Lawyer for media & communications law: press, platforms
For companies with public visibility – press, platform content and sensitive corporate communication. Your lawyer for media & communications law (Medien- und Kommunikationsrecht) at ITMR supports you with press enquiries, platform content and corporate communication.
Media & communications law for visibility, content, platforms and economically sensitive communication
With this main area, ITMR Rechtsanwälte offers the right starting point when public communication, published content, platform access, rights to content or reputation-related conflicts converge.
Often it is not yet clear at that point which specialist page covers the case most precisely. For mixed situations involving media, data protection and platform law, our interactive map of practice areas shows which areas interact.
This is where the classification begins when a communications or content case has become economically relevant, but it is still open whether media law, press law, copyright law, social media law or a narrower specialist route is the main one. Especially in mixed situations, the right professional starting point is often more important than the first individual measure.
Typical occasions are critical reporting, a blocked business account, an unclear chain of title, a creator or campaign set-up, digital damage to reputation and platform and DSA procedures.
Go directly to the core hub media law · View contacts in the team
Responsible for content: Jean Paul P. Bohne, Fachanwalt für IT-Recht (certified specialist lawyer for IT law), Fachanwalt für Urheber- und Medienrecht (certified specialist lawyer for copyright and media law), AI Officer (DEKRA), reviewed on 23 October 2026 (German version)
Quick start: what is your matter about?
Typical starting points
Where communications cases begin.
The most important routes
Media, press, copyright, social media.
Where which situation leads
From the occasion to the specialist page.
Avoid misclassification
Where cases are classified incorrectly.
Your contact: Jean Paul P. Bohne, LL.M., MM
Partner, certified specialist lawyer for copyright and media law and for IT law (Fachanwalt für Urheber- und Medienrecht, Fachanwalt für IT-Recht).
What happens after your enquiry?
After your enquiry, we will get back to you within 24 hours on working days. The first contact is free of charge. Costs do not arise without our prior express notice.
- A short description is enough. Describe the publication, platform or chain of title. Links, screenshots and deadlines are helpful.
- Receipt and initial sorting. We assess the enquiry on the basis of the project described, the documents and the apparent goal. Deadlines and dates should be clearly recognisable.
- Suitable starting point and cost range. We clarify whether an initial consultation, a service package or a specific mandate is the next step. As soon as the scope of the review is clear, we tell you the cost range – before work begins.
Typical cases from our practice
The following scenarios are abstracted and simplified. Which solution holds up always depends on the specific facts and the contractual situation.
PlatformBusiness account blocked
- Starting point
- A platform blocks the company account.
- Key difficulty
- Reach and revenue collapse.
- Our work
- We use platform and DSA procedures.
- Work result
- An orderly path to reinstatement.
Simplified example.
ContentUnclear chain of title
- Starting point
- Content is to be exploited several times.
- Key difficulty
- Rights of use are unclear.
- Our work
- We review copyright and licensing.
- Work result
- Robust exploitation.
Simplified example.
Typical constellation from practice
Critical reporting
- This is often how it looks:
- A media outlet plans or publishes a report.
- What it depends on:
- Statements and use of images are disputed.
- How we approach it:
- We classify the matter under press and media law.
- The work result:
- A clear line of response.
Illustrative scenario; it shows how we work and does not describe any specific case.
What you will have at the end
| Service | Concrete result | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Press | Reporting and statements | Send the article and deadlines |
| Platform | Blocks and DSA | Send screenshots and decisions |
| Content | Copyright and licences | Submit contracts |
| Reputation | Digital damage to reputation | Collect links |
| Campaign | Creators and advertising | Describe the campaign plan |
When you need us
Not every communications problem is already neatly defined. Usually an economically tangible situation comes first. From there, the route has to be right.
Continue to Press & statements.
Reporting, injunctions, counter-statements
When articles, headlines, picture reporting, suspicion situations or press-related urgent proceedings form the core, the way usually leads to press law (Presserecht).
Platforms & reach
Business accounts, moderation, community, creator set-ups
When a channel, profile, platform decision, labelling or loss of reach triggers the actual problem, social media law is usually the more precise starting point.
