Media & Entertainment Law

Now in its sixth edition, this leading Media and Entertainment Law textbook continues to combine comprehensive coverage with rigorous analysis of a key area of the law.
The sixth edition has been comprehensively updated, reflecting in particular the enormous changes brought about by artificial intelligence and how it is influencing not only intellectual property law (e.g. music copyright), but also common law development in the UK, EU and US. Topics covered include the regulation of online harms, and new legislation in the form of the Online Safety Act 2023 and the Media Act 2024. This edition also looks across European borders to US legislation in areas such as copyright, internet regulation, defamation and contempt. Case law features noteworthy examples such as Vardy v Rooney - the Wagatha Christie Trial (2021), and other topics covered include tweeting jurors and contempt, and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex's legal actions against the tabloid press on phone hacking and invasion of privacy.
With a variety of pedagogical features to encourage critical thinking, this unique textbook is essential reading for media and entertainment law courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and an insightful resource for students and reflective practitioners of journalism, public relations and media studies.

Ursula Smartt is Associate Professor of Law at Northeastern University London and Boston, USA.