美国当地时间2月17日,据外媒报道,中美双方就解决WTO电影相关问题的谅解备忘录达成协议。中国政府已同意将在原本每年20部海外分账电影的配额之外增加14部分账电影的名额,但必须是3D或IMAX电影,而其票房分账比例也将由此前的13%提高到25%。这也就意味着,未来将会有更多的美国影片进入中国影院与广大观众见面。
对此,白宫方面称此协议是两国自去年WTO电影相关问题争端后取得的“重大突破,而华特·迪士尼公司CEO鲍勃-伊戈尔(Bob Iger)也在第一时间表示,“对于世界超级人口大国的中国来说,此次协议的达成可谓意义重大,它将为中国观众提供更丰富的观影机会。
根据美国独立电影电视联盟(IFTA),中方将同意参照其他市场的比例,进行商业谈判发行许可事宜;此外,协议还包括了许多在其他地区被视为惯例的重要条款,例如审计权、分账许可、市场营销磋商以及起草法律以解决分歧等。对于影片的强制审查制度将被视为重大违约,对此由电影产权方与中方国有企业协商解决;中方还同意不再通过任何法律法规阻挠中国公司参与引进影片的发行活动。
根据白宫的统计,去年中国的电影总票房达到21亿美元,其中大部分来自3D影片的贡献;而根据此次双方的协议,未来不仅将会有更多的3D影片、IMAX影片等高新格式电影引进中国,而好莱坞几大巨头的垄断也将被打破,美国私人小型厂商也将在中国获得更多的发行机会,同时美国发行商的分账片分成比例也将提高。据悉,双方将在5年后对此项协议做出评审,如有必要,美国有权根据WTO条款寻求解决之道。
据《洛杉矶时报》报道称,美国媒体分析,此项协议的通过将会为美国电影产业带来每年数以亿计美元的收入增幅。在分账比例提高12%以后,每一部好莱坞电影有望在中国多获得2000万到4000万美元的票房提成,而3D和IMAX电影也将会在中国获得更高的收益。
此项协议只是国家副主席习近平于13日启程前往美国进行正式访问的一个收获,期间他不仅与美国副总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)就WTO中的电影相关问题达成协议,更在洛杉矶观看了NBA球赛;事实充分证明,习副主席的此次访问不仅关乎中美新时期新背景下的政治关系,更为两国的文化体育交流奠定了全新的契机。
China has agreed to "significantly" increase market access to US movies as part of outstanding issues following a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute, according to Vice President Joe Biden.
The deal, announced as Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping ended a US trip, will allow over 50 percent more US movies into China, added the Motion Picture Association (MPAA), while Biden did not put numbers on the increase.
Citing Biden, a White House statement said the deal will "allow significantly more job-supporting US film exports to China and provide fairer compensationto US film producers for the movies being shown there.
"This agreement with China will make it easier than ever before for US studios and independent filmmakers to reach the fast-growing Chinese audience, supporting thousands of American jobs in and around the film industry.
"At the same time, Chinese audiences will have access to more of the finest films made anywhere in the world," added Biden, who spent the day in Los Angeles with Xi, before the Chinese leader's departure.
The comments were made in a statement shortly before the end of Xi's five-day trip to the United States which began in Washington and Iowa before a final 36 hours in California.
The agreement allows more American exports to China of 3D, IMAX, and similar enhanced format movies "on favorable commercial terms," said the White House.
A Chinese quota system restricts the number of foreign movies coming into the country annually to 20. In 2009 the WTO ruled against Chinese limits on the import of films, DVDs, music and books, but little has changed.
The deal was welcomed by US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who said US studios and independent filmmakers see China "as one of their most important world markets.
"But barriers imposed by China and challenged by the United States in the WTO have artificially reduced the revenue US film producers received from their movies in the Chinese market," he said.
"This agreement will help to change that, boosting one of America's strongest export sectors in one of our largest export markets."
The Motion Picture Association (MPAA) also hailed the accord.
"This landmark agreement will return a much better share of the box office revenues to US studios, revising a two-decade-old formula that kept those revenues woefullyunder normal commercial terms," said MPAA boss Chris Dodd,
"It will put into place a mechanismthat will allow over 50 percent more US films into the Chinese market," he added.
"By promoting the growth of a legitimate marketplace for US movies in China, this agreement will also complement efforts to fight movie piracy and help protect the jobs of workers in both countries, whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy entertainment industry."
The Chinese film market is large and growing quickly; last year, box office revenue was up to $2.1 billion, much of it from 3D titles, which are a rapidly growing sector of the film industry, said the White House.
相关权威人士声音:
美国副总统乔·拜登:“此次同中方达成的协议将更加有助于美国片商和独立影人走进中国,这还将为美国电影及周边产业增加数以千计的就业机会。与此同时,处于快速增长中的中国观众也将欣赏到更多美国及全球各地的优质电影。
美国贸易代表Ron Kirk:“美国片商和独立影人都把中国当做全球最重要的市场,但由于中方强加的障碍人为导致美国电影人在中国市场的收入缩水,但此次达成的协议将改善这一现状,极大增强美国在自己最大电影出口市场的出口份额。
美国电影协会(MPAA)主席兼CEO Chris Dodd:“作为美国电影协会一直以来的首要任务,这是美国电影出口中国的一个重大进展,同时对于数以百万依赖于娱乐产业的工作者和商人来说,这都是一个天大的好消息。此次里程碑式意义的达成将会为美国片方带来丰厚的票房回报,还将改善引进机制,使得进入中国市场的美国影片涨幅超过50%。
美国独立电影电视联盟主席兼CEO Jean Prewitt:“对于独立影人而言,这项协议意义重大。在此之前,我们一直不能完全享受进口片的票房分账配额,发行渠道也受到限制。但随着双方协议的达成,商业基础的确立将促使更多独立制片人参与到中国市场之中;除了改善现有的分账比例体系,协议还将让中方允许当地企业获得电影发行业务,同时使审查制度和进口规定更加透明,获得与法国、德国在内的同类市场一样的机会。最最重要的,协议产生的改变将加速竞争性市场的发展,有助于中美双方独立电影产业的蓬勃发展。
(编辑:赵颖茹)
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