In November the studio trade organization SPARS announced plans to revise and adapt security guidelines developed by U.K. counterpart organization APRS. These guidelines usually help studios tighten security involving music data and avoid potential liability from losses that end up illicitly on the Internet and other digital portals. Now the International Recording Media Association (IRMA), which has had an audited, ISO-approved security regimen in place for CD replication plants since 2000, is formulating its own security regimen for larger recording, mixing and mastering facilities. With financial backing by a consortium of software publishers, including Sony Music, Warner Music, Microsoft and Electronic Arts, IRMA is researching how it could adapt its existing anti-piracy compliance program for replicators production and post production facilities, including recording, mixing and mastering studios.
Operation Content Safe, which intends to apply a higher level of scrutiny to the production locations where music, film, video games and software are created, will utilize ISO-certified auditors to review studio facility security operations and implementation of its own specific guidelines. Unlike the APRS guidelines, which are self-audited, Operation Content Safe will be based on an as-yet-to-be-determined sliding fee scale based on facility size and/or revenues.
