Media Law Resources

In order to offer a wide overview on media law in a comparative perspective, we have put together a list of web-based resources on legislation, case-law and scholarship from various jurisdictions around the world. Participants can access here a broad range of resources to start their research and explore the comparative approaches to media law in different regions.

We do not bear responsibility for the content of external websites; links to these resources are provided for sole educational purposes and for the users to have the option of evaluating the content at their discretion.

Africa

1.       A) Website name: www.allafrica.com (AllAfrica)

1. ICT section: http://allafrica.com/ict/?aa_source=main-nav-t2
2. Media section: http://allafrica.com/media/?aa_source=main-nav-t2
3. Legal Affairs section: http://allafrica.com/legalaffairs/?aa_source=main-nav-t2

B) Summary: This website is a repository of news pertaining to the African continent. It is divided by country and topic, allowing the reader to select news pertaining to the region and/or topic that interests her.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation:  No.

2.       A) Website name: http://www.ca-lr.org/index.php/databases/108-information-and-media-law (Zimbabwe media law database)

B) Summary: This website provides a database of scholarship pertaining to Zimbabwe and media law.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes

3.       A) Website name: http://www.mediafound.org/en/

B) Summary: This is the website of the Media Foundation of West Africa, an organization dedicated to promoting freedom of the press. The website contains news updates regarding information relevant to media law in West Africa.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

4.       A) Website name: http://www.kas.de/medien-afrika/en/publications/23503/

B) Summary: This is a link to a pdf containing the “Southern African Media Law Handbook.” This 432 page book on media law in Southern Africa contains both analysis and overview of relevant caselaw and legislation.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

5.       A) Website name: www.kenyalaw.org

B) Summary: This is a website that contains a searchable compilation of Kenya’s laws. In this compilation, there is some content pertaining to media issues.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E)  Legislation: Yes.

6.       A) Website name: http://www.saflii.org/content/south-africa-index

B) Summary: This is the website for the South African Legal Information Institute, which contains caselaw, legislation, and scholarship pertaining to the South African legal system. The information is searchable, allowing the user to navigate to pages pertaining to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

7.       A) Website name: http://www1.chr.up.ac.za/index.php/about-the-african-human-rights-case-law-database.html (African Human Rights Caselaw Database)

B) Summary: This is the website for “The Centre for Human Rights,” an organization that advocates for human rights in Africa. A section of the website contains the African Human Rights Caselaw Database, which provides users with caselaw pertaining to African human rights issues. In particular, there is a section devoted to freedom of expression, which contains much relevant African caselaw. Another section of the site contains the “Law of Africa Collection,” a repository of African legislation.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

8.       A) Website name: http://omec.uab.cat/Documentos/dades_med/0001.pdf

B) Summary: This is a link to “Media Legislation in Africa,” an article published by Guy Berger, in conjunction with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). It provides an overview of the existing media law regimes in several African nations, as comparison and critical analysis.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

9.       A) Website name:  http://www.acme-ug.org/media-laws

B) Summary: This is the website for the African Centre for Media Excellence, an organization dedicated to fostering good standards and practices in journalism. The website contains a section called “Freedom of Expression Resources,” which aggregates pdfs of important items of media law legislation, as well as relevant articles of scholarly analysis.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

10.   A) Website name: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/africa-media/09404.pdf

B) Summary: This is a pdf of the “Kenya 2012” report by the “African Media Barometer,” an organization that measures the media environment in African countries. It contains an overview of Kenya’s latest media legislation, as well as caselaw and analysis.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

11.   A) Website Name: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/africa-media/09427.pdf

B) Summary: This is a pdf of the “Uganda 2012” report by the “African Media Barometer,” an organization that measures the media environment in African countries. It contains an overview of Kenya’s latest media legislation, as well as caselaw and analysis.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

12.   A) Website name: http://www.fesmedia-africa.org/home/what-we-do/africa-media-barometer-amb/amb-country-reports/

B) Summary: This is the main page for the “African Media Barometer,” an organization that measures the media environment in African countries. This page contains links to the media reports on all the African countries covered by the AMB.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

13.   A) Website name: http://africanmediainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AMDI-Report-Tanzania.pdf