Content & rights
Works, rights of use, cease-and-desist letters (Abmahnung), exploitation
When protectability, licensing situation, ownership of rights or copyright attacks and defence are in the foreground, copyright law is often the main area.
Reputation
Fake profiles, review pressure, search results, digital attacks
When visibility must be stabilised, deleted or contained, the reputation-related deletion and enforcement path is often more direct than a general classification.
Exploitation
Chain of title, buy-out, clearance, sublicensing
If the conflict lies in the economically robust usability of the content rather than in the publication, licensing leads closer to the solution.
Campaigns & communication
Approvals, marketing processes, cross-channel communication
When campaign, approval process, claims, assets and response channels must be considered together, marketing law often becomes the most relevant follow-up.
The most important routes in this area
The main area serves for orientation. The professional depth lies on the pages that really cover the case.
Core hubs
Broad main page for publications, platforms, reviews, reputation protection and visible corporate communication.
The more precise route for disputes over reporting, identifying publication, counter-statements and injunctions.
The right in-depth area for works, ownership of rights, rights of use, cease-and-desist letters, urgent proceedings and exploitation conflicts.
For platform communication, business accounts, creator structures, labelling, community processes and risks to reach.
Important specialist routes
- Image & photo law For image use, personal reference, stock material, archive holdings and AI-related image workflows.
- Film law For production, clearance, approvals, exploitation, streaming and audiovisual chains of title.
- Music law For contracts, chains of title, platform exploitation, sampling, synchronisation and AI in music workflows.
- Publishing law For publishing contracts, royalties, digital publications, ancillary rights and backlist exploitation.
- Influencer law For creator contracts, labelling obligations, platform rules and conflicts between influencers, agencies and brands.
- Fashion law For collections, design protection, licence and cooperation agreements, product labelling and distribution in the fashion industry.
- Conflict resolution & mediation For out-of-court solutions when media, contract or project conflicts are to be settled quickly and confidentially.
For cooperation models, labelling, defence against attacks and contract logic around creator campaigns.
For regulated communications services, TKG (German Telecommunications Act) questions, infrastructure, information obligations and sector-specific procedures.
Check your situation yourself first
With these checks (in German) you can assess your situation yourself in advance. The result does not replace legal advice, but it shows where you should take a closer look.
Press and communications check
Classify press enquiries, reports and your own communication in advance.
Review and reputational damage check
Check whether action can be taken against a review or statement.
Image rights/AI image/asset check
Clarify whether you may use images, AI images and other assets with legal certainty.
The basics explained clearly
These articles (in German) explain the basic concepts of this area and remain valid beyond individual decisions.
Photo published without consent: what is permitted (in German)
You will learn when the KUG (German Art Copyright Act) allows publication without consent and which claims remain.
Statements damaging to business: claims and burden of proof (in German)
The article shows which claims companies have against negative statements and who has to prove what.
Copyright and freelancers (in German)
This is about who holds the rights to the work results of freelance creatives.
Post copied: copyright in social media texts (in German)
It explains when even a short post is protected and what you can demand in the event of a copy.
Where which situation typically leads
The focus is on the question of what actually carries the case, rather than the abstract area of law.
When the publication itself is the core
Then press law or media law usually dominate
If it is mainly about articles, interviews, picture reporting, counter-statements, injunctions, balancing freedom of communication against personality protection or journalistic preliminary questions, press law is usually the sharper route. If the situation remains broader and combines reporting with platform or reputation questions, media law is often the main area.
When platform practice is the core
Then the case often leads to social media law
If it is about business accounts, moderation, blocks, terms, notice procedures, community management, creator set-ups or channel-related communication risks, social media law is closer to the operational problem. In the event of acute loss of access, the direct path via social media account blocking can also make sense.
When rights and exploitability are the core
Then the situation often tips into copyright law or licensing
If, instead of the statement, the usability of the content becomes uncertain, it is usually about the work, ownership of rights, scope of use, buy-out, clearances, multiple use or sublicensing. Then copyright law and licensing & rights clearance lead more quickly to the actual lever.
When the external impact tips
Then reputation protection often counts before general classification
Fake profiles, search results, review attacks, coordinated campaigns or continuing digital damage to reputation usually require rapid deletion and containment logic. Then reputation protection is often the more direct route. Media or press law questions run alongside there if necessary.
