Editor's blog

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) applauds the successful conclusion of the WIPO Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances with the adoption of the this important international Act and Treaty springing from WIPO negotiations.

The signing of the Act by 131 Member States and Treaty by 46 Member States, including the United States, France, Spain and conference host country, the People's Republic of China, is the first of its kind for protection of audiovisual performances and the first copyright related Treaty of the 21st Century.

Jean M. Prewitt, President & CEO, IFTA commented, "This historic and positive resolution concludes work spanning 15 years, and the final Treaty provides important protections to audiovisual performers within a strong intellectual property framework necessary for producers and performers alike.  IFTA salutes our creative colleagues and their guilds including SAG-AFTRA and International Federation of Actors and we look forward to together enjoying the benefits of the Treaty."
About The Independent Film & Television Alliance
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 150 member companies from 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies, studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in content finance.
Collectively, the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s members produce more than 400 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year and generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually.  The organization’s premiere event, the American Film Market, held in conjunction with AFI FEST, takes place every year in November in Santa Monica.
As the voice and advocate for the independent film and television industry worldwide, the Alliance speaks out on matters of critical importance and, where appropriate, actively lobbies governments around the world in regard to measures directly affecting the independent industry.  For more information on IFTA and the American Film Market, please visit www.ifta-online.org.