B) Summary: This is a link to the African Media Development Initiative’s report on Tazania. It contains an overview and analysis of Tanzania’s media laws.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

14.   A) Website name: http://www.scribd.com/doc/111575057/Cameroon-Public-Broadcasting-in-Africa-Afrimap-2012

B) Summary: This is a link to the Open Society Foundation’s “Public Broadcasting in Africa: Cameroon” report. This report provides an overview and analysis of Cameroon’s public broadcasting laws.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

15.   A) Website name: http://www.scribd.com/doc/119937867/News-and-New-Media-in-Central-Africa%E2%80%94Challenges-and-Opportunities

B) Summary: This is a link to the Open Society Foundation’s “News and New Media in Central Africa” report. This report provides an overview and analysis of the media policies in Central African nations.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

16.   A) Website name: http://www.scribd.com/doc/99631825/Digital-Media-Conflict-and-Diaspora-in-the-Horn-of-Africa

B) Summary: This is a link to the Open Society Foundation’s “Digital Media, Conflict and Diasporas in the Horn of Africa” report. This report provides an overview and analysis of the media law policies in the countries clustered around the Horn of Africa.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

17.   A) Website name: http://www.africafoicentre.org/index.php/en/

B) Summary: This is the website for “Africa Freedom of Information Centre,” an organization that advocates for freedom of information in Africa. This website contains updates regarding the latest legislation affecting freedom of information in Africa.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

Americas

1.       A) Website name: http://www.dmlp.org/ (Digital Media and Law Project; formerly, the Citizen Media Law Project)

B) Summary: Sponsored by Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, this site is a repository of information concerning United States media law, business law, and intellectual property law. It also catalogues court cases it considers to represent threats to free speech.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes

E) Legislation: Yes.

2.       A) Website name: http://www.bna.com/media-law-reporter-p5934/  (Bloomberg Media Law Reporter)

B) Summary: A subscription service, Bloomberg Media Law Reporter provides up to date coverage of American judicial rulings and legislation concerning media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

3.       A) Website name: http://journlaw.com/

B) Summary: This is a blog maintained by a journalist who posts about media law issues in America.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

4.       A) Website name: www.medialaw.org/ (Media Law Resource Center)

B) Summary: This is the website of the Media Law Resource Center, an organization that advocates for freedom of the press in the United States. It is a subscription-based service that contains guides to the caselaw and legislation pertaining to media law in the various jurisdictions in the United States.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

5.       A) Website name: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/library/research/guides/communications.cfm#b-proposed-federal-legislation (Communications Law Research Guide)

B) Summary: This website is Georgetown Law Library’s Communications Law Research Guide. Though mostly subscription-based, it contains some free resources allowing users to access US caselaw and legislation pertaining to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes

 6.       A) Website name: www.nab.org

B) Summary: This is the website for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), an organization of American media companies. The website contains timely updates about media law issues, as well as an overview of the state of those issues in the field.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

7.       A) Website name: http://www.caricomlaw.org/

B) Summary: This is a website that compiles legislation and treaties from Caribbean nations. It contains information relevant to media law, as well as other practice areas.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

8.       A) Website name: http://www.law.cornell.edu/

B) Summary: This is the website for the “Legal Information Institute,” an organization based at Cornell University. This website posts many items of U.S. statutory and constitutional law, including the United States Code and the United States Constitution.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

9.       A) Website name: http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Legislative/legislative.html#leginstitutions

B) Summary: This is a database of the laws of Latin American countries. This database contains legislation relevant to media law.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

Asia

1.       A) Website name: http://chinacopyrightandmedia.wordpress.com/china-media-law-database/#comments

B)  Summary: This blog provides analysis of Chinese court decisions, legislation, and legal scholarship pertaining to the entertainment and media industries.  It allows the reader to access the original Chinese document, the English-language translation, and the author’s analysis.

