IRMA
Play-It Productions is proud to announce that we now support the IRMA Anti-Piracy Program. This is an example of our ongoing commitment to the artists and other intellectual property right owners that we feel have a right to be paid for their work. As such, we will require that an Intellectual Property Rights Form (IPR) and a Grant of Rights Letter, along with support documentation, be furnished with every order that is placed for replication.
Intellectual Property Rights Form (IPR) >download here<
Page 1 basically states that you either own the material, or have acquired the necessary licenses in order to reproduce the material. Proof of either circumstance will need to be provided in the form of copyright notices and/or licensing agreements. Page 2 also needs to be completed for audio projects and is self-explanatory.
The Grant of Rights Letter >download here<
This letter should be copied onto your letterhead, if possible. It states that, as the IPR owner, or as the individual/business that has acquired the rights to the material, you are granting Play-It Productions the right to replicate this material on your behalf. No other material needs to be provided with this form, unless you are acting on behalf of a third party. In that case, the 3rd party will need to present you with this same letter, and you will provide us with a copy for our files. This information will, of course, be kept in strict confidence.
For all IPR owners: The simplest and surest way to show proof that you are the IPR owner is to obtain a notice from the US copyright office in Washington DC. This notice is sent to you when you file a copyright form with the Library of Congress.
For all Licensors: The simplest and surest way to show proof that you have obtained the appropriate licenses is to include copies of your licensing agreements. Any sensitive or confidential information may be eliminated (i.e. whited out) before sending the copy. Keep in mind that for all CD-ROM and DVD-ROM projects, these licenses must be obtained for any non-owned software, freeware and shareware products that are included in your project. This applies only if you are including the ACTUAL PROGRAM ON THE DISC. This does not apply to the executable files or links to the software manufacturers web site for the purchase or download of software.
If this sounds confusing, don't panic. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below or contact us for more help.
The following FAQ explains why we support IRMA's Anti-Piracy Program, as well as what our compliance means to our customers and prospective customers.
Q. Why is Play-It Productions becoming compliant in the IRMA Anti-Piracy Program?
A. Piracy is a critical issue for content owners. Billions of dollars in revenue are lost each year due to the unauthorized copying of content, including music, PC software, videogames, and movies. An obvious area of concern is at the replication stage. Even replicators that are trying to run ethical businesses can unknowingly manufacture unauthorized content. Content organizations -- such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Business Software Alliance (BSA) -- have made it known to replicators that manufacturing unauthorized content will not be tolerated. Legal precedents have been set that replicators are required to police the content that we manufacture. In the past four years, a number of otherwise well-respected replication facilities have been sued by content organizations for manufacturing unauthorized content. Some replicators have had to pay more than $10 million to settle these lawsuits.
The purpose of IRMA's Anti-Piracy Compliance is to help replicators establish procedures to reduce the risk of manufacturing pirated material.
Q. What does this mean to me as a customer/potential customer?
A. The IRMA Anti-Piracy Compliance Program requires us to have each and every customer fill out the IRMA Intellectual Property Rights form, regardless of the type of content to be manufactured. If you or your company owns the content to be replicated, the IRMA Intellectual Property Rights form is all that is required. If you or your company is licensing or outsourcing work from the content owner, additional documentation will be necessary to verify the right to replicate product.
Q. I am licensing from, or outsourcing work for, the content owner. What additional documentation do I need to provide?
A. We will need to receive a copy of the licensing agreement with the order or by fax. If there is confidential information in the licensing agreement, you may cover it (i.e. white out) before sending a copy.
Q. Will the IRMA Anti-Piracy Compliance program increase the time to process my jobs?
A. If the proper documentation is sent with the purchase order, the Anti-Piracy program will not increase the time to process a job. If, however, the paperwork is not sent with the order, it could lengthen the time to fulfill the job. We will not, under any circumstances, be able to start a job until all the necessary documentation has been provided.
Q. I have had content replicated before and not had to provide this documentation. Why do you need it now?
A. While we have always been cautious about replicating unauthorized content, we have not required documentation in every instance. The IRMA Anti-Piracy program requires this documentation for each and every order going forward. There are no exceptions.
Q. What happens if I cannot provide the necessary documentation? Will you still be able to replicate my work for me?
A. While we will make every effort possible to work with you, we are unfortunately not able to replicate product until all required documentation has been received.
