Source: China IP News

On January 28, Indonesia, as the 30th Party to the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, ratified the treaty, according to the official website of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In the light of the relevant provisions of the treaty, it will enter into force for its 30 parties three months later, on April 28, 2020. It is understood that the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances is aimed at fundamentally improving the income conditions of actors and other audiovisual performers. It is worth mentioning that the treaty got its name because it was ratified by WIPO member states at a diplomatic conference hosted by the Chinese government in 2012. After the treaty enters into force, it will become the first international treaty named after a Chinese city in the history of the People's Republic of  China.

"The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances strengthens the rights of audiovisual performers to their works, which can translate into an increase in income and bring out economic sustainability of the audiovisual industry that will delight us all,” said Francis Gurry, Director-General of WIPO.

From June 20 to June 26, 2012, WIPO held a diplomatic conference on the protection of audiovisual performances in Beijing and adopted the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. The treaty, mainly aimed at performances recorded in "audiovisual recordings", provides a wide range of rights for performers, filling the gap in the international treaty on comprehensive copyright protection in the field of audiovisual performances.

According to the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, the treaty is supposed to enter into force three months after 30 parties have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession. In April 2014, the eighth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress of China approved the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, making China the third country to ratify the treaty after Syria and Botswana.