Communications and Media
Goodmans Communications and Media Group has unmatched depth and breadth of experience in all facets of the communications and media industries. Our lawyers provide tailored, strategic advice on all broadcasting, telecommunications and Internet regulations in Canada, and have deep expertise in serving the legal needs of these industries. Our clients include linear broadcasters and digital media services, broadcasting distribution undertakings, telecommunications carriers and resellers, government agencies and task forces.
The complementary skill sets of our lawyers are highly relevant to industry players and combine to position Goodmans Communications and Media Group as a one-stop shop for comprehensive legal services of interest to this client group. We advise on the competition and regulatory aspects of telecommunications and media, including compliance with the Competition Act and Investment Canada Act. We also provide multi-disciplinary advice to media clients on broadcasting (both traditional and digital), consumer protection, privacy, anti-spam, advertising, e-commerce and copyright matters. This broad expertise allows us to advise Internet-based broadcasting services on all regulatory aspects of a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
Domestic and foreign media and telecoms-related companies turn to us for advice on traditional regulatory matters as well as emerging issues such as: Internet piracy; the regulation of machine-to-machine services and the Internet of things; copyright matters with respect to cloud-based media services; the regulation of virtual Internet-based content aggregators and distributors; and next-generation satellite services.
We carefully craft transactions to comply with foreign ownership restrictions, spectrum licensing requirements, policy proceedings affecting competition, and municipal and support structure access issues. Our mandates demand a global mindset – we are often called to advise on the intersection between competition law and sectoral regulation, and the reform of broadcasting and telecommunications regimes, both domestically and abroad.
Our lawyers appear before the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and have represented our clients at International Tribunals. We represent clients on disputes about matters related to the Internet, broadcasting and telecommunications. Such disputes include appeals from decisions of the CRTC; disputes between providers of Internet, broadcasting or telecommunications services and their customers; mass copyright infringement proceedings; handling failed joint ventures; problems arising from the insolvency of industry players; and business disputes arising in the context of these industries. Our dispute resolution group works closely with our regulatory group to achieve creative solutions that use litigation and arbitration as tools to meet the client’s wider objectives. Often our regulatory lawyers and litigators steeped in these industries provide risk assessment advice so that our clients can proceed with innovative business plans, while recognizing potential pitfalls and working with the risks.
Explore People in Communications and Media
Meet our teamFeatured Work
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Communications and Media
Communications Legislative Review
Goodmans LLP is advising multiple clients on the potential implications of the review on foreign over-the-top services in Canada… -
Communications and Media
Bragg Communications (operating as Eastlink) seeks review of CRTC’s wholesale rates
Goodmans LLP advised Eastlink in respect of the CRTC’s August 15, 2019 decision to reduce wholesale rates for Internet access. Eastlink is an incumbent network owner and provider of Internet services… -
Mergers and Acquisitions
Rogers Communications Inc.'s $26 Billion Acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.
Rogers Communications Inc., represented by Goodmans LLP and Shaw Communications Inc. reached an agreement for Rogers to acquire all of Shaw’s issued and outstanding Class A Shares and Class B Shares… -
Communications and Media
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago
Goodmans acts as external regulatory counsel for TSTT in disputes filed by interconnecting carriers before the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago regarding rates for termination of… -
Mergers and Acquisitions
Searchlight Capital Partners to Acquire Mitel Networks for US$2 Billion
Goodmans LLP represents Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. (“Searchlight”) in its agreement to acquire Mitel Networks Corporation, a global market leader in business communications, in an all-cash… -
Communications and Media
University Ventures Invests $5.3 Million in OOHLALA Mobile
Goodmans LLP represented University Ventures in connection with a $5.3 million Series A investment in Montreal-based OOHLALA Mobile, a developer of mobile apps for universities with the goal of…
Insights
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Banking and Financial Services
Canada's Privacy Breach Notification Requirements Coming into Force
Canada’s Privacy Breach Notification Requirements Coming into ForceThe provisions of Canada’s Digital Privacy Act dealing with privacy breach notification and breach record keeping (the “Provisions… -
Communications and Media
#CreativeCanada: A Vision for Canada's Creative Industries
On September 28, 2017, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage (the “Minister”), delivered a speech in Ottawa entitled #CreativeCanada: A Vision for Canada’s Creative Industries… -
Communications and Media
Bill C-59: Amendments to the Copyright Act of Canada
The Canadian Government recently amended the Copyright Act of Canada (the “Act”) to increase the term of protection for both published sound recordings and for performer’s performances fixed in… -
Banking and Financial Services
Anti-Spam: Partial Compliance is Not Good Enough
Yesterday, anti-spam enforcement came to Canada’s mainstream businesses. In the first enforcement activity that did not involve a flagrant breach of Canada’s anti-spam legislation, a well-known… -
Communications and Media
OPSTC and OCASE Tax Credit Rates to be Grandfathered
As discussed in our previous Goodmans Updates (see Ontario “Grandfathers” Recent Budget Changes to Production Services and Computer Animation and Special Effects Film Tax Credits, or Ontario Reduces… -
Communications and Media
Ontario "Grandfathers" Recent Budget Changes to Production Services and Computer Animation and Special Effects Film Tax Credits
On May 25, 2015, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Michael Coteau, announced that the changes to the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC) and the Ontario Computer Animation and…
Awards & Recognition
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The Legal 500 Canada Tier 2, Telecoms 2023
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The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Best Law Firms List Recognized, Media, Entertainment & Sport 2023
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The Legal 500 Canada Tier 2, Telecommunications 2022
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory Repeatedly Recommended, Telecommunications 2022
News & Events
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Banking and Financial Services
Goodmans named one of Canada's Best Law Firms for 2023
We’re pleased to announce Goodmans was once again named to The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Best Law Firms list, recognizing the firm as one of the country’s best law firms for 2023.Goodmans was… -
Banking and Financial Services
The Legal 500 Canada Continues to Recognize Goodmans with Top Tier Rankings
We are pleased to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from The Legal 500 Canada in their 2023 Guide released today. Recognition from The Legal 500 is based on… -
- Entertainment
Jamie Firsten, Monique McAlister, Tara Parker, Jaclyn Seidman and David Zitzerman at the 2019 Entertainment & Media Law Symposium
Are you a lawyer in the film, television, music, broadcasting, book publishing, or new media industries? Here's your opportunity to delve into the latest developments in entertainment and media…