MHRD : How to get an ISBN Number

Name of the Organisation : Ministry of Human Resource Development(mhrd.gov.in)
Type of Facility : How to get an ISBN Number
Home Page : http://mhrd.gov.in/

Introduction : International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique International Publisher’s Identifier number, which is meant for mono graphic publications. ISBN is the thirteen-digit number, which replaces the handling of long bibliographic descriptive records. ISBN is known throughout the world as a short and clear machine-readable identification number, which marks any book unmistakably. ISBN is a machine readable in the form of 13-digit i.e. Book land EAN Bar Code. This is the fast system for the running of electronic point of sale system in bookshops. ISBN mainly executes ordering and distribution of books, which is the fast and efficient method. ISBN is the essential instrument in modern distribution and rationalization opportunities in the book trade. An ISBN is an important factor in book market.
The book industry in India is a large complex consisting of the wide range of professionals such as authors, editors, printers, booksellers and distributors etc. Today India is among the top multilingual publishing country in the world. India is the 6th largest book producing country and ranks third in the production of the books in English after the USA & UK .

The National Agency for ISBN is responsible for registration of Indian Publishers, Authors, Universities, Institutions and Government Departments who are responsible for publishing of books. To obtain an ISBN, Publishers have to fill up an application form, which is available on net also or can be collected personally or by post by sending a request to the agency at its address, which can be had from the NBT website: http://www.nbtindia.org.in.

Application Form : http://mhrd.gov.in/book-promotion-7
Register of ISBN :
It is the responsibility of all publishers to inform their group agency or the organization responsible for the maintenance of title registration of the ISBNs that have been assigned to published and forthcoming books. When the publisher does not take this responsibility, the group agency or the organization responsible for the maintenance of title registration is authorized to maintain the ISBN register of this publisher on its own initiative.

ISBN for electronic Publication :
The ISBN also applies to electronic publications
** Offline items, like floppy disks and CD-ROMs, are treated like any other publication.
** Online items may be completed and finalized publications, like a textbook on the Internet. In this case an ISBN would suffice.
** An online publication may be a bibliographic or fact database that is subject to change any second. This would be comparable to an encyclopedia or dictionary which is also constantly updated in other media, without each little amendment leading to a new edition or new ISBN. Only significant and/or structural changes (including title changes) would require new ISBNs.
** Linked material (e.g. hypertext) would only be considered covered by the same ISBN if the related material is actually part of the publication.
** If an online publication is available under different operating systems and/or command languages, each «edition» would require a separate ISBN.

ISBN for eligible software products:
** An ISBN is used to identify a specific software product. If there is more than one version (perhaps versions adapted for different machines, carrier media or language version), each version must have a separate ISBN.
** When a software product is updated, revised or amended and the changes are sufficiently substantial for the product to be called a new edition, a new ISBN must be assigned.
** A relaunch of an existing product, even in new packaging, where there is no basic difference in the performance of the new and the old product, does not justify a new ISBN, and the original ISBN must be used.
** When software is accompanied by a manual which is useful only as an adjunct to the software, the software needs the manual before it can be operated, and they are sold as a package, one ISBN must be assigned to cover both items.
** When two or more items in a software package can be used separately, or are sold separately as well as together, then the package as a whole must have an ISBN each item in the package must have an ISBN.