
Attorneys for Music Law in Germany: Legal Enforcement of Music Rights
ZELLER & SEYFERT is a German law firm with proficient litigators who have focused their legal expertise on the enforcement of music rights in Germany in and out of court. Head of the music law department of our law firm is Attorney Dr. Christian Seyfert, LL.M. (USA). Christian is a Certified Copyright & Media Law Specialist and a Certified IP Law Specialist. Christian has been representing international music clients in Germany for many years. He is a trusted expert in the enforcement of music rights in Germany. He is familiar with the international music business and speaks the music language of his clients.
Our music clients in particular are:
- Music publishers
- Record labels / record companies
- Music producers
- Music video producers
- Music studios
- Singers, songwriters, and musicians
- Music composers
- Film music composers
- Film music publishers
- Music managers and music agencies
- Music promoters
- Event promoters / event managers / event organizers
- Tour managers / tour promoters
- Performing artists and artist agencies
- Owners of music copyrights and neighboring rights
Typical cases of application / areas of music law in Germany:
- Copyrights & Copyright Litigation concerning music rights
- Copyright assignment of musical compositions
- Music about living persons and real events
- Privacy and Publicity rights of musicians and other celebrities (defamation, libel, slander, etc.)
- Image Law & Photo Law
- Music tours
- Music concerts
- Music Concert Agreements
- Music Concert and Tour Agreements
- Concert Agency Agreements
- Live Performance Agreements
- Musicals
- Broadway Cast Album Agreements
- Neighboring rights of record companies
- Music Sampling
- Cover versions of music compositions
- Music compositions used in commercials
- Music plagiarism
- Motion Picture Soundtracks
- Film Composing Agreements
- Music Synchronization Agreements
- Synch Licenses
- Master Use License Agreements
- Music Video Production Agreements
- Works made for hire
- Film Music Licensing Agreements
- Music-on-demand
- Streaming of music online
- Disputes about the song title or album title
- Ringtones
- Trademark Law
- Merchandising and Sponsorship
- Music royalties (collection and distribution)
- Music Income Participation Agreements
- Claims for commission of an artist agency
- Music Manager Agreements
- Head of Agreement
- Music Publishing Agreements
- Sub-publishing Agreements
- Exclusive Songwriter Agreements
- Co-Publishing Agreements
- Music Recording Agreements
- Recording Artist Agreements
- Demo Recording Agreements
- Music Track Licensing Agreements (master recording)
- Music Production Agreements
- Music Co-Production Agreements
- Internet Distribution Agreements (music)
- Webcast and Ancillary Rights Agreements
- Mechanical and Performing Rights Societies
- GEMA issues
- GVL issues
Legal Representation before the Copyright Courts and General Courts in Germany
ZELLER & SEYFERT is a German law firm with seasoned litigators who focus their forte on representing music clients in all facets of music law cases before German courts. Music law related disputes are reviewed in Germany by specialized courts for copyright litigation. The courts for copyright litigation decide, for example, disputes about music copyrights of music composers and music publishers as well as disputes about neighboring rights of record labels, record producers, singers, musicians, dancers and other performing artists. The German courts for copyright litigation also have jurisdiction over disputes concerning the neighboring rights of music promoters and music event managers.
The general German courts (civil departments) have jurisdiction, when issues of privacy and publicity, e.g. of music stars and other music celebrities, are at stake. The general German courts also have jurisdiction in cases concerning image law and photo law.
Legal Representation in Speedy Trials (Summary Proceedings)
In particularly urgent cases, our attorneys will rapidly enforce the music copyrights and neighboring rights of your music publishing company / record label in a speedy trial (summary proceeding) before the responsible German court. Speedy trials (summary proceedings) can also be initiated in Germany to preliminary enforce the neighboring of music promoters and music event organizers, singers, musicians and other performing artists. In case privacy and publicity rights of singers, music celebrities and performing artists are at stake, we will quickly seek an injunction against the infringing party on your behalf.
Our attorneys know the peculiarities of injunction proceedings in German and international music law disputes out of many years of experience before the German courts.
Cease and Desist Letters – Pre-Litigation Representation of Music Clients out of court
Copyright owners of music as well as claimants of all other forms of music related rights (singers, musicians, performing artists, music promoters and event organizers, record companies, music publishers, etc.) usually have the burden, according to German law, to send the infringing party a cease and desist letter out of court in order to inform the infringing party about its music law violations and in order to seek a possible settlement. Starting a lawsuit without prior informing the infringing party about its legal violations may otherwise have the consequence that you as the plaintiff have to pay the entire court fees and attorney fees of both sides even if you later win the lawsuit.
Defending Music Clients in Music Law Matters
If music law related claims have been asserted against you or your company, our attorneys will quickly evaluate the legal situation for you and your company. If you have already received documents from a German court or such documents have been served to you otherwise, a quick response by a German attorney is regularly necessary to meet all pending deadlines set by the court. Litigation is our attorneys’ forte. Our attorneys will defend you proficiently before German courts.
German and International Music Law Disputes
Music is international. Music is performed worldwide, broadcast on the radio, streamed across the internet and synched into the soundtrack of motion pictures. Musicians and singers are often celebrated and worshipped internationally. Music rights as well as neighboring rights of performing artists, record companies and event promoters are exploited internationally.
Our attorneys offer years of experience with complex music law litigation in German courts. They will evaluate if and to what extent German courts have jurisdiction in your music law case and if German law applies. Our attorneys will proficiently enforce your music rights in Germany.