Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances - The First International Intellectual Property Treaty Named After a Chinese City Is of Great Significance

April 28, 2021

On April 26, for the purpose of celebrating the World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) and the first anniversary of entry into force of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (Beijing Treaty), the event of "Implementing Copyright Law, Protecting Cultural Heritage and Celebrating the Anniversary of the Entry into Force of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances" was jointly organized by the WIPO Office in China (WOC), the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Copyright and the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles in Beijing. Liu Hua, Director of WOC, attended the event and delivered an opening speech.

In her speech, Liu Hua congratulated the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Beijing Treaty. She said that the Beijing Treaty is the first international IP treaty concluded in China and named after a Chinese city since the establishment of the United Nations. The conclusion of this treaty is a milestone in improving the international system for the protection of performers' rights, facilitating the healthy prosperity of cultural industries around the world, and promoting the development of traditional folk performing arts in developing countries such as China with a long cultural history.

She pointed out that the Chinese government including the Municipal Government of Beijing and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Copyright made countless efforts to promote the early entry into force of the Beijing Treaty. Throughout the process of promoting the Beijing Treaty from its conclusion to its entry into force, the Chinese government and the Chinese copyright administration departments fully demonstrated the enthusiasm and responsible attitude in promoting copyright protection.

Liu Hua stated that WIPO is optimistic about China's market and IP development. Looking from China's climbing ranking in the Global Innovation Index in recent years and the growing share of China's copyright industry in GDP, China has been moving from being a follower, to a runner, to a leader in the field of intellectual property.

For the development of China's cultural and creative industries, especially for small and medium-sized cultural and creative enterprises, Liu Hua said that WIPO is a golden knowledge asset with five golden keys including, among others, WIPO's policy forum, registration systems, databases, cooperation platforms and the WIPO Academy. A good usage of these five golden keys will facilitate the commercialization and marketing operation of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized cultural and creative enterprises.

As an extension of WIPO in China, the WOC will continue to strengthen its cooperation with all stakeholders in China to provide more timely, closer and better services for the benefit of SMEs and thus contribute to the development of IP in China.

Mr. Yan Xiaohong, Vice Director of the Committee on Culture, Historical Data and Studies of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Copyright Society of China, Ms. Zhao Xiuling, Deputy Director General of the Copyright Department of the National Copyright Administration of China, Mr. Wang Yefei, Director General of the Beijing Municipal Copyright Bureau, and Mr. Liu Kaiyang, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, attended the event and delivered speeches. Representatives at the conference had an in-depth and detailed discussion on the significance and impact of the Copyright Law and the Beijing Treaty on promoting the protection of traditional culture and the development of cultural industries.