New Media Services

The Newspaper Society offers a comprehensive range of new media, e-commerce and digital content services to its members, ranging from workshops, newsletters and surveys, to specialist legal advice and briefings, lobbying, and European representation.

The following services are provided by the PERA department:

Lobbying

The Newspaper Society puts forward the views of the newspaper industry on policy and proposed legislation under consideration at UK, European Union and international level.

The industry's objectives are affected by a range of political and regulatory initiatives including media ownership, intellectual property, consumer protection, e-commerce measures, data protection, crossborder controls, applicable law and jurisdictional issues, disputes mechanisms, law enforcement powers, advertising, sales and marketing law, contractual matters, defamation and press freedom issues, other legal and self regulatory controls.

Representation on EU and UK Industry Groups

• European Newspaper Publishers Association
• World Association of Newspapers
• Publishers Content Forum
• CBI, including CBI specialist committees and working groups
• Confederation of Information and Communications Industries (CICI)

Legal Advice

Legal advice is available to NS members, who subscribe to the relevant services on areas relating to newspaper companies' multi-media and on-line content and services.

Examples include:

• Media ownership and cross media ownership controls
• Contracts with consumers and business e.g. distance selling regulations, cross border issues
• Intellectual property including copyright, trademarks and passing off
• Competition law
• Impact of new legislation
• Data protection, RIP Act, related regulations and codes
• Legal and self-regulatory controls over on-line advertising, sales promotions, marketing
• Legal and self-regulatory controls over on-line editorial content, including defamation

Seminars and Conferences

The Department provides tailor-made seminars for newspaper companies, and organises annual editorial and marketing law conferences which feature issues of particular relevance to new media activities.

Newsletters and Briefings

The Department's newsletters, legal briefings and publications highlight matters relevant to on-line publication.