The media industry is still unsure of its role in the digital age. It’s both old news and tomorrow’s world. Whilst traditional players suffer from piracy, good content remains a key driver of success for new platforms. Media and technology businesses continue to converge as they innovate and develop, grappling to stay relevant and ensure their future is secured in today’s fast-changing landscape. Our job is to help them succeed.
Our long-standing background in technology, combined with a market-leading presence in media, gives us a unique insight into the issues the industry is facing. It means that we really understand what our media clients want when they are doing something new and we know how to craft a simple, workable path to get them there. What’s more, we are able to look ahead to identify the issues we think our clients are going to face into the future.
With dedicated specialists across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we live and breathe media in all its forms.
We provide expertise in all the following:
- Digital media publishing
- Broadcasting
- Content licensing and distribution
- Social media
- Regulatory
- Online, mobile and video games
- Music and entertainment
- Gambling
- Advertising, marketing and communications
- Broadcast technology and infrastructure
Heads of Group:
Matt Dennis in London and Stefan Engels in Hamburg
Recent highlights of work
- We advised BT Vision on content acquisition and distribution deals for their growing pay TV service
- We advised PRS for Music in the landmark CISAC case on pan-European music licensing
- We advised Warner Brothers on its award-winning use of social media for the French release of the last Harry Potter film
- We advise Yahoo! on a wide range of commercial matters, including the exploitation of user-generated content and its football highlights deal with the FA Premier League
- We advise international publisher Bauer Media on intellectual property, defamation and privacy law matters
- We acted in SABAM v Scarlet, a leading European decision on whether ISPs should have to monitor copyright-infringing content
- We provide ProSieben with the full range of media and regulatory advice
- We acted in Meltwater v Newspaper Licensing Agency, the UK case which determined royalty rates for online newspaper content
- We act for X5 Music, a leading digital label, on a wide range of commercial matters
- We acted for blinkx plc on its $30m acquisition of Burst Media, an online advertising services and technology business
Latest Accolades
The team is "responsive and imaginative," and clients appreciate that the lawyers are "able to tailor their service to our needs."
Chambers and Partners 2013
A “progressive and proactive team of lawyers who are brilliant communicators”.
Chambers and Partners 2012
“They know more about the industry than anyone else”
Chambers and Partners 2013