The WIPO Beijing Treaty

Intellectual Property

The WIPO Beijing Treaty

This treaty establishes a groundbreaking global standard for audiovisual performances, which, until 2012, lacked significant intellectual property protection on the international stage. This convention is the result of more than 20 years of persistent advocacy work by FIA and other performer organisations. It provides minimum economic and moral IP rights to actors, dancers and other performers with respect to their audiovisual performances and with respect to both their national and international use. Entered into force in 2019, this treaty is currently in the process of being acceded to or ratified by the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

FIA continues to monitor developments in this field, advising affiliates and supporting their advocacy work as well as attending meetings at WIPO and elsewhere to encourage more countries to join. By doing so, these nations pledge to incorporate the Beijing Treaty’s provisions into their domestic legal frameworks and grant national treatment to performances from other contracting parties. Whilst setting a minimum harmonised legal framework, the WIPO Beijing Treaty also enables countries to grant a higher level of protection to their audiovisual performances and envisage contractual and/or statutory mechanisms maximizing the value of the economic rights enshrined in this convention.

As part of its awareness-raising mission, FIA has drafted a comprehensive guide to the WIPO Beijing Treaty and a dedicated website where affiliates may useful information about the state of ratification or accession.

The WIPO Beijing Treaty

The Beijing Treaty outlines global standards acknowledging the right of audiovisual performers to be compensated fairly for the use of their creative contributions. It sets a landmark new global IP...