LibGuides: ACRL/EBSS Library Resources for Communication Studies (LRCS): Media Law

About

This guide is intended to identify resources available for research in the various areas of media, entertainment and communications law and policy.

Current Page Editor: Kristin Peace

Suggested Subject Keywords

Please consult the Library of Congress subject headings for more ideas.

Databases

See General Communication Resources to get started

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BBB (Better Business Bureau) National Programs Online Archive (fee-based) BBB National Programs Online Archive is an exclusive collection of those legal decisions, a database containing detailed analysis of National Advertising Division (NAD), National Advertising Review Board (NARB), and Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) cases.
Campus Research on WestlawNext (fee-based) Includes news, business and law. Thomson Reuters.
CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) (fee-based) A comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs. Includes a wide range of scholarship in full text from 1991 onward that includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs. Columbia University Press.
Fastcase (fee-based) Fastcase’s libraries include primary law from all 50 states, as well as deep federal coverage going back to 1 U.S. 1, 1 F.2d 1, 1 F.Supp. 1, and 1 B.R. 1. The Fastcase collection includes cases, statutes, regulations, court rules, and constitutions. Fastcase also provides access to a newspaper archive, legal forms, and a one-stop PACER search of federal filings through content partners. Includes Loislaw. As of Dec. 1, 2015, Loislaw is now the Loislaw Libraries on Fastcase.
Google Scholar Search for scholarly article. Search for case law by clicking the radio button prior to searching.
HeinOnline (fee-based) Primary electronic resource for retrospective historical coverage of hundreds of legal journals, periodicals and legal documents from the Supreme Court, Federal Register, treaties, etc. Searchable full-page image reproductions of original print copies.
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books (fee-based) Index to Legal Periodicals & Books includes Indexing of over 1,100 legal journals, law reviews, yearbooks, institutes, statutes, bar association publications and university publications. Formerly Wilson.
Legal Information Reference Center (fee-based) EBSCO online database designed to assist the general public in legal matters of all kinds. It includes exclusive full text for many top consumer legal reference books, as well as thousands of legal forms.
Legal Source (fee-based) EBSCO index to over 870 full text journals, including 500+ Open Access journals, and 300 law reviews. Includes the Index to Legal Periodicals.
LegalTrac (fee-based) Gale OneFile: LegalTrac provides indexing for more than 1,200 major law reviews, legal newspapers, specialty publications, Bar Association journals, and international legal journals, including more than 200 titles in full text. The American Association of Law Libraries not only endorses LegalTrac, its special advisory committee selects, reviews, and enhances the content of this resource. The database offers coverage of federal and state cases, laws and regulations, legal practice and taxation, as well as British Commonwealth, European Union, and international law.
Legislative Insight A collection of federal legislative histories, covering 1789 to 2023. (A legislative history is a list of all the hearings, debates, reports, and other documents produced during the process of passing a specific law.) Includes (and searches) full-text of most documents cited in the histories.
Nexis Uni (fee-based) Formerly LexisNexis Academic. Provides full-text access to more than 17,000 sources, including company profiles, financial reports, broadcast news and government transcripts, trade journals, wire services and newspapers. Updated with full-text documents from general interest wire services, newspapers, and magazines from around the world. RELX Group (formerly Reed Elsevier).
Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court Media Multimedia archive of Supreme Court. Contains cases, some oral arguments, opinions, and audio files. For example: New York Times v. United States.
PAIS Index (fee-based) Indexes journal articles, books, statistics, yearbooks, directories, conference proceedings, pamphlets, reports, government documents, and microfiche covering the full range of political, social, and public policy issues. Includes research in economics, political and social issues, business, finance, law, international trade and relations, public administration, government, political science, and potential legislation. Coverage is 1972-present.
Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN) (fee-based) Social Sciences are the primary focus of this network, but resources may also be relevant to those in the communications field.

