Territory codes using ISO 3166-1 or ISO 3166-3 or TIS

Territory codes in XML

DDEX messages allows four ways to communicate territories:

  1. Either as a list of of one or more territory codes for which a specific set of XML tags apply.

    The code below applies to Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg:

    <TerritoryCode>DE</TerritoryCode> 
<TerritoryCode>BE</TerritoryCode> 
<TerritoryCode>NL</TerritoryCode> 
<TerritoryCode>LU</TerritoryCode>

  2. Or as a "negative list" of territory codes for which a specific set of XML tags does not apply.

    The code below does apply to all territories apart from to Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg:

    <ExcludedTerritoryCode>DE</ExcludedTerritoryCode> 
<ExcludedTerritoryCode>BE</ExcludedTerritoryCode> 
<ExcludedTerritoryCode>NL</ExcludedTerritoryCode> 
<ExcludedTerritoryCode>LU</ExcludedTerritoryCode>


    To avoid confusion: If I send you a deal for <ExcludedTerritoryCode>DE</ExcludedTerritoryCode>, then the information provided applies to ~200 countries — just the Germans are left out. The reason why DDEX allowed this approach in addition to the "positive" list shown in (1) above is to not force messages to contain ~199 ISO codes listed just to exclude one country. This somewhat contradicts DDEX's general approach to be explicit, the inference to from such a negative list, was seen as sufficiently clear. 

  3. Or as a statement that indicates that a specific set of XML tags applies for the entire world:

    <TerritoryCode>Worldwide</TerritoryCode>

  4. Or as an attribute in specific cases where a single territory can be ascribed to an event such as the creation of a sound recording:

    <CreationDate LocationDescription="Abbey Road Studio A" 
              TerritoryCode="GB">2000-01-27</CreationDate>

Historic and Current Territory Codes

The basic territory list used by DDEX is the one defined and maintained by ISO in ISO 3166, specifically ISO 3166-1 alpha-2. ISO keeps this list current and whenever ISO updates its list, DDEX follows suite. It is possible to communicate a Deal for South Sudan (code SS), the last country code added to ISO 3166-1. Whenever a country ceases to exist list of ISO 3166-1 will typically be affected and the code be removed. Examples include DD (for the GRD) and SU (for the Soviet Union). However. if a sound recording was made in East Berlin in 1960 the country of recording should be marked as the GDR.

ISO maintains a list of four-letter codes, defined as ISO 3166-3, for such (former) countries. The code for the former GRD, the code is DDDE, so:

<CreationDate LocationDescription="Hansa Tonstiudio A" TerritoryCode="DDDE">1960</CreationDate>

CISAC's Territory Information System

In communications between music rights societies and (sometimes) music publishers, a different approach to identifying territories has found fairly wide adoption: CISAC's Territory Information System (TIS). This system is based on ISO 3166-1 but adds a significant number of territory groupings (either geographical or political).

Unfortunately there is no simple mapping between ISO 3166-1, The attached document does, however, allow translating TIS codes into ISO codes and vice versa. It has been prepared by CISAC and DDEX.

While DDEX messages allow communicating TIS codes in all its messages, TIS codes should be limited in communications amongst companies that are already familiar with the TIS system.

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