Publishing

Overview

The publishing industry has gone through a period of radical evolution over the last two decades.

The traditional publishing business has faced, and continues to face, significant challenges, alongside which the exponential growth of digital publishing has provided many new opportunities.

Our publishing lawyers have a successful track record in helping our clients explore the challenges and opportunities within the industry. We are able to advise on traditional publishing contracts, put together robust commercial deals for the digital environment and we also advise and represent clients in a wide range of publishing-related disputes. The firm’s media expertise as a whole also means that we are particularly well-placed to advise on book-to-screen deals.

Our client list is an eclectic mix of authors, photographers, libraries, magazine groups, literary agencies, book publishers and trade organisations.

Expertise

Our areas of expertise include the following:

Publishing contracts (including author, illustrator and ghost-writer commissions)
Literary agents' agreements
Advising on commercial deal terms, including royalty rates
E-books, audio-books and podcasts
Literary estates
Clearances (including libel, privacy, data protection and copyright)
Supplier contracts
Merchandising agreements
Licensing arrangements (including book-to-screen deals)
Option agreements for film or TV adaptations of books
Digital distribution agreements
Publishing disputes (including breach of contract and royalty disputes)
Copyright, defamation, data protection and privacy disputes