Legal – ABU

LEGAL DIVISION

Guiding Broadcasting Through Legal Insight

The Legal Department provides legal guidance and strategic support to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and its members, helping them navigate the evolving legal, regulatory, and policy landscape of the broadcasting and media industry.

The Department plays an important role in addressing key issues related to media law, content rights, intellectual property, copyright, sports rights, policy development, and industry regulations. It also provides governance guidance to support transparent, responsible, and effective decision-making within the Union and across relevant ABU activities.

Working closely with members, stakeholders, and industry partners, the Legal Department supports discussions on emerging legal challenges, including digital transformation, new technologies, content distribution, rights management, and responsible broadcasting.

Through its expertise, guidance, initiatives, and industry engagement, the Legal Department helps strengthen legal awareness, protect members’ interests, and support the ABU’s commitment to ethical, collaborative, and forward-looking broadcasting.

IP & Legal Committee Chairperson

Mr. Haruyuki Ichinohashi

NHK-Japan

Ms. Jacquie Foord

Head of Board Secretariat & Corporate Governance, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Vice Chairperson, IPLC

Ms. Yu Yan

Copyright Manager at the Copyright Center, Business Operations Office, China Media Group

Vice Chairperson, IPLC

The ABU Legal Division leads the Union’s work on media law, copyright, intellectual property, sports rights governance, and emerging regulatory issues affecting broadcasters

Sports Rights

The ABU Legal Division provides legal support to the ABU Sports Department in relation to major sporting events and media rights activities across the Asia-Pacific region. Our work includes assisting with documentation, legal compliance, contract drafting and review, and negotiation of legal terms relating to media rights acquisition and distribution.

The Legal Division plays a supporting role in facilitating the acquisition, management, and distribution of sports media rights while helping to ensure compliance with applicable contractual, regulatory, and industry requirements. We also support ABU Members in policy and advocacy initiatives, including the development and promotion of anti-siphoning frameworks that safeguard public access to events of national significance. This includes providing legal research, drafting assistance, and guidance on emerging regulatory developments affecting sports broadcasting rights.

Copyright & Intellectual Property

The ABU Legal Division serves as a focal point for copyright and intellectual property matters across the ABU membership. We work closely with broadcasters, national and regional intellectual property offices, international organisations, and industry stakeholders to address legal and policy developments affecting the broadcasting sector.

ABU actively participates in discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), including meetings of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) and the WIPO Conversations on Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence. Through these engagements, we contribute to regional dialogue on copyright protection, broadcasting rights, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and related regulatory developments.

The Division also conducts training programmes, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives for Members on copyright, intellectual property, and media law issues. In addition, the ABU Intellectual Property & Legal Committee (IPLC) serves as a dedicated platform for Members to exchange knowledge, discuss emerging legal developments, and collaborate on matters affecting the broadcasting industry.

Legal Services

The ABU Legal Division provides a broad range of legal services and capacity-building support to ABU Members. These services include contract review and vetting (subject to applicable confidentiality requirements), guidance on media law and regulatory matters, legal research, policy analysis, and support on copyright and intellectual property issues.

The Division also delivers customised in-country training programmes, workshops, and seminars designed to strengthen legal and regulatory knowledge within member organisations. Through these initiatives, ABU seeks to support Members in navigating the evolving legal landscape of broadcasting, media, sports rights, intellectual property, and emerging technologies.

“Unity in Diversity is not just a principle. It is how the ABU operates as one regional community.”