MOSCOW, September 29 (RAPSI) – The International Federation of Actors (FIA) is going to urge Russian lawmakers to ratify the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, which would enable them to share proceeds from the films with producers, Izvestia newspaper reports on Monday, citing the head of the Independent Trade Union of Theater and Movie Actors Denis Kiris.

“The actors who make films popular currently have no right to a share of the proceeds. Producers can continue to profit from future films in which these actors star, without paying distribution proceeds to them,” Kiris is quoted as having said.

Producers hold the rights for films and receive revenues from the distribution. The box office take is usually greater than the cost of production. Film directors, scriptwriters, actors, stunt performers and other creative workers receive fixed compensation. They want to get paid for the use of their work.

The Culture Ministry and the Russian Agency for Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent) are for signing the treaty, but this would only be possible after certain amendments are made to the Civil Code, according to the newspaper.

The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (BTAP) was signed in 2012 and is designed to strengthen the economic rights of film actors and other performers and could provide extra income from their work. It will potentially allow performers to share the proceeds with producers for revenue generated internationally from audiovisual productions. It would also grant performers moral rights to prevent lack of attribution or distortion of their performances.