Performers' rights

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Overview:

Recently, a noted actress challenged the sales tax levied against her income from advertisements and performances in award shows.

About Performer’s rights:

  • What is it? Performers' rights refer to the legal rights granted to actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and other performers for their creative works.
  • The first significant development in the protection of performers' rights came with the adoption of the Rome Convention in 1961. 
  • Performers' rights are protected under various international treaties such as the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
  • In 1996, WIPO Performance and phonogram Treaty (WPPT) came into existence.
  • In this treaty, the moral rights of the performers were recognized for the first time in any international treaty.
  • In India, performer rights were recognised under the Copyright Act of 1957 in the year 1994.
  • The copyright Act is also in conformity with 2 WIPO internet treaties concluded in 1996 namely, the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT).
  • The duration of the protection of the performer’s rights is 50 years from the end of the year in which the performance was fixed or it took place.

What are copyrights?

  • A legal right granted to an intellectual property owner is copyright.
  • It helps protect the creator of the original material so that no one can duplicate or use it without authorization.

Key facts about the World Intellectual Property Organisation

  • It is an organisation based in Geneva and it works with the vision of encouraging creative activity and promoting the protection of Intellectual Property throughout the world.
  • WIPO is one of the 15 specialised agencies of the United Nations.
  • Currently, there are 193 members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

 


Q1) What are Legal rights?

Legal rights are those that are granted via acts of legislation. It is acknowledged and legally safeguarded. Some legal rights apply everywhere, but each state also grants its residents their unique legal rights.

Source: Anushka Sharma’s plea on sales tax disposed of by Bombay High Court: What was the case?