John Groom

John's practice has three main strands: (1) technology and content regulation; (2) product counselling on new technologies; and (3) copyright and digital media. Most of his time is currently spent advising clients on the EU DSA and UK OSA, including representing clients on RFIs and Investigations in front of the European Commission and Ofcom. He regularly helps clients launch new AI products, navigating risk and regulation (like the EU AI Act). The copyright part of his practice focusses mainly on AI and music related launch and licensing advice, as well as representing clients in contentious maters and litigation.

John writes regularly on these topics and his chapter (with Ben Allgrove) “Enforcement in a digital context: intermediary liability” was published in Tanya Aplin (Ed.) Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Digital Technologies in January 2020.

John has led complex copyright litigation in the Copyright Tribunal and in arbitration, as well as commercial litigation in the High Court. He has also assisted with copyright litigation at the Supreme Court and CJEU.

In 2013 he went on a client secondment to a leading international internet services and online advertising company, advising on a range of brand protection, licensing and general commercial issues. In 2017 he completed a client secondment to a leading social media and advertising company, advising on a range of intellectual property, commercial and music licensing issues.

John is also heavily involved in the Firm’s tech-focused pro bono work, as well as its social mobility initiatives.

• Representing multiple VLOP and VLOSE clients in front of the European Commission on enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act. 
• Representing multiple Category 1, 2A and 2B services in front of Ofcom in relation to enforcement of the UK Online Safety Act. 
• Advising the leading providers of generative AI services on compliance and regulatory strategy under the DSA, OSA, AI Act and consumer law. 
• Providing complex advice on the interplay between content and technology regulations and internet safe harbours. 
• Leading risk assessments for a wide range of platform, marketplace and search clients under the EU DSA and UK OSA. 
• Providing complex advice to a number of new media, social and online platform clients, relating to intermediary liability and online regulation, including the DSA and OSA. Such workstreams tend to involve: scoping and categorisation; implementation of compliance mechanics; risk assessments; researcher access; advertising requirements; and content moderation.  
• Acted for TikTok in the UK Copyright Tribunal and subsequent arbitration in relation to a major copyright licensing dispute with ICE (PRS, GEMA, Stim) impacting music use by users on TikTok in over 100 countries.
• Leading litigation and various contentious matters for one of the world’s largest music service providers, together with connected central strategic advice and licensing strategies.
• Advising a number of new media and online platform clients in respect of various music licensing issues: licensing negotiations, rights mapping exercises and risk profiling.
• Advising a leading gaming platform in relation to technology, copyright and privacy issues, including on flagship functionality changes, product counsel, and identifying and shutting down a major cheat site.
• Part of the team that acted for Meltwater in the landmark CJEU and UK Supreme Court copyright case NLA v Meltwater and PRCA.

• Band 3, Media: Social Media, Gaming and Interactive Technology (UK), Chambers UK, (October 2021-)
• Band 4, Intellectual Property, Chambers UK (October 2025-)
• Next Generation Partner, TMT (UK), Legal500 (October 2021-)
• Stand out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters (January 2021-)
• One to Watch, TMT (UK), Best Lawyers (June 2022-)

• Tech UK Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee
• Law Society of England and Wales
• AIPPI