MPA man to head Wiggin’s IP advice shop
October 11, 2012
By Colin Mann
UK media law firm Wiggin is opening its first international office in Brussels. The office will be headed up by Ted Shapiro, the Motion Picture Association’s current head of legal for Europe in Brussels.
According to Simon Baggs, Wiggin’s head of content protection, the world of copyright is borderless and rapidly changing. “Our clients need pan-European advice and the obvious synergies with Ted’s experience will put us at the heart of EU regulation. The climate for content creation and protection across Europe has become particularly challenging, but there are real opportunities for media companies. An increasing level of European legislation is directly impacting the media sector. It is the right time for Wiggin to further develop the service we offer to our media client base by opening our first international office in Brussels,” he declared.
The office will open in January. Working with Wiggin’s London media specialists, the Brussels office will advise on:
• Copyright/content protection issues affecting new/convergent media
• E-Commerce/data protection/trade/consumer protection
• Content regulation/competition/state aid/tax
The team will also support Incopro Ltd, Wiggin’s new business that launched in March this year. Incopro is a partnership between Wiggin’s content protection practice and Bret Boivin, formerly of Warner Bros and NBC Universal. Combining technology and legal advice, the business helps media companies to identify and protect content online.
Shapiro is a lawyer qualified in the US and UK with 20 years’ experience in Brussels. He is a recognised expert in international and European copyright law and currently runs the Motion Picture Association’s European legal department, which is responsible for a multi-jurisdictional litigation and compliance programme. Shapiro is experienced in managing campaigns to influence regulation and also helping organisations and companies navigate the legislative environment in Europe (at the international, EU and Member State levels).