JUVE Handbook 2022/23

“Media - contract and copyright law
Assessment: the Hamburg media law firm is firmly anchored in the film production and publishing industries. Serving numerous German and international production companies, the firm provides legal advice on all issues arising in connection with film productions, including financing and subsidy issues and, above all, reviews of scripts. In particular for the latter, the firm's press law expertise is a valuable asset, for example if publicity or privacy rights must be reviewed. Having little competition in the market, Rauda has established himself as a games expert, advising primarily German market participants, such as InnoGames, on all issues arising in this industry, including IT and data privacy law. The firm's know-how is also tapped in the transaction business on a regular basis. A good example is the long-time client Daedalic Entertainment, which Graef recently advised on a share deal.

Strengths: Extensive experience with TV and film productions, reviews of scripts.

Frequently recommended: Dr. Christian Rauda („he always manages to explain the most complex issues in understandable terms and to offer practical solutions," client), Dr. Ralph Graef.

Specialties: Advising film and TV companies, publishing houses and the games industry. Copyright law, licensing. Artists and copyright holders, including litigation. Also press law.

Clients: InnoGames (legal advice on all games-related legal issues); a&o Buero Filmproduktion (legal advice on film production-related legal issues for various projects); estate of Michael Ende (legal advice on remake rights); Daedalic Entertainment (ongoing legal advice on all games- related legal issues, and on share sale to Nacon); The Astrid Lindgren Company (legal advice on international copyrights and model proceedings in connection with various film agreements and film music; ongoing: BeamNG, brave new work filmproductions, BytroLabs, East Side Games, Docdays Productions, Filmförderung HH Schleswig-Holstein, Giants Software, MindPeak, Network Movie, Nordmedia, Quantumfrog, Sviper, Oetinger publishing group; the firm provides legal advice for a British film production and the marketing of film projects; the firm also advises a U.S. film studio on a feature film production.

Press law and freedom of speech
Assessment: Few law firms are as heavily involved in press law reviews of books and scripts. The firm’s founding partner Graef skillfully uses his contacts to German and international film production business in this connection. Some of them have relied on the firm's media law know-how for many years. One example is the publishing house Kamphausen, which most recently retained the firm to perform a press law review of the Monsanto Affair project. In addition, the firm regularly represents affected companies as well as publishing houses in classic press law disputes, for example the New York Times in a dispute with tennis pro Zverev.

Team: total number of media law attorneys: 2 partners, 6 associates.

Specialties: legal advice for publishing houses and affected parties.

Clients: Cambridge University Press (ongoing legal advice on press law issues); New York Times (representation in press law dispute with Alexander Zverev); Kamphausen Media (press law book review); urban development project (legal advice on press law issues and cooperation agreements); Oxford University Press (various press law book reviews); Penguin Random House (various script reviews); manufacturer of natural cosmetic products (representation in dispute with Recherchenetzwerk Deutschland).”