Media & Entertainment

With the rapid pace of digitalisation, the media and entertainment industry has also been presented with new challenges in recent years. The convergence of media brings with it new formats, hybrid forms of marketing and new business models. Hitherto unknown business models must be based on a solid legal foundation. Creativity and an open mind on innovation, in addition to our team’s expertise, help us answer even unfamiliar questions of law competently and quickly.

Our range of advisory services

Distribution of content
  • Licensing of TV stations
  • Advising on feed-in agreements with cable companies
  • Advising on the distribution and marketing of content through diverse platforms, including pay TV, free TV, on-demand services and OTC services
  • Advising on media antitrust law
  • Advising on the purchase and sale of TV stations
  • Advising on licence and output agreements
  • Drafting contracts and advising on the permissibility of new formats
  • Advising on contractual agreements with the artists, influencers and owners of rights involved
  • Solving broadcasting law issues relating to telemedia
  • Advising on advertising activities, product placements and sponsorship
  • Drafting the contracts needed for reality TV shows and other formats
  • Advising on contracts in connection with TV projects
  • Advising on the protection of young people in media
Advertising and marketing
  • Advising on the purchase and marketing of advertising capacities
  • Advising on marketing contracts
  • Providing advice and drafting contracts for influencers, testimonials and affiliates
  • Reviewing planned advertising contributions or editorial content
  • Assisting with enforcing and defending against claims for unlawful advertising
  • Advising on using social media for corporate communications
  • Advising clients on setting up their own social media channels in conformity with the law
Platforms and communities

The world of platforms and communities is affected by multiple areas of law. We can provide advice and support in particular when financing and carrying out transactions and when dealing with regulatory issues, such as the Digital Service Act, and with matters relating to the users of the platforms, such as consumer protection requirements, the introduction, implementation and maintenance of pay systems, data protection compliance requirements, as well as licensing issues and everyday content issues.

  • Advising on the acquisition of, participation in and merger with existing platforms
  • Verifying the permissibility of contemplated business models for platforms and communities
  • Drafting general terms and conditions/general terms of use and privacy notices
  • Advising on advertising activities on platforms and in communities

Fore more information please click here >>

Games and gambling
  • Advising on gaming and Second Life
  • Advising on new business models and drafting the contracts needed for online games
  • Advising on setting up promising metaverse models
  • Advising on trademark protection in the virtual world
  • Examining new games for their conformity with the legislation on the protection of young people
  • Advising on in-game advertising
  • Carrying out assessments and developing solutions for combining gambling and gaming (loot boxes or similar items)
  • Advising on matters pertaining to competitions and gambling services
  • Answering questions of law relating to the Gambling Treaty between the German states (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag)
  • Designing legally compliant online gambling services

For more information please click here >>

Sports and sponsorship
  • Drafting sponsorship agreements for physical sporting events and e-sports and major events
  • Drafting contracts for and advising on the organisation of concerts
  • Advising on the protection of young people and on data protection
Digital media

Dual broadcasting system, regulation of media, reporting on suspicions, convergence of media, licensing of media content, as well as use of social media: media law is continually presented with new challenges as the media develop, raising new issues. With our expertise in the aforesaid areas and in other, closely related fields of law, we can solve such issues efficiently and expediently for our clients. When advising on new business models, we benefit greatly from our experience in digitalisation. 

  • Advising on the data protection aspects of media business models
  • Advising on merging and setting up platforms
  • Advising on how classic business models can be transformed for use in the area of digital media
  • Advising on setting up a platform for media content
  • Advising on the sale and marketing of online advertising space
  • Advising on the licensing and acquisition of content and rights of use on social media platforms
  • Drafting licence agreements for digital media

For more information please click here >>

Influencers

Influencers are an unknown variable in digital legal transactions and media marketing. We can provide comprehensive advice on all matters relating to influencers.

  • Advising on setting up an account
  • Advising on advertising agreements with influencers
  • Advising on permitted content on social media
  • Advising on marking posts in conformity with the law
  • Advising on the protection of industrial property and on licence infringements on social media
Broadcasting media and the press
  • Providing comprehensive advice and defence in connection with the freedom of expression
  • Advising on infringements of personality rights and infringements of the “right to one’s own image” in traditional and digital media
  • Providing advice and defence in connection with the reporting on suspicions in analogue and digital media
  • Pursuing and defending claims for information under press law
  • Drafting contracts with publishing houses, authors, actors and other people
  • Providing reputation management services by defending against campaigns in the broadcasting media and the press
  • Providing (extra)judicial representation in administrative proceedings where one of the parties involved is the media authority of a German state 
  • Advising on other legal issues relating to the Broadcasting Treaty between the German states (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag), the Media Treaty between the German states (Medienstaatsvertrag) and media regulations of individual German states
Press and publishing houses
  • Providing transaction advice
  • Providing (extra)judicial advice regarding personality claims
  • 24/7 monitoring of press enquiries (classification editorial content/advertisement)
  • Providing defence against and advice on reporting on suspicions
Litigation PR / legal PR

Matters capable of causing a media uproar increasingly require communicating via the media, in addition to legal argumentation, in order to ensure an accurate portrayal in the media. We can advise our clients on communications that have a legal aspect to them, including press releases, corrections or replies or communications in connection with social media.

  • Advising on legal communications, in particular upon infringement of industrial property rights
  • Advising on a comprehensive communication strategy via the media in antitrust cases
  • Judicial PR
  • Advising on reporting in the area of white-collar crime
  • Providing advice and litigation in the event of an infringement of rights on the internet
  • Providing legal online reputation management services
  • Defending against threats of reputational damage and negative campaigning on platforms, websites and social media
  • Advising on content theft

Key Contact >>

Key Contact

Dr Wulff-Axel Schmidt

Partner

T +49 69 27229 27078

Dr Stephan Rippert LL.M.

Partner

T +49 89 237140

Dr Michael Rath

Partner

T +49 221 9937 25795