When campaigns and claims are the core
Then advertising and market conduct questions are often closer
Where advertising statements, price advantages, promotions, product communication or cross-channel approvals form the focus, the situation often shifts from the media area into advertising law, competition law or marketing law.
When the industry and type of work are the core
Then industry-specific specialist pages are the better follow-up
For audiovisual productions, catalogues, publications or image archives, film law, music law, publishing law or image & photo law often provide the actual depth.
Interfaces and typical misclassifications
The most expensive mistakes often arise where a case is placed too broadly or in the wrong place.
Not everything is automatically media law
If the problem lies in the protection of works, the chain of title or the scope of the licence, a general media starting point is often too broad. Then copyright law or licensing are a better fit.
Not every communications question is press law
Press law is narrower. Where platform rules, reach, business accounts or creator structures dominate, social media law or media law is more relevant.
Not every campaign is only advertising law
Creator campaigns, image use, buy-outs, reposts and platform-based distribution often touch influencer marketing, image & photo law and social media law at the same time.
Platform cases often need procedural logic
Notice-and-action, blocks, notices, complaint procedures and questions of competence often require substantive law and, in addition, a robust sequence of documentation, platform communication and building up pressure.
Reputation is rarely only a communications problem
Digital attacks affect visibility, sales, financing, HR and search environments at the same time. This is why media, platform and enforcement questions often converge in reputation protection.
Borderline cases with regulation and infrastructure
Where communications services themselves are regulated, the professionally correct route leads to telecommunications law rather than to general communications law.
Official guard rails that often play a role in this area
Not every case needs the same provisions. However, some official bases appear particularly often in the media and communications environment.
Freedom of opinion, information and the press
For publication-related conflicts, Art. 5 GG (German Basic Law) (opens in a new tab) forms the constitutional framework in which freedom of communication and opposing protected positions are balanced.
Right to one's own image
For picture reporting, campaign motifs, event photos or archive use, § 22 KunstUrhG (German Art Copyright Act) (opens in a new tab) and § 23 KunstUrhG (opens in a new tab) are often central anchor points.
Rights of use and exploitation
Where the transfer of rights, licence scope and economically robust use are concerned, § 31 UrhG (German Copyright Act) (opens in a new tab) is one of the most important bases in practice.
Platform procedures and digital services
For blocks, notices, hosting and notice-and-action constellations, the Digital Services Act (opens in a new tab) and the German supervisory framework via the Digital Services Coordinator at the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) (opens in a new tab) often play a role.
Current classification and further articles
Two case law atlases organise the body of decisions; the other articles deal with current developments and typical practical questions. The situations themselves are covered on the core pages press law, image and photo law and reputation protection.
Case law atlas
Law on statements (Äußerungsrecht): decisions in ten review steps (in German)
Reference work for classification, burden of proof and balancing. Key holdings from decisions of the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court), the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH, Federal Court of Justice) and the Higher Regional Courts, arranged by review sequence.
Case law on press enquiries (in German)
Decisions on the deadline for comment, confrontation and the duty to research in chronological order, from the beginnings to the most recent decision of the Federal Court of Justice.
Platform liability
BGH on the responsibility of social media platform operators for fake news (in German)
A helpful article for cases in which platforms, personality rights and proactive deletion obligations converge.
DSA
Application of the Digital Services Act (in German)
Useful when notice-and-action, hosting providers and the new EU procedural logic shape the case.
Protection of minors
Social media only from 15 (in German)
For platforms, games and AI companions: what Art. 28 DSA requires today and what the European Commission's proposal would change, with an implementation plan.
Account access
Account blocked: Facebook, Instagram, X blocked – what to do? (in German)
An obvious follow-up text for operational cases around business accounts, blocks and platform decisions.
ITMR in this area
Media and communications questions are rarely purely journalistic. Often, publication, platform logic, chain of title, economic exploitation and contentious enforcement run at the same time. This is precisely why a team that considers these interfaces early counts.
