HORAK RECHTSANWÄLTE · GERMAN SPECIALIST LAWYERS
Copyright and media law.
Specialist advice in Germany.
Protect creative work. Structure licences. Enforce rights. We advise businesses, creative industries and rights holders on German copyright, commercial exploitation and cross-border disputes.
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Hanover · Headquarters | Advice at our offices and by video conference
What would you like to resolve?
Explore 16 practical starting points for your publication, project or dispute. These guides explain German law and relevant European rules.
01
Copyright protection & rights clearance
Identify protected works, document authorship and check the chain of rights before publication.
02
Copyright licences & exploitation rights
Draft licences around your project, distribution channels, territory, duration and commercial objectives.
03
Photographs, image rights & stock licences
Clear photographic rights, licence conditions and the rights of people or works appearing in an image.
04
Music, sampling & podcasts
Separate rights in composition, lyrics, performances and recordings before using music commercially.
05
Film, television & streaming
Build a documented chain of rights from development to distribution and platform release.
06
Publishing, authors & press
Structure publishing agreements, royalties and secondary exploitation across print, audio and digital formats.
07
Software licensing & open source
Align development contracts, source-code access and component licences with deployment and distribution.
08
Games & digital content
Clear the rights in code, engines, artwork, music and performances throughout the game’s lifecycle.
09
Design, art & architecture
Assess protection, reproduction and alterations separately from ownership of the physical object.
10
Databases & scientific works
Distinguish database structure, investment protection, individual content and access conditions.
11
AI, training & text and data mining
Review input data, training, model use and published output as separate legal stages.
12
Social media, advertising & platforms
Align creator contracts, music and image permissions with each account, channel and advertising use.
13
Exceptions, quotations & adaptations
Identify a concrete statutory basis before using protected material without an individual licence.
14
Remuneration & collecting societies
Review royalties, statutory information rights, further remuneration and the scope of collective rights management.
15
Copyright infringement & cease-and-desist demands
Preserve evidence, check deadlines and assess injunction, information and damages claims separately.
16
Copyright litigation & international disputes
Choose proceedings according to urgency, evidence, commercial objectives and enforceability.
From rights clearance to enforcement
01 · Protection and ownership
Identify protected material, contributors, existing rights and the evidence supporting your position.
02 · Agreements and use
Match the licence to your commercial model, channels and territory, with clear remuneration and reporting.
03 · Disputes and proceedings
Assess claims, urgency, evidence and costs, then agree the appropriate negotiation or litigation strategy.
Our lawyers and patent attorneys
Michael Horak and Julia Ziegeler hold the German Fachanwalt qualifications in copyright and media law and in industrial property law. Our wider team brings complementary expertise. We agree the appropriate responsibility for your matter when accepting instructions.
Dipl.-Ing. Michael Horak, LL.M.
German lawyer · Certified specialist lawyer in copyright and media law (Germany) · Certified specialist lawyer in industrial property law (Germany)
Julia Ziegeler
German lawyer · Certified specialist lawyer in copyright and media law (Germany) · Certified specialist lawyer in industrial property law (Germany)
Anna Umberg, LL.M., M.A.
German lawyer · Certified specialist lawyer in industrial property law (Germany)
Katharina Gitmann-Kopilevich
German lawyer · Certified specialist lawyer in industrial property law (Germany)
Hanover is our headquarters. We also advise clients at our offices in Berlin, Bielefeld, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart, and by video conference. Office details in German →
Copyright developments and case-law archive
Our German-language news and archive cover decisions and practical developments in copyright and media law. Historical materials must be read in their legal context; they do not necessarily state the current law.
Discuss your matter
Contact us in English with a short description of your project or dispute, the parties involved and any running deadline. We will clarify responsibility, the scope of work and fees before starting substantive work.
Email your enquiry → · +49 511 357356-0
horak Rechtsanwälte · Georgstraße 48 · 30159 Hannover, Germany · Headquarters. Online appointment form (German).