John Groom
Biography
John is a media and technology lawyer in Baker McKenzie's IP and Technology team. He is ranked as a “rising star” for TMT, and recognised as a key lawyer for Media and Entertainment in the UK by Legal 500. In 2020 John was elected to TechUK’s Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee.
His practice encompasses a broad range of both contentious and non-contentious aspects of IP, Technology and Commercial law, with a particular focus on copyright, digital media, and new technologies. 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 qualified in 2013 and is based in the London office, having spent 2018 in the San Francisco office. John is heavily involved in the Firm’s tech-focused pro bono work, as well as its social mobility initiatives.
Practice Focus
John regularly advises clients on cutting-edge intermediary liability, product counsel, notice and takedown, and music licensing issues. In the technology space, he advises a range of clients on complex artificial intelligence, gaming, digital media and online selling issues. He also advises on a range of consumer, privacy and commercial law issues.
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.
Representative Legal Matters
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Providing complex advice to a number of new media, social and online platform clients, relating to intermediary liability and cutting-edge product counsel issues
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Leading a position paper and report on artificial intelligence and predictive policing approaches and technologies for a leading technology firm
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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
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Leading specialist advice on difficult notice and takedown issues for many social and online platform clients
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Advising a number of new media, social and online platform clients in relation to content regulation, platform regulation, and associated digital media issues
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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
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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
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Advising a number of augmented and virtual reality gaming companies and platforms on a range of novel product counsel issues related to their immersive technologies
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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
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Advising a leading virtual reality company in relation to a broad range of content issues, ranging from content regulation to ratings and consumer law issues
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Tech UK Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee
- Law Society of England and Wales
- IPSOC
- AIPPI
Admissions
- England & Wales~United Kingdom (2013)
Education
- King's College London (Postgraduate Diploma in UK, EU and US Copyright Law) (2015)
- College of Law (Legal Practice Course, with distinction) (2011)
- College of Law (Graduate Diploma in Law, with distinction) (2010)
- Oxford University (MSt History) (2009)
- University of Warwick (BA History, (First class honors)) (2008)
- College of Law (LLB, (First class honors))
Languages
- English
- French
- Spanish