C)  Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

2.       A) Website name: http://www.thenewsmanual.net/

B) Summary: Managed by an Australian journalist, this website provides an overview of Australian media law, especially as it would apply to journalists.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

3.       A) Website name: http://www.vietnamlaws.com/

B) Summary: Operated by Allens and Linklaters, this is a subscription-based service that compiles legislation and caselaw from Vietnam. Though it covers Vietnamese law broadly, the website contains a section pertaining especially to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

4.       A) Website name:  http://www.paclii.org/

B) Summary: This website is a database containing caselaw and legislation from various Pacific Island nations. It does not pertain to media law specifically, but there are, contained within the database, many items of legislation and judicial opinions pertaining to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

5.       A) Website name: http://www.cebucitizenspresscouncil.org/ (Philippines media law news)

B) Summary: This is the website of the Cebu Citizens Press Council, an organization dedicated to protecting freedom of the press in the Philippines.  Though this website does not provide a searchable database of legislation or caselaw, it offers news updates about issues pertaining to media law in the Philippines.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

6.       A) Website name: http://www.asianlii.org/mo/legis/laws/btl255/ (Macau Telecommunications Laws)

B) Summary: This website lists the 71st Article of the Basic Law of the Special Administrative Region of Macao, which is the nation’s Basic Telecommunications Law.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

7.       A) Website name: http://www.indlaw.com/ (Indian Law database)

B)  Summary: This subscription-based database contains a compilation of Indian caselaw, legislation and scholarship. Though the database does not pertain to media law specifically, there are, contained within the database, many items of legislation and judicial opinions pertaining to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

8.       A) Website name: http://cyberlawsinindia.blogspot.co.uk/

B) Summary: This is a blog about developments in Indian cyberlaw policy. Though it does not specifically provide caselaw or legislation, it offers timely updates about Indian cyberlaw.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

9.       A) Website name: http://www.asianlii.org/

B) Summary: This is the website of the Asian Legal Information Institute. It provides a database of caselaw and legislation, from both national courts and supranational bodies (e.g., APEC, ASEAN, etc.). It contains information relevant to media law, as well as other practice areas.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

Europe

1.       A) Website name: www.media-pravo.info (note: Russian language website)

B) Summary: This website is a repository of Russian legalisation and caselaw pertaining to media issues. It contains extensive caselaw; one particular jurisdiction provided the website with every media law ruling it has issued in the past 10 years.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

2.       A) Website name: http://www.epi-medieninstitut.de/LEGAL-BASICS_en.html (EU media law database)

B) Summary: This website provides a repository of media legislation pertaining to European Union nations.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

3.       A) Website name: http://www.anem.rs/en.html

B) Summary: This is the website for ANEM, the Association for Independent Electronic Media, an association of mainly Serbian media companies that advocates for freedom of expression in Southeast Europe. The website contains timely news updates about media law issues in Southeast Europe, as well as selected items of legislation.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

4.       A) Website name: http://www.internews.ba/sites/default/files/attachments/Media%20law%20in%20BiH%20eng.pdf

B) Summary: This is the link to an online version of “Media Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” a work of scholarship that addresses issues concerning caselaw and legislation pertaining to media law in Southeast Europe.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

5.       A) Website name: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/

B) Summary: This is a website that contains the laws of the European Union, with versions in the language of each member nation.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

Middle-East

1.       A) Website name: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Communication/Pages/ict-survey-arab-states.aspx

B) Summary: This is a link to a survey conducted by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) that details that extent to which information communication technology (ICT) has been integrated into the education infrastructure in Arab countries.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

International  

1.       A) Website name: www.mediadefence.org (Media Legal Defence Initiative)

B) Summary: the Media Legal Defence Initiative is a group that advocates for freedom of the press. In addition to information about its activities, the MLDI’s website contains breaking news about violations of freedom of the press from around the world.

C)  Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

2.       A) Website name: http://www.bna.com/world-communications-regulation-p6797/  (Bloomberg World Communications Regulation Report)

B) Summary: A subscription service, Bloomberg World Communications Regulation Report provides up to date coverage of international judicial rulings and legislation concerning media law and the convergence of communications. It also provides analysis and scholarship.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

3.       A) Website name: http://www.bna.com/telecommunications-monitor-p6714/ (Bloomberg Telecommunications Monitor)

B) Summary: A subscription service, Bloomberg Telecommunications Monitor provides up to date coverage of judicial decisions and legislation affecting the telecommunications industry. It also provides scholarship and analysis.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

