WAM Beijing, 23rd June 2012 (WAM) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is participating at the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances which opened on Wednesday and lasts for a week.

The UAE delegation to the conference is headed by Dr. Ali Al Hosani, Assistant Undersecretary at Ministry of Economy for Intellectual Property.

The UAE is joining representatives of non-government organisations and more than 180 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), organisers of the event.

The Conference, which will run through June 26, 2012, recognizes the contribution of audiovisual performers to society, culture and education.

Al Hosani said the conference sheds light on the WIPO treaty that will shore up the rights of performers in their audiovisual performances.

He added the Diplomatic Conference aims to adopt an international treaty protecting the intellectual property rights of audiovisual performers, such as film and TV actors. The adoption of a new instrument would strengthen the precarious position of performers in the audiovisual industry by providing a clearer legal basis for the international use of audiovisual productions, both in traditional media and in digital networks. Such an instrument would also contribute to safeguarding the rights of performers against the unauthorized use of their performances in audiovisual media, such as television, film and video.

The new international standards, he added, would work out solutions to ensuing issues from developments in economic, social, cultural and technological fields.

In September 2011, WIPO's General Assembly decided to convene a diplomatic conference in 2012 to agree the proposed treaty on protection of audiovisual performances.

If adopted, the UAE official said the treaty will extend performers' rights against unauthorized use of audiovisual performances to films and videos available on the internet and will raise the minimum term of protection to 50 years from the Rome Convention's 20 years, as provided by the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs).

The Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances is the culmination of over twelve years of negotiations. It is expected to result in a treaty that will strengthen the economic rights of many struggling film actors and other performers and could provide extra income from their work. It will potentially enable performers to share proceeds with producers for revenues generated internationally by audiovisual productions. It will also grant performers moral rights to prevent lack of attribution or distortion of their performances.

The adoption of a new instrument would strengthen the precarious position of performers in the audiovisual industry by providing a clearer international legal framework for their protection. Notably, for the first time, it would provide performers with protection in the digital environment. Such an instrument would also contribute to safeguarding the rights of performers against the unauthorized use of their performances in audiovisual media, such as television, film and video.

WAM/TF