The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances deals with the intellectual property rights of performers in audiovisual performances, adopted by members of the World Intellectual Property Organization at a diplomatic conference in Beijing on June 24, 2012. It enters into force on April, 28, 2020.

Intending to improve the lives of performers, i.e. television and film actors, musicians, dancers, choreographers and others in audiovisual performances, the Beijing Treaty grants performers, i.e. four types of economic rights for their performances fixed in audiovisual fixations, the right of reproduction, the right of distribution, the right of rental and the right of making available. As to unfixed (live) performances, it grants performers three kinds of economic rights, the right of broadcasting (except in the case of rebroadcasting), the right of communication to the public (except where the performance is a broadcast performance) and the right of fixation.
 
It approves performers economic rights in fixed and unfixed performances, along with certain moral rights which relate to a performer’s right to be acknowledged as the performer and to object to modifications to the performance that would prejudice their credibility.
 
According to Ms. Croella of WIPO, the treaty provides a worldwide framework and a balanced approach to ensure the economic right of audiovisual performers, among others.
 
Yan Xiaohong, head of the Copyright Society of China, stated that the Beijing treaty is a set of brand-new international rules that provide well-rounded protection of performers' voices and images. Yan mentioned, "China will take this chance to improve its copyright protection system and promote the premium development of related industries."



As can be seen, Beijing Treaty will definitely raise the expert status of performers and improve their working conditions. Increasingly more countries will accession to Beijing Treaty, and great deals of performers can enjoy the rights they are worthy of.
 
 
 
 
Reference:
Main Provisions and Benefits of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (2012)