By Tatenda Mujeyi
Cabinet ratified the Beijing Treaty on Audio and Visual performances in a development that will ensure that artists will benefit from their work.
“Cabinet considered and approved the Ratification of the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,” the Chairperson of the Post Cabinet briefing Hon Monica Mutsvangwa said.
The treaty will guarantee economic rights of arts producers that will see them being paid for all their performances.
“The Treaty provides for performers’ economic rights covering reproduction, distribution, rental and making available their performances in audio-visual formats,” Monica Mutsvangwa said.
The ratification of the treaty will see to it that the Zimbabwean artists will receive their dues when their productions are played outside of Zimbabwe
“The benefits of ratifying the Treaty to Zimbabwe include the following: ensuring that local producers and performers receive their due rewards when their audio-visual works are availed outside Zimbabwe’s boarders,” Honourable Mutsvangwa also said
Furthermore ratifying the Beijing treaty will guard “against the unauthorised use of performances; strengthening the local audio-visual industry through an international system of protection; improving of the working conditions of performers by professionalizing the industry; and safeguarding cultural heritage, expressions and diversity.”
Ratifying the treaty will see to the improvement of artists in Zimbabwe whose living conditions have been mainly argued as impoverished.
“The Treaty will therefore go a long way in uplifting the plight of the audio-visual performer and addressing the major concerns relating to their welfare and infringement of their rights,” Mutsvangwa also said
The Beijing Treaty on audio-visual Performances was adopted on June 24, 2012 and deals with the intellectual property rights of performers in audio-visual performances.