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Object documentationRights Template

 

A rights template is a master data object defining a frequently-used rights combination across rights dimensions.

 

Rights templates allow you to quickly specify the rights to an IP, more specifically:

  • During IP maintenance

  • During the creation of contracts

  • During the set up of a rights availability analysis request

  • While executing service operations on the business object Intellectual Property Rights Availability Inquiry

Note Note

A rights template only stores rights group information – it does not store IP information or validity period information.

End of the note.

After you copy the rights template to the scope, there is no link between the scope and the rights template. This means that a scope created with a rights template is not updated if you change the rights template.

Rights Template Types

You can group rights templates into categories called rights template types. For example you might wish to classify rights templates according to different branches of business.

For each rights template type that you define, you need to indicate its component type:

  • Rights item

    Used for template types that classify rights templates which configure the rights during IP maintenance, during the creation of license acquisition and license sales contracts, and during the specification of rights during an rights availability analysis (RAA) request (by way of the UI or by way of Enterprise services)

  • Rights item and royalties item

    Used for template types that classify rights templates which configure royalties scopes or rights and royalties scopes during the creation of license acquisition and license sales contracts.

You configure rights template types by way of the Define Rights Template Types Customizing activity (in SAP Customizing for Customer Relationship Management, select Start of the navigation path Industry-Specific Solutions Next navigation step Media Next navigation step Intellectual Property Management Next navigation step Master Data Next navigation step Define Rights Template Types End of the navigation path).

Structure

In a rights template:

  • A single version can be comprised of multiple time slots.

  • A single time slot can be comprised of multiple rights groups.

  • When a rights template is copied, only the rights groups from a single time slot are copied. The selection of the time slot depends on its validity and the validity of the destination rights scope.

Template Status

You can assign a status to the template, depending on whether you wish to make it available for use during rights maintenance:

  • Draft

    Draft templates are not available for use – you typically set this status, when you originally create a rights template but have not completely tested it yet. Draft templates are not subject to the consistency checks against the rights hierarchy carried out by the system when saving the templates.

  • Active

    Active templates are available for use. Users can only select active templates from the value help when selecting a rights template to copy. In addition when you set the status of a template to Active, the system carries out consistency checks against the rights hierarchy.

  • Outdated

    Outdated templates are no longer available for use – you typically set this status when you no longer require the rights template. Outdated templates are logically deleted from the system and are not subject to the consistency checks against the rights hierarchy carried out by the system when saving the templates.

Template Validity

Defining template validity is useful when the rights requirements for a particular use, reflected by the template, change over time. Therefore if you are defining the rights in a rights template, you can crate multiple time slots to reflect this change.

Example Example

Between January 1 and June 30, channel X only broadcasts by way of Cable TV. As of July 1, channel X also broadcasts by way of Satellite TV. When defining the rights template:

  • You create one time slot, which is valid between January 1 and June 30, that defines the rights for Market: Cable TV

  • You create another time slot, which is valid as of July 1, that defines the rights for Market: Cable TV, Satellite TV

End of the example.

In addition, the rights hierarchy is time dependent, therefore it is important to ensure that these two configurations are synchronized.

Multiple Time Slots in a Rights Template

You can define multiple time slots in a single rights template. For example, you can define one set of rights dimensions values for the period between January 1 and March 31, and you can define another set of rights dimensions values for the period between April 1 and December 31.

During rights maintenance, when you copy the rights template, the system chooses the rights dimensions settings from one time slot:

  • If one or more time slots fall outside the rights validity period, the system excludes these rights template validity periods (typical behavior)

  • If multiple time slots have at least one day that falls within the rights maintenance validity, the system chooses the rights dimensions settings from the earliest time slot

    Example Example

    You define a rights template (TEMP1) with the following settings

    • Time slot 1 (Valid from: Jan. 1, 2005 – Dec. 31, 2008)

      Rights group A

    • Time slot 2 (Valid from: Jan 1 2009 – Dec. 31, 2012)

      Rights group B

    You define a second rights template (TEMP2) with the following settings:

    • Time slot 3 (Valid from: Jan. 1, 2010 – Dec. 31, 2013)

      Rights group C

    • Time slot 4 (Valid from: Jan 1 2014 – Dec. 31, 2017)

      Rights group D

    You then access the SAP WebClient UI to maintain the Rights Owned for an IP. You search for rights templates that you can copy. The search results depend on the rights owned validity:

    Validity of the Rights Owned ranges from June 15, 2004 – May 31, 2009

    Rights template TEMP1 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group A

    Validity of the Rights Owned ranges from June 15, 2007 – May 31, 2012

    Rights template TEMP1 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group A

    Rights template TEMP2 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group C

    Validity of the Rights Owned ranges from June 15, 2010 – May 31, 2015

    Rights template TEMP1 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group B

    Rights template TEMP2 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group C

    Validity of the Rights Owned ranges from June 15, 2013 – May 31, 2018

    Rights template TEMP2 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group C

    Validity of the Rights Owned ranges from June 15, 2016 – May 31, 2021

    Rights template TEMP2 is available. If selected, it copies Rights group D

    End of the example.
Restricted Validity

Restricted validity occurs when the validity of the selected time slot does not span the entire IP rights validity period. Although you can still copy the rights template, you will be informed of this situation.

Example Example

You define a rights template with a time slot validity of March 1 to June 15. You copy this template when defining the Rights Owned of an IP, whose validity ranges between January 1 and August 15. You can still copy the rights template, but you will be informed that there is a restricted validity.

End of the example.

Note Note

No warning message is displayed. You will only see the comment Restricted Validity during rights maintenance, when selecting a rights template to copy.

End of the note.

Integration

You can use a rights template within scopes in the following applications:

  • Intellectual property (Operations work center)

  • License acquisition contract (License Acquisition work center)

  • License sales contract (License Sales work center)

  • Rights availability analysis, to specify the rights availability criteria (Rights Availability work center)