/ DR. PHILIPP-CHRISTIAN THOMALE
Fully qualified German lawyer admitted since 2005, studied in Heidelberg, Göttingen and Speyer. He gained a Ph.D. in law from Kassel University in 2006.
Before joining WIPIT, he spent more than 15 years as Senior Legal Counsel at Axel Springer, where he was responsible for key digital, IT, and media projects. These included the launch of a TV channel, the acquisition of multiple premium sports media rights (including the German Bundesliga and World Cups), the development of digital platforms, and the negotiation of extensive cooperation agreements with international platform companies. He was also responsible for the strategic conduct of several landmark cases all the way to the Federal Court of Justice.
Prior to that, he served as Head of Legal Affairs for the legal department of a Berlin-based film production and film fund company.
Advising companies on IT and digital law; copyright, media, and trademark law; and data protection law
- Bar Association Berlin
- Association of In-House Legal Counsel for Publishers
Lecturer in Copyright, Trademark, and Title Law in the Media Law Department at the Faculty of Law of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder)
- “Copyright Law”: Heidelberg Commentary on Copyright Law, edited by Prof. Dr. Gunda Dreyer; Dr. Jost Kotthoff, Dr. Astrid Meckel; Prof. Dr. Christian-Henner Hentsch, C.F. Müller Verlag, 5th edition and later, July 2025, commentary on Sections 87f–87k of the German Copyright Act (UrhG)
- "Handbook of Press Law”; edited by Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ricker, Prof. Dr. Johannes Weberling; C.H. Beck Munich 2021; since the 6th edition: author of the chapters on press contract and press distribution law, advertising law, data protection law, and publishing law
- The Federal Court of Justice’s “Ad Blocker II” Decision.
– A Constitutional Assessment; ZUM - Journal of Copyright and Media Law, 2019, p. 887 ff., co-author
- Ad Blockers – and No End in Sight? MMR - MultiMedia and Law MMR 2017, 789
- “On the Competition Law Assessment of Ad Blockers” inK&R Communication and Law 2016, Supplement 1, p. 40 ff
- Requirements for Future Media Regulation – Statement on the Draft “State Media Treaty” from a Practical Perspective ZUM - Journal of Copyright and Media Law, 2019, p. 34 ff
- “Data Processing for Journalistic and Editorial Purposes by Telemedia under the New Provisions of the IXth State Treaty on Broadcasting” in AfP - Journal of Media and Communications Law, Issue II/2009,p. 105 ff.
- “The Completion Bond – Security and Seal of Qualityfor Film Productions,” in ZUM - Journal of Copyright and Media Law, 2004, p.896 ff.; co-author
- “The Media Privilege under Data Protection Law: Press Privileges in Multimedia Applications in Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom under the Influence of European Law,” in MMR MultiMedia und Recht,11/2003.
- “Media Privileges in German Data Protection Law,” in the series: DuD-Fachbeiträge, Deutsche Universitäts-Verlag 2006.
philipp-christian.thomale@wipit.legal
