According to the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), and the UK-based International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the Global Release Identifier (GRid)
is effectively an electronic version of the Universal Product Code
(UPC), the bar code that currently identifies all products in
shops.
However, the electronic version is, according to the music
industry, designed with "a massively increased capacity," with a
single identifier giving any individual company using the system
the potential to allocate codes for over 30 million different
releases.
GRid will not replace existing identification systems such as
the UPC or International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), but
support their use.
The GRid identifiers will be attached to each music album and
multimedia package downloaded or streamed from record labels, and
on-line music retailers and services, and will be reported back to
rights societies and collection agencies, who collect royalties on
behalf of copyright owners.
Re-sellers or web sites selling this music content will be
charged approximately £150 per year to use the new tracking
system.
The music industry reportedly denied that the GRid system is
intended to keep track of music being offered for downloads on
on-line file-swapping services.
More information on GRid is available at:
http://212.134.114.163/grid/
