Media Services

Publishing

The advent of convergent media has created both threat and opportunity for the publishing sector.  Acquiring and exploiting rights is now a complex matter, and investing in new systems, processes and skills is challenging, but the potential is there for digital publication and cross-media deals which maximise the value of our clients' publishing assets.

At Wiggin we have been involved in several ground-breaking deals in which literary assets have been taken into new media; we have advised on joint ventures between publishers and gaming companies and film producers; we have developed financing arrangements for multimedia literary projects, and we have advised clients on their key deals with the major online ebook vendors.

Our strength is the ability to bring our in-depth knowledge of all other media sectors to bear in both negotiating and advising on cross-media and new media deals for publishers.  We also advise on the everyday contracts that all publishers depend on for their basic business: author contracts, illustrator contracts and book distribution agreements.  Our commercial team focuses on giving pragmatic advice which reflects the commercial reality of the deal while highlighting the legal issues to the extent our clients need to be aware of them.

Partner Alexander Ross leads the group and acts for a number of major and independent publishing brands on the commercial matters highlighted above, supported where necessary by media finance partner David Quli and corporate partner Adrian Jones.

Wiggin complements its commercial publishing practice with one of the UK’s leading contentious media law practices.