WIMA merges with IMSLP, the International Music Score Library Project

Werner Icking Music Archive was initiated 2001 as a continuation of the GMD Music Archive upon the sudden, too early death of its founder, Werner Icking.

Since the start of WIMA, 10 years ago, our collection of classical music scores has grown into one of the largest of its kind, comprising works by more than 1000 composers. I can't say exactly how many different compositions are offered in WIMA. There are, however, about 65000 pdf files in WIMA corresponding to 30000 - 40000 distinct compositions.

Since 2001 I've been the sole responsible for maintaining WIMA. In order to reduce WIMA's dependance on me and thus secure the future of WIMA, I've attempted to establish a development project with the aim of transforming WIMA into a collaborative project. I've now realized that there is not a sufficient number of volunteers to accomplish that project and have contacted WIMA's sister project, the International Music Score Library Project, IMSLP and suggested to merge WIMA with IMSLP.

IMSLP has responded positively to this request. In our follow-up correspondence IMSLP has explained that it is possible to keep WIMA's score collection and its current sub collections distinct such that WIMA users may search WIMA scores within IMSLP when a merge has been accomplished. The conditions offered by IMSLP for WIMA are so advantageous that I've decided to carry through the merge. This means that I'm going to continue my music publishing activities as a member of the IMSLP staff.

The transfer of WIMA scores to IMSLP has officially started. See the IMSLP forum topic IMSLP to merge with WIMA.

The information below is mainly for WIMA contributors

If you consider transferring your own scores to IMSLP please have a look at the online introduction for project participants, How to transfer scores from WIMA to IMSLP. You may also want to have a look at the IMSLP project page.

In WIMA score licensing is rather loose as outlined in the Introduction to contributors, whereas IMSLP applies a more strict licensing policy as defined in the Creative Commons set of licenses.

The current licensing setup on IMSLP is as follows:

New compositions (including arrangements) can be licensed under any Creative Commons license or the Performance Restricted license.

New typesets are ordinarily licensed under one of the Creative Commons license types

• CC-BY ('Attribution', lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation)
• CC-SA ('Attribution-ShareAlike', lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. This license is often compared to 'copyleft' free and open source software licenses. All new works based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also allow commercial use)

In WIMA we're concerned about commercial usage of WIMA typesets. Therefore IMSLP can make an exception and additionally allow the Creative Commons license types

• CC-NC ('Attribution-NonCommercial', lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don't have to license their derivative works on the same term)
• CC-NC-SA ('Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike', lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms)

I consent to this licensing policy and will proceed in implementing the merge of WIMA with IMSLP. Therefore I need to know whether you want to have the scores you've contributed to WIMA transferred to IMSLP.

If you are a composer I suggest that you make your compositions contributed to WIMA available in IMSLP under one of these license types

• the IMSLP Performance Restricted Attribution 'Non-commercial No Derivatives 1.0' license (available for those composers of original works who wish to have performing rights societies like ASCAP collect royalties for live and broadcast performances of their works. This might also apply to arrangements in some countries).
• the Creative Commons license type 'Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs' (allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can't change them in any way or use them commercially)

If you have contributed engravings of out-of-copyright compositions I suggest that you make your scores contributed to WIMA available in IMSLP under the Creative Commons license license type

• 'Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike' (lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms)

I have posted this information in emails to all WIMA contributors using the email addresses registered in WIMA's database. There may be, however, contributors for whome we don't have a working email address. If you're a WIMA contributor and haven't received an email with this information, please contact me concerning your WIMA contributions.

If I don't hear from you at the latest Thursday September 8 2011 I take it as a consent to my proposal and will register your WIMA contributions to be transferred to IMSLP.