BEIJING, April 25 -- Artists and business insiders immediately hailed Thursday's approval of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances.

The treaty, under various titles, has been signed by 48 member states of World Intellectual Property Organization to date. It allows performers to share revenue generated internationally with producers and entitles them to authorize any reproduction or distribution of their works in overseas markets.

Producers and artists welcomed the treaty as a boost to intellectual property rights, saying it will encourage the creation of art. "It helps guarantee the rights of original artists and drives the development of original art in China," said Liu Zhao, the founder of Stellion Era Cultural Communication, a performance company based in Beijing.

Liu's company has signed artists including blues singer-songwriter Zhang Ling and world music band Haya from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

"Under the protection of the treaty and related laws, artists can focus on creation, and the performance market in China will grow in a healthy way," Liu said.

Wang Yuanyuan, founder and artistic director of Beijing Dance Theater, echoed Liu.

"It is a milestone for China to join such an intellectual property protection framework, which will not only give artists confidence to keep on creating but also benefit the audiences with authentic, high-quality art productions," said Wang, a renowned choreographer of contemporary ballet works, including Haze and Wild Grass.