Prof. Dr. Stefan Sporn
Of-Counsel | Attorney at Law | Lecturer
Stefan Sporn is an expert in media and copyright law and related areas of law, including topics linked to artificial intelligence (AI). For more than 30 years, he held various management positions in the media industry with responsibility for film licensing, TV production, corporate development, program and channel distribution, dubbing, among others. His most recent function was Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Splendid Medien AG with responsibility for corporate development, communications, legal and personnel and at the same time Managing Director at Splendid Synchron GmbH. Prior to this, he spent 22 years at RTL Deutschland in leading positions, most recently as Managing Director of RTL International GmbH. The company manages the international business of licensing TV channels to network operators and platforms. He has represented RTL’s interests in many international organizations of broadcasters as a member of the supervisory and management boards. In the meantime, he was Managing Director of the Verwertungsgesellschaft (VG) Media GmbH in Berlin, which now operates as Corint Media GmbH.
Born in Lower Saxony, he previously worked for many years as a journalist for print, radio and TV. Sporn has taught copyright and media law as an honorary professor at the TH Cologne for many years, is spokesman for the advisory board of the Cologne Research Center for Media Law and a member of the International Board of Advisers (IBoA) of the TH Cologne. He is the author of numerous publications on media and copyright law and a regular moderator or speaker at international specialist congresses (ANGAcom, gamescom congress, NEM / Dubrovnik etc.).
Expertise
Media Law
Copyright Law / Copyright Collectives
Film & TV
Vita
- 2022 – 2024 Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Splendid Medien AG
- 2022 – 2023 Managing Director of Splendid Synchron GmbH
- 2009 – 2010 Managing Director of Verwertungsgesellschaft Medien (VG Media GmbH), Berlin
- 2000 – 2022 Various management functions within RTL Germany, including Managing Director RTL International GmbH (2020 – 2022) and Senior Vice President (SVP) International Distribution (2017 – 2020)
- Admitted to the bar since 2007
- 2000 PhD at the University of Mainz (scholarship holder of the Axel Springer Foundation and prize winner of the Dr. Feldbausch Foundation)
- 1998 – 2000 Consultant at the Institute for European Media Law (EMR) and in the legal department of WDR, Cologne
- 1990 – 2000 Freelance journalist for print, radio and TV
- 1990 – 1997 Studied law in Hanover and Cologne (1st exam) and legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Celle (2nd exam)
Other Activities
- Honorary Professor at the Technical University (TH) Cologne
- Lecturer in Media and Copyright Law at TH Cologne
- Spokesperson for the Advisory Board of the Cologne Research Center for Media Law at TH Cologne
- Member of the International Board of Advisers (IBoA) of TH Cologne
Publications
20 Jahre „Die Ländermedienanstalt“ – Entwicklung der Medienaufsicht in Deutschland
Stefan Sporn, 2022, Hg.: Cole/Schiedermair/Wagner
Urteilsanmerkung zu Österreichischer OGH „Hotel Edelweiß II“ v. 23.8.2018 in GRUR Int. 3/2019, S. 303 ff
Recht der Verwertungsgesellschaften, in: Schwartmann (Hrsg.), Praxishandbuch Medien-, IT- und Urheberrecht, 4. Auflage 2018
Schwartmann/Sporn (Hrsg.): Landesmediengesetz Nordrhein-Westfalen Kommentar der §§ 1-3, 10-17, 23-38, 39-51, 57, 59-67, 87-99, 110-117 LMG NRW mit kostenlosen Ergänzungen, C.F. Müller 2013
Ein Grundrecht der Medienfreiheit – Gleiches Recht für alle?!, in K&R Beihefter 2/2013, S. 2
Konsequenzen der Konvergenz – Juristische Hot Spots, in: Schneider (Hrsg.), Management von Medienunternehmen, 1. Auflage 2013
Ich will zum Fernsehen, in: Beck’scher Referendarführer 2012/13
Electronic Program Guides, gemeinsam mit Sebastian Kocks, Schriftenreihe der Forschungsstelle für Medienrecht, Band 2, 2011
Commentary „Journalistenrecht“ (Fechner/Wössner) in: Die Öffentliche Verwaltung 2010, S. 564
Auf dem Weg zur Ländermedienanstalt, in: K&R 2009, 237
Pressegesetze, in: Schiwy/Schütz/Dörr, Medienrecht, Lexikon für Praxis und Wissenschaft, 5. Auflage 2009
Die Ländermedienanstalt, Studien zum deutschen und europäischen Medienrecht, Band 11, 2001
Das Grundrecht der Meinungs- und Informationsfreiheit in einer Europäischen Grundrechtscharta, in: ZUM 2000, 537
„Vielfalt im digitalen Rundfunk”, Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Europäisches Medienrecht, Band 20, 1999
Dr. Robert Straßer
Dr. Stefan Ventroni
Dr. Stefan Freytag
Simone Jäger
Alexander Stolberg-Stolberg
Rolf Jäger
Bassam Saleh
Dr. Philip Rödiger LL.M. oec.
Dr. Rolf Moser
Prof. Dr. Stefan Sporn
Martin Müller
Dr. Friederike Manz, LL.M.