What this main area is for in practice
- making the professionally correct starting point visible for mixed communications situations
- prioritising cleanly between media law, press law, social media law, copyright law and specialist subjects
- not artificially separating platform, publication, exploitation and reputation questions
- leading quickly from orientation to the most relevant in-depth area or measure
Obvious contacts
The obvious choice at the interface of media, IT, platform and procedure-related communications situations.
- Anna Ciuraj Particularly close to media, press, copyright and production-related constellations.
- Dr. Marianna Voutichti, LL.M. The obvious choice for media, press, copyright and publication-related conflicts.
- Emma-Marie Kürsch Strong at content, trade mark, publication and social media-related interfaces.
- Timocin Can The obvious choice for social media, platform, telecommunications and digitally shaped procedural situations.
- Otto Weidenkeller The obvious choice for social media, e-commerce, influencer and copyright-related transitions.
Key terms
- Media law
- Law on the publication and dissemination of content.
- Press law
- Law on reporting and statements.
- Chain of rights
- Proof of the rights of use in content.
- DSA
- The EU Digital Services Act for platform procedures.
These terms explain the language used on this page. What matters is always the specific individual case.
Provisions and reliable sources
The following statutory provisions and regulations are cited on this page.
| Provision | Content | Practical significance |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 5 GG | Grundgesetz (German Basic Law) | Freedom of opinion, information and the press. |
| §§ 22, 23 KunstUrhG | Kunsturhebergesetz (German Art Copyright Act) | Right to one's own image. |
| § 31 UrhG | Urheberrechtsgesetz (German Copyright Act) | Rights of use and exploitation. |
| Digital Services Act | Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 | Platform procedures and notice-and-action. |
Articles on media law and the law on statements
These articles help when reports, press enquiries or statements need to be classified legally.
Taking action against a media report: claims and deadlines (in German)
The article shows which claims to injunctive relief, counter-statement and correction exist after a media report and which deadlines apply.
Press enquiry received: deadline, statement, strategy (in German)
It explains how companies and executives deal with a catalogue of questions from the press and the deadline set.
Suspicion reporting: when editors themselves are liable (in German)
This is about when editors, in addition to the publisher, are liable for impermissible suspicion reporting.
Law on statements: 59 decisions in ten review steps (in German)
The overview organises 59 decisions on the law on statements in ten review steps, from fact and value judgement to legal consequence.
Frequently asked questions
The following answers are intended for quick classification. Which route and which measure is economically viable always depends on the facts, the evidence, the time factor and the publication environment.
When do I start here and when directly with media law?
This main page is the right starting point when it is clear that the case belongs in the media and communications environment, but it is not yet certain whether media law, press law, social media law, copyright law or a specialist route carries the focus. If it is already clear that publication, platform, reputation and visible communication form the broad axis of the case, media law leads more directly into the professional depth.
When is a case more a matter of press law?
Press law is closer when reporting, journalistic diligence, catalogues of questions, identifying publication, counter-statements, injunctions, picture reporting or urgent legal protection under the law on statements carry the situation. Then press law is usually the more precise route than a general media starting point.
When does the situation tip into copyright law or licensing?
If, instead of the statement itself, protectability, ownership of rights, scope of use, buy-out, sublicensing, archive use, multiple exploitation or the chain of title are uncertain, the focus is often on copyright law or licensing & rights clearance. This applies in particular to content projects, productions, campaigns and platform distribution.
What role do platform rules and the DSA play?
For blocks, notices, hosting and notice-and-action procedures or the responsibility of platforms, a procedural framework of platform rules, documentation, escalation logic and the DSA often runs alongside today. Then social media law, media law or, for operational implementation in the company, a specialised DSA route is often useful.
Classifying media & communications law correctly at ITMR
If the case is already under time pressure, an artificial early commitment to the wrong sub-topic is not worthwhile. Quick sorting makes more sense: publication, platform, chain of title, reputation, campaign or exploitation. From there, the way leads to the professionally correct follow-up route.
Obvious follow-up routes: media law, press law, copyright law, social media law, reputation protection, marketing law.
Legal status: 23 October 2026. This overview provides initial orientation and does not replace a review of the specific case.
Responsible for content: Jean Paul P. Bohne, Fachanwalt für IT-Recht (certified specialist lawyer for IT law), AI Officer (DEKRA), reviewed on 23 October 2026 (German version)