Journals and Periodicals

Broadcasting and Cable: Washington Coverage of legal developments for the broadcasting and cable industry.
Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology (JLT) Formerly known as: CommLaw Conspectus.
Communication Law and Policy (fee-based)
Communications and the Law (fee-based) v. 1-25 (1979-2003)
Communications Lawyer
Federal Communications Law Journal Bloomington, IN : Indiana University, School of Law ; Los Angeles, CA : UCLA School of Law and the Federal Communications Bar Association, [200-]-
First Amendment Law Review FALR publishes professional and student articles for the benefit of scholars and practitioners. Contributions are composed of scholarly pieces, symposium papers, and novel, interesting essays regarding the First Amendment. All articles pass a rigorous cite-checking and editing process through our Staff Members, Editorial Board, and Executive Board. FALR publishes Fall, Winter/Symposium, and Spring issues. They are made available on the FALR website, and on HeinOnline, Lexis, and Westlaw after publication.
Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal
The Hill: Technology Covers legal and regulatory developments in technology from Washington, DC.
Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (fee-based) The Journal is committed to publishing scholarly articles on topics of importance in the sports and entertainment law fields. It serves as an interpretative guide and research tool for practitioners, academics and students on issues of law in sports and entertainment. The Journal explains the significance of recent changes or developments as well as addresses the future of law. Past volumes have included articles on copyright infringement, ERISA, gender equity, antitrust, collective bargaining, and regulation of indecent speech.
Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law
Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review
News Media & the Law Archive (2013-2016)
UC Law SF Communication & Entertainment Journal (Comm/Ent) UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal (formerly Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal) covers communications, entertainment, and intellectual property law, including the Internet, telecommunications, biotechnology, multimedia, broadcasting, and constitutional law.

Associations & Organizations

ABA Forum on Communications Law A section of the American Bar Association who’s principle objective is to encourage discussion of the issues pertaining to the legal counseling and representation of the print/electronic media and the telecommunications industry. Promotes exchange of information and keeps abreast of developments in the law. Some links and information, but access primarily restricted to members.
Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC) Law and Policy Division Investigates the relationship and implications between current laws and mass communication. Publishes Media Law Notes and Communication Law and Policy journal.
Benton Foundation Organization that works to ensure that media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy
Brechner Center for Freedom of Information The Brechner Center answers queries about media law from journalists, attorneys, and other members of the public. The Center is prepared to explain issues relating to media law, react to current developments, offer speakers for meetings and classes, and assist in research about media law.
Creative Commons Creative Commons nonprofit organization that assists creators in clearly copyrighting their works with different levels of permissions. They explicate and provide free licensing tools.
Electronic Frontier Foundation A donor-supported membership organization working to protect fundamental rights regardless of technology; to educate the press, policymakers and the general public about civil liberties issues related to technology; and to act as a defender of those liberties.
Federal Communications Bar Association A volunteer organization of attorneys, engineers, consultants, economists, government officials and law students involved in the study, development, interpretation and practice of communications and information technology law and policy.
Freedom Forum Institute First Amendment Center Our mission: providing resources to help the public understand how their First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition work, and how they can be protected.
International Telecommunication Union An international organization within the United Nations System where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services.
Keller Center for the Study of First Amendment The Keller Center supports and encourages teaching, research and community outreach on topics and issues relating to the nature, meaning, and contemporary standing of First Amendment rights and liberties.
Knight First Amendment Institute We defend the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age through strategic litigation, research, and public education.
Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) A non-profit information clearinghouse organized in 1980 by leading media entities to monitor and promote First Amendment rights in libel, privacy, and related fields of law.
Public Knowledge Advocates for rights in the digital culture.
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970 in defense of free speech and press freedoms.
Student Press Law Center An advocacy group for student free press rights. Provides information, advice and legal assistance to students and the educators that work with them.

Websites

AdLaw Legal information related to advertising and marketing. News, resource files, automatic updates via e-mail, web links.
HG.org : Telecommunication Law Formerly known as Hieros Gamos, this portal to legal resources includes the topic Telecommunications Law.
JURIST Web-based legal news and real-time legal research service powered by a mostly-volunteer team of over 60 part-time law student reporters, editors and Web developers led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
JUSTIA: Entertainment Law Portal to cases, legislation, regulations, news and articles on entertainment law.
Law360: Media & Entertainment Legal news RSS and alerts.
Legal Information Institute (Cornell) One of the premier sites on the web for legal research. Pulls together a broad array of primary law sources and other Internet law sites around specific topics. The pages also aim to provide some context for research in those primary materials by indicating the relative importance of Federal and state law, statutes, regulations and other sources on the particular topic.
Media Law Prof Blog Alerts of new articles in media law. Most are from the SSRN. Editor: Christine A. Corcos, Louisiana State Univ.
THR, Esq. Column in the Hollywood Reporter by Eriq Gardner focusing on entertainment law issues.

Government Resources

Congress.gov Formerly Thomas Legislative. Includes bills, resolutions, treaties, committee reports, etc.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.
Federal Communications Commission Agency established by the Communication Act of 1934 that regulates the communications industry. The "Office of General Counsel" page includes court filings, cases, and opinions.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Advertising and Marketing From the Tips and Advice Business Center, the FTC offers guidance on advertising to children, online advertising, telemarketing, etc.
GovInfo GovInfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency in the legislative branch. GovInfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) The Federal Government’s principal voice on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues.
U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) The mission of United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. Networks: Voice of America; Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty; Radio Free Asia; Alhurra TV & Radio; Radio & TV Marti
U.S. Copyright Office Provides informational publication on copyright, application forms, latest updates on copyright laws and licensing, and copyright registration.
USA.gov Portal to official U.S. government information

Treatises & Books

Advertising and Public Relations Law
Moore, Roy L., Carmen Maye, and Erik Collins. Advertising and Public Relations Law. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2011.
Antitrust in Data Driven Markets & Legal Framework for Influencers, Native Advertising and Control Over the Use of AI in Marketing
Springer, Cham, 2023
The Associated Press Stylebook, 2022-2024
Basic Books, New York, NY, 2022
Cases in Communication Law
Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Courting the Media : Public Relations for the Accused and the Accuser
Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2007.
Digital Media Law: A Practical Guide for the Media and Entertainment Industries
Routledge, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, 2022
Dirty Words and Filthy Pictures: Film and the First Amendment
University of Texas Press, Austin, 2021
Entertainment, Media, and the Law : Text, Cases, Problems
St. Paul, MN : West Academic Publishing, [2016]
Entertainment, Publishing and the Arts Handbook.
New York, N.Y. : Clark Boardman Callaghan. (annual publication)
Entertainment Law in a Nutshell
West Academic Publishing, St. Paul, MN, 2021
The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases that Define our First Amendment Freedoms
New York University Press, New York, 2021
Law for Advertising, Broadcasting, Journalism, and Public Relations : a Comprehensive Text for Students and Practitioners
New York : Routledge, 2015.
Law of Advertising: A Treatise
New York : M. Bender, 1973- (loose-leaf)
The Law of Public Communication
12th edition, Routledge, New York, 2023
Lindey on Entertainment, Publishing, and the Arts : Agreements and the Law
Deerfield, IL : Clark Boardman Callaghan, 1980- (loose-leaf)
Mass Media Law
McGraw-Hill, 2017.
Media Law : Cases and Materials
St. Paul, MN : Foundation Press, [2016]
Media Law Reporter
[Washington] Bureau of National Affairs. Print decisions issued weekly; bound volumes issued annually.
Media Privacy & Related Law 2019-20: MLRC 50-State Survey
Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) : LexisNexis, New York, N.Y., 2019
Nimmer on Copyright
New York, NY : Matthew Bender, 1997- (loose-leaf)
Research Handbook on EU Media Law and Policy
Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, UK, 2021
Smolla and Nimmer on Freedom of Speech: a Treatise on the First Amendment
New York, NY : M. Bender, 1994-
Video Game Law : Everything You Need to Know about Legal and Business Issues in the Game Industry
CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2019

Open Educational Resources (OERs)

FindLaw: Communications Law Lists communications law documents, briefs, books, government agencies/documents, web sites, related topic areas, and more. Thomson Reuters.
First Amendment: Cases, Controversies, and Contexts This Casebook (Revised First Edition, August 2016) is intended to be used in an upper-division course covering the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Legal Aspects of Marketing and Sales Legal Aspects of Marketing and Sales is an up-to-date textbook that covers legal issues that students who will work in marketing or with marketing managers must understand
Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication No attribution, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016. Contains chapter (15) on Media and Government, including legal issues. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.
United States Copyright Law This Intellectual Property Supplement from eLangdell Press contains the text of federal laws and regulations in the area of copyright, trademarks and patents. The editors have endeavored to gather all relevant laws, rules and regulations. This collection is intended to be used primarily as a statutory supplement for law students and legal scholars in academic settings, although practitioners in this area of law will also find it useful.
American Government, Toward Collective Action: Mediating Institutions, The Media, Regulating the Media This module covers the First Amendment, slander and libel, classified materials, FCC regulations, FOIA, and transparency.

Call Numbers

K1401-1578 Intellectual Property
- K1411-1485 Copyright
KF1-9827 Federal law. Common and collective state law

Other media and communication related laws may reside in the discipline's call numbers (e.g. advertising law is in HF5801-6182 Advertising). Refer to other subject guides for more call numbers.