An Examination of the Innovations of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances 2012

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Department of Private Law and Intellectual Property, Faculty of Law, university of Qom, Qom, Iran

10.22059/jolt.2026.409271.1007446

Abstract

This article examines the protection of performers—particularly actors and individuals involved in folkloric and audiovisual performances—as a relatively recent development in domestic and international law. While the 1961 Rome Convention and the 1996 WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty recognized certain performer rights, protection for audiovisual performers remained insufficient until the adoption of the 2012 WIPO Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. The Beijing Treaty grants performers exclusive economic rights in both fixed and unfixed performances and ensures the safeguarding of their moral rights. Through the principle of national treatment, it guarantees equal protection for foreign performers in member states. The treaty also allows national legislation to presume the transfer of economic rights from performers to producers and imposes obligations concerning technological protection measures and rights‑management information. Employing a descriptive‑analytical method, this study outlines the treaty’s structure and highlights its key innovations in strengthening international protection for audiovisual performers.

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References

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Private Law
Volume 22, Issue 2
Autumn & Winter
October 2025
Pages 195-208

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