Today, the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances has entered into force.

Under the treaty’s provisions, earning conditions for audiovisual performers such as actors, dancers, choreographers, musicians are expected to start improving.

The treaty expands the economic rights related to their performances fixed in audiovisual fixations (no longer just phonograms), possibly boosting their income, for example from payments for retransmissions. This appears very relevant in times of COVID19 which negatively impacts new productions.

The Beijing Treaty actualizes and complements the protection contained in the Rome Convention from 1961 and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty from 1996. The treaty entered into force after Indonesia, the 30th country, ratified it three months ago.