Audiovisual performers’ agenda

There is an attempt within WIPO to re-launch the process of moving towards an audiovisual performers Treaty. It started with an informal meeting (6th and 7th November 2003) that was meant to be an exchange of views between Member States, actors' unions and producers' representatives. The process threw up the same kind of contentious issues as during the diplomatic conference in December 2000. In essence, producers are not opposed to actors having exclusive rights. However those rights should be securely vested in the producer through a presumption of transfer of the rights.

Many WIPO member states that are significant audiovisual producing countries have quite sophisticated systems in place both in terms of the law and the agreements between the producers and the talent to secure fair basis, minimum remuneration scales, acceptable working conditions, etc. A WIPO Treaty would fill important gaps in countries where such a framework is not currently in existence.

WIPO is going to consult informally with government delegations over the first quarter of 2004, possibly with the view to putting the issue of the agenda of a formal meeting, the so-called Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).

Pdf files’ inventory (headings only)

• Actors Rights Information session Novemebr 03
  
• FIAPF actors' rights position paper 2000
  

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