    Network Working Group                                           M. Dolan
    Request for Comments: 4246                                           TBT
    Category: Informational                                    February 2006

        International Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN) URN Definition

    Status of This Memo

       This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
       not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
       memo is unlimited.

    Copyright Notice

       Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

    Abstract

       The International Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN) is a standard
       numbering system for the unique and international identification of
       audiovisual works.  This document is the definition of the formal
       Uniform Resource Name (URN) Namespace Identifier (NID) for ISAN.

    Table of Contents

       1. Introduction ....................................................2
       2. URN Namespace Definition Template ...............................2
       3. Formal Syntax ...................................................4
       4. Security Considerations .........................................4
       5. Namespace Considerations ........................................4
       6. Community Considerations ........................................4
       7. IANA Considerations .............................................5
       8. References ......................................................5
          8.1. Normative References .......................................5
          8.2. Informative References .....................................5

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    1.  Introduction

       This document is the definition of the formal Uniform Resource Name
       (URN) Namespace Identifier (NID) for ISAN.

    2.  URN Namespace Definition Template

       The following template is provided in accordance with [RFC3406].

       Namespace ID:

          ISAN

       Registration Information:

          Version: 1

          Date: 2004 11 22

       Declared registrant of the namespace:

          Name:    ISAN International Agency
          Address: 26 rue de St Jean, CH-1203 Geneva, Switzerland

          Contact: Mr. Patrick Attallah, Managing Director

       Declaration of structure:

          The identifier structure is as follows:

             URN:ISAN:<ISAN-NSS>

          Where ISAN-NSS is conformant to URN syntax requirements defined in
          [RFC2141] and is further constrained by [ISO15706] and in this
          document.  There are two forms, one with the version extension and
          one without.  The formal BNF is defined in section 2 below.
          Examples of the two forms are:

             URN:ISAN:0123-1230-3210-2310-1

             URN:ISAN:1881-66C7-3420-6541-9-9F3A-0245-U

       Relevant ancillary documentation:

          ISAN, its syntax, uses and its processes are defined in
          [ISO15706].

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       Identifier uniqueness considerations:

          Uniqueness is guaranteed by the ISAN International Agency that
          issues the numbers.  Numbers are not re-assigned.

       Identifier persistence considerations:

          Persistence is guaranteed by ISO Registration Authority
          processes and contracts with the ISAN International Agency.

       Process of identifier assignment:

          The details of the assignment process are defined from time to
          time by the ISAN International Agency.  However, in general, any
          approved entity can request an ISAN number by providing the
          required metadata information and paying the registration fee.
          The ISAN International Agency may delegate to regional or market-
          based Registration Agencies for portions of the registration
          process.

       Process for identifier resolution:

          ISAN numbers are resolved by a direct or indirect lookup with the
          ISAN International Agency.  At this writing, a non-commercial,
          manual system is available online at http://www.isan.org.  The
          resolution procedures may be modified from time to time by the
          ISAN International Agency.

       Rules for Lexical Equivalence:

          The ISAN-NSS is unique by the nature of the ISAN International
          Agency's number management.  The ISAN-NSS is case-insensitive.
          Upper and lower case characters are treated as identical.

       Conformance with URN Syntax:

          No special considerations.  The syntax is fully conformant with
          [RFC2141].

       Validation mechanism:

          The check digits provide syntax integrity.  Lookup is via online
          and offline services provided by the ISAN International Agency.

       Scope: Global.

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    RFC 4246                  ISAN URN Definition              February 2006

    3.  Formal Syntax

       The following syntax specification uses an augmented Backus-Naur Form
       (BNF) and elements defined in the URN Syntax [RFC2141].  This syntax
       here is derived from the syntax definition in [ISO15706], constrained
       to prohibit the space character as a separator.

          <ISAN-NSS>     ::= <root> <episode> [version]

          <root>         ::= 3*(<hexnum> "-")

          <episode>      ::= <hexnum> "-" <check>

          <version>      ::= 2*("-" <hexnum>) "-" <check>

          <hexnum>       ::= 4*(<hex>)

          <check>        ::= <upper> | <lower> | <number>

       Note that <hex>, <upper>, <lower>, and <number> are defined in
       [RFC2141].

    4.  Security Considerations

       This document only defines the syntax and resolution authority for
       the ISAN numbers.  Details of the resolution process and the security
       of the assignment and resolution system processes are defined
       external to this document by the ISAN International Agency and thus
       outside the scope of this document.

    5.  Namespace Considerations

       ISAN is an external numbering system managed by an external agency
       established by ISO.  While URN namespaces may exist for which any
       generic numbering system can be encoded, there is currently no direct
       encoding for ISAN.  An example of such a namespace is the MPEG-21
       system.

       ISAN numbers are reserved for use in identifying audiovisual works
       for which there is a moving visual component, or components related
       to such a work (e.g. subtitling track).

    6. Community Considerations

       The primary registrants for ISAN numbers are the producers and
       studios of audiovisual works (movies and television shows).  While
       the system is not constrained to "major" works (any bona fide entity
       can register any work), the primary benefits of its use come from

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    RFC 4246                  ISAN URN Definition              February 2006

       works that are widely distributed.  The users of the ISAN system
       range from the studios themselves to film and video archives and
       libraries, rights administrators, program guide services, and
       audience measurement services.  Its potential for use in the Internet
       community is as an identifier for streaming media.

    7.  IANA Considerations

       This document defines a URN NID registration that is to be entered
       into the IANA registry of URN NIDs.  It specifically requests the
       NID, "ISAN".

    8.  References

    8.1.  Normative References

       [RFC2141]  Moats, R., "URN Syntax", RFC 2141, May 1997.

       [ISO15706] ISO 15706, Information and documentation - International
                  Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN)

    8.2.  Informative References

       [RFC3406]  Daigle, L., van Gulik, D., Iannella, R., and P.
                  Faltstrom, "Uniform Resource Names (URN) Namespace
                  Definition Mechanisms", BCP 66, RFC 3406, October 2002.

    Author's Address

       Michael Dolan
       TBT
       PO Box 190
       Del Mar, CA 92014 USA

       EMail: md.1@newtbt.com

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    RFC 4246                  ISAN URN Definition              February 2006

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