In this group are song writers, composers and “music notation writers” who, as a whole, constitute the actual basis for music works. We believe that prevailing information and documents about ISMN may prove to be sufficient for target groups in developed countries; however, in developing countries where the music industry and music as a whole have not been fully integrated with social life, the target group should be not only the music publishers, but also those who actually compose, write, produce music items. Therefore, in future one aim of the Turkish ISMN Agency will be to consider these individuals not only as a part of a larger professional body, but as a target group on its own right. We believe that if the sale of copyrights and the circulation of music pieces both at home and abroad provide an ethical contribution to promoting the country and its culture, then it is necessary to highlight any contribution made by these professional artists. It is important that these individuals insist that their publishers publish their work by first obtaining an ISMN. Moreover, we hope to inform those who keep their compositions in their personal files and perform them occasionally, that it will be more beneficial for them to have their work published and publicised through respected music publishers that are already registered with the Turkish ISMN Agency. Thus, they will be aware that their rights will be safeguarded and, as a consequence, it would be promoted faster and easier, both at home and abroad. Their income and reputation would increase, and we as an agency would be ready to guide and aid them in these issues.
   
   2.6.4.     We are currently working together with the Turkish ISBN Agency so that they can refer those who apply to publish music works to the Turkish ISMN Agency. In the meantime, we would like to suggest that essential additions be made to the “ISMN Users' Manual” and other brochures in order to provide more information for those who wish to publish a music book and request an ISMN as well as an ISBN (currently, in certain cases, each system allocates more than one number for a single item), since they will be recognised in both publication sectors. Naturally, we would appreciate any views and comments from colleagues of the International ISMN Agency and other national agencies on this point.
3. We wish to share these problems and considerations with representatives from the sector and other ISMN agencies. We also hope that, should any country, in which it is expected that the State provides such services as ours, join the ISMN system, they will take our views into consideration.
4. We think that it is worthwhile to encourage publishers to obtain both an ISMN and an ISBN for works dealing with the theoretical aspects of music (such works that are formed mainly of a few notations and/or music works) other than those to be published either as a single piece or as a set, and to promote this aspect more clearly and widely. It is also essential to encourage the use of ISMNs for music pieces that appear in periodicals or on microforms.
5. The International ISMN Agency has records of all music publishers in our country and we have delivered the publishers' prefixes, provided by the IA, to the bodies concerned.
6. We have delivered a “Music Publications Registration Form” to the bodies concerned which provides information on how to keep records of and prepare bibliographies for music works, so that ISMN records can be easily accessed, including on an international scale. Essential software has also been provided.
7. Publishers have been invited to print barcodes as well as ISMN numbers for their music works, and they have been reminded that we are ready to provide both the programmes and service for this.
8. The Turkish ISMN Agency now has E-mail (ismn@ada.net.tr) and an URL domain address and has launched a website (http://www.ismn.org.tr) which is separate from the Foundation's one. On this site, there are links to national and international standards, databases and other sources, in addition to the promotion of available documents.
9. We have translated the “DOI Handbook” into Turkish and have it on our website for those who are interested.
10. In our first year we attended the yearly panel meeting (April 2001) held in Prague. Our “Progress Report” and publisher IDs were published alongside those of other ISMN agencies - ISMN Newsletter, 11 (September 2001), 6–10, 16. Also, our address was published for the first time in “Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory” / MPIID and essential preparations have been made to present the details of our publishers in the 2002 edition.
11. Last year, our offer to host the Yearly Meeting of 2002 was warmly supported by our colleagues and the meeting will now be held in 06-08 May 2002 in the National Library in Ankara. All essential administrative work has been completed and documents and CD-ROMs that will make work and travel easier and more enjoyable have been sent to our colleagues invited by the International ISMN Agency.
12. We would like to express our most sincere thanks to all our colleagues and representatives, the director of the International ISMN Agency, Dr. Walravens, and his talented and sincere staff who have been providing us with help and support last year in the Prague Meeting and since.
13. A list of publishers who have received Publishers' Prefixes from the Turkish ISMN Agency is given below: