We understand the online content and search businesses. We understand it from the perspective of our search engine clients who sell search, from our content company clients who pay for search, from our cable and wireless company clients who transmit content and search, and from our investor clients who seek new content aggregators. We combine this industry knowledge with the firm’s strength in multidisciplinary solutions. Issues facing search and online content companies require not only intellectual property and technology expertise, but also an understanding of competition, advertising, and administrative law. Covington lawyers bring this knowledge to bear in our legislative, litigation, regulatory, transactional, and advisory work for a number of entrepreneurs and leading enterprises in the fields of online content and search. These companies include Electronic Arts, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a coalition of online content providers (including Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, eBay, Amazon.com and Interactive Corp.), the National Football League, and dozens of broadcast and cable clients.
Representative Matters
- Net Neutrality. Covington recently led a coalition of software and online content providers in a legislative effort to protect “net neutrality.” Covington’s industry expertise — particularly its understanding of search engine technology — has proven essential to these efforts.
- CitySearch. Covington has provided CitySearch, an internet company providing local search services, with regulatory advice regarding the ranking and placement of search results in accordance with FTC regulations.
- Home Shopping Network. Covington has advised on the legal issues posed by allowing users to post public content, including policies and procedures for handling user bulletin boards (e.g., under what circumstances to monitor the boards) and suggestions with respect to the website’s Terms and Conditions.
Accolades
- Our partners have over the years held leadership positions in major associations in the media field ─ including the Federal Communications Bar Association, the International Radio and Television Society Foundation, the Media Institute and the Media Law Resource Center.
- Covington has been named a "leading firm" in media & entertainment by Chambers USA in 2006 & 2007, noting in particular that partner Steve Weisswasser commands "a superb understanding of all aspects of the media business."
- A Covington partner has recently served as president of the Defense Council Section of the Media Law Resource Center, the national organization of media defense attorneys, and as president of the First Amendment Advisory Council of the Media Institute.
- Covington partners are listed in Best Lawyers in America for 2006 for First Amendment and media law.
- Our partners have significant on Capitol Hill, where they were deeply involved in the development of telecommunications legislation.
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