4.       A) Website name: http://www.cpu.org.uk (CPU Media Trust)

B) Summary: This is the website of the CPU Media Trust, an organization that advocates for press freedom. It contains timely updates about issues pertaining to media law and press freedom.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

5.       A) Website name: www.ifex.org

B) Summary: This is the website for the IFEX Network, an international network that advocates for free expression. The website contains news updates about attacks on free expression from around the world, with the news divided by section between access to information, attacks, censorship, digital rights, freedom of assembly, free expression and the law, and impunity.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

6.       A) Website name: http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/about.htm

B) Summary: This is the website for NYU Law GlobaLex, a project that endeavours to compile research pertaining to international law. Truly global in its reach, this is a database pertaining to countries from around the world, containing caselaw, legislation, and scholarly research.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

F) Note additional resource: http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/african_law.htm. This link should direct the user to the area of the site that relates specifically to African law. On this page, there is a database that contains a section with media law relevant to Africa.

7.       A) Website name: http://cima.ned.org/tools-and-resources/country-profiles

B) Summary: This is the website for the Center for International Media Assistance, an organization that advocates for freedom of the press. This website is especially useful because it provides country-by-country indexes for press freedom and media sustainability. In these indexes, there is an overview of the existing media law regime in each country, providing a synthesis of caselaw and legislation.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

8.       A) Website name: http://en.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/handbook.pdf

B) Summary: This is a link to a pdf of the “Handbook for Journalists,” a guide to international media law produced by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and Reporters Without Borders.  It contains information concerning international legislation protecting journalists, as well as analysis of these laws.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

9.       A) Website name: http://www.comminit.com/global

B) Summary: This is the website for the Communication Initiative Network, an organization that addresses international development issues. The site contains timely news updates about issues affecting freedom of expression and related media law concerns.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

10.   A) Website name: http://www.freemedia.at/regions/africa/

B) Summary: This is the website for the International Press Institute, an organization that advocates for freedom of the press. The website contains timely news updates about freedom of the press issues from around the world.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

11.   A) Website name: http://i-m-s.dk/annualreport2012/work.html

B) Summary: This is a link to a pdf of the annual report of International Media Support, an organization that advocates for freedom of the press. This report contains an overview and analysis of the media law regimes in nations around the world.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

12.   A) Website name: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/official-documents/

B) Summary: This is a link to the “Communication and Information” section of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) website. It contains information concerning UNESCO’s strategy to promote freedom of expression around the world. Relevantly, it contains information pertaining to legislation and caselaw affecting all manner of media issues.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

13.   A) Website name: http://www.mediapolicy.org/

B) Summary: This is the website for Media Policy, an organization that works in partnership with the Media Program of the Open Society Foundation. This website collates research concerning information communication technology, often addressing issues concerning media law in developing countries.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: No.

14.   A) Website name: http://www.ictparliament.org/legislationlibrary

B) Summary: ICT Parliament is a website that compiles the latest Information Communication Technology (ICT) legislation and caselaw. Specifically, it contains a database that is divided by category of ICT caselaw or legislation (e.g., cybercrime, freedom of information, etc.).

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

15.   A) Website name: http://www.cybercrimelaw.net/Cybercrimelaw.html

B) Summary: This is a website that aggregates the latest news and legislation concerning cybercrime. It contains links to legislation passed from jurisdictions around the world.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

16.   A) Website name: http://www.legislationline.org/topics/topic/3

B) Summary: This is the section of “Legislationline,” a website that posts international guidelines for legislation concerning human rights, that addresses access to information and data protection. It contains legislation from many countries, as well as international lawmaking bodies, that concerns access to information.

C) Caselaw: No.

D) Scholarship: No.

E) Legislation: Yes.

17.   A) Website name: http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.php

B) Summary: This is a giant database that contains links to legislation, caselaw, and scholarship from jurisdictions around the globe.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.

18.   A) Website name: http://www.worldlii.org/

B) Summary: This is the website for the “World Legal Information Institute.” It contains legislation, caselaw, and scholarship from around the world. Some of this material is relevant to media law.

C) Caselaw: Yes.

D) Scholarship: Yes.

E) Legislation: Yes.