Olswang has a leading and well-established team advising the publishing sector across the book, magazine and newspaper businesses. Our book industry clients include trade, educational and business publishers.

The sector is a challenging environment. Margins are tight and business models are being disrupted by radical changes in the way content is distributed and consumed.

Publishers need advice which is nimble and responsive, and professionals who understand the technology and business models which the digitisation of written content has brought to the industry, and ways of procuring and protecting the audiovisual and interactive content with which "traditional" publishers are now engaging. 

Our lawyers provide this across all of the publishing industry's needs: transactional, regulatory, advisory and dispute resolution.

Our intellectual property team clears content and advises on the protection of brands.

Our commercial lawyers advise on publishing and distribution agreements, as well as the complexities of agreements with digital resellers and direct supply to customers.

Our reputation management lawyers carry out pre-publication review to avoid the publication of information or comments which might later lead to publishers being pursued through the courts.

Our dispute resolution lawyers successfully act for leading publishers on the most high profile defamation cases. We have a history of advising on cases involving contempt of court, the Official Secrets Act, and confidentiality agreements.

Our advertising and regulatory team ensures that the advertising models used to optimise content and the regulatory matrix which governs its dissemination are properly addressed. 

We also have corporate lawyers with an in-depth understanding of the issues facing the publishing industry, and they work closely with our tax and finance teams to ensure that transactions are structured intelligently and to the greatest benefit to our clients. 

Association of Online Publishers
We advised in connection with the corporate separation of the AOP from the Periodical Publishers Association.

Bloomsbury
Advised Bloomsbury Publishing plc, a leading independent publishing house, on the acquisition of The Continuum International Publishing Group Limited, the international academic and professional publisher from Nova/Paul Investments Capital and management shareholders.

Guardian News & Media
We advised Guardian News & Media Limited on a whole range of commercial and regulatory issues relating to off and online issues, including competitions, promotions, data protection and new products and services such as Guardian Jobs People. We also advised on its acquisition of Kable Limited.

Better Capital/Reader's Digest
We advised Better Capital in relation to the purchase of the business and assets of Reader's Digest Association and Reader's Digest Financial Services for £13 million.

Gorkana Limited
We advised the shareholders of Gorkana Limited, which operates a PR and media information website, in relation to the sale of the company to the press cuttings service provider, Durrants.

New Energy Finance Limited Shareholders
We advised the majority shareholders of New Energy Finance Limited, the leading provider of subscription-based news, data and analysis on clean energy and the carbon markets, on its disposal to Bloomberg LP.

BBC Worldwide
Advised BBC Worldwide on a combined sale, licensing and contract publishing deal with Exponent Private Equity in relation to BBC Worldwide's consumer magazine business. Completion of the transaction occurred in October 2011.

Yell
We advise this leading business directory publisher and marketing services provider  on its online, new media and technology matters. This includes all aspects of its www.yell.com service, and its associated technology, infrastructure and revenue models.

Future plc
We undertook, for Future plc, a strategic review of the rights acquisition strategies and processes in connection with its music consumer and tutorial titles and its use of music in connection with its online offerings.

LexisNexis
We advised LexisNexis on its acquisitions of Visualfiles Limited and Axxia Systems.

Pottermore
Instructed by JK Rowling's new company Pottermore on the development of the new Harry Potter web platform from which e-book titles are to be distributed including advice on international pricing issues, deals with reader device manufacturers and contractual and regulatory issues relating to the wider "experience" website.

Reed Business Information
Advised Reed Business Information Limited in relation to the sale of the business and assets of the subscription and publishing services bureaux, Quadrant Subscription Services, to Air Business Limited