About This

Key to Link Icons

  • Georgetown restricted access
  • Interactive tutorial
  • On Westlaw
    (password required)
  • On Lexis
    (password required)
  • PDF Document

Key to Images

  • Study Aid - This is a useful resource to introduce or brush up on a new subject specialty.
  • Preeminent Treatise - This is recognized by scholars and practitioners as one of the leading authorities on a specific subject.

Comparative Media Law Research Guide

Introduction

This guide provides a broad overview of print and electronic resources available for comparative research in media law. Research in this area could include telecommunications, information and data protection, radio and television, broadcasting, privacy, etc.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Wolff Library reference desk at 202-662-4195 or by email: intlref@law.georgetown.edu. You may also submit your question via this online form.

Comparative Law Research Method

Research methods will vary depending on the specific topic and target countries. When beginning your research, it may be helpful to follow the steps below. For additional guidance, see our Foreign & Comparative Law research guide.

1. Know your local options

Find out if the library has materials on your intended jurisdictions. The Georgetown Law Library owns an extensive collection of legal materials from Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Mexico. The library also collects secondary materials (e.g. books, journals and other regularly updated resources) in English for many other jurisdictions. If materials are not available here, access may be possible through Interlibrary Loan or by visiting a local library, including the Library of Congress.

2. Understand the foreign legal system of interest

It is often best to begin with a source that explains the legal system, such as Foreign Law Guide or one of the GlobaLex or LLRX country guides. To quickly learn the type of legal system, see the World Legal Systems site from the University of Ottawa.

3. Identify sources

Determine if a specific research guide or bibliography exists for your country and topic. GlobaLex and LLRX may be useful for this. Search the law library catalog and periodical indexes for treatises and periodical literature on your topic. From your readings, compile your own bibliography of laws, treatises, articles, etc. you will need to consult.

4. Determine exactly what you are looking for

For example, are you looking for a specific law, case, regulation, constitution or code? Do you need an English translation, full-text of the law, or a summary? Are electronic sources acceptable? What is the date of the law?

5. Locate sources

Consult the library catalog to locate resource in the library. If you don't have an exact title, use keyword searching for the best results. Interlibrary Loan is available for books and articles not available in the law library collection.

Finding Laws

There are generally two approaches when looking for foreign law by subject or by geographic region. If you are looking for a specific law, the Foreign Law Guide mentioned above is particularly useful since it contains a listing of individual laws by subject for each country. Research guides on individual countries will not provide guidance for all laws, but will offer information on compilations of laws, codes and useful websites.

Remember, the official versions of country laws, including government websites, are almost always in the local language. You will have to consult secondary resources for unofficial English translations or summaries. When using translations, remember that they are often not authoritative, up-to-date, or full-text. Check this list for online sources of law in English from various countries.

The sources below may offer some assistance.

Finding Cases

Locating court decisions can be more challenging than finding legislation. The same language and translation issues exist. In addition, there may not even be a case reporter published. The first step would be to determine if one is published--check Foreign Law Guide and then conduct a title search in the library catalog to see if the library has is. Note that in some countries, official gazettes and other legal publications act as unofficial sources for case decisions. Sometimes, periodicals and journals may be the beset source for decisions.

Westlaw has case law from Australia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union. Lexis has case law from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, Hong Kong, China, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, India and New Zealand.

While there are many publications that translate the text of a foreign law, there are relatively few sources for case law. The sources below may be helpful.

Other Sources of Law

Secondary legislation, regulations and administrative decisions are often sought after. These sources may be even more elusive than statutory law and court decisions. Start by using sources mentioned in the above sections. Secondary sources may be another way to track down relevant sources. If a country published an official gazette (as most civil law systems do), you have a better chance of locating regulations, notices, circulars, etc. However, the official gazette will be in the local language.

Selected Titles

Treatises and periodical literature often summarize, quote, reprint or cite legislation, as well as provide commentary and analysis on countries and legal topics. Selected treatises below are available in the law library. In additional to commentary, many of these sources also offer bibliographic references for further research. This list is not exhaustive and many more sources may be found by searching the library catalog.

  • Antitrust and New Media INTL K4240.A95 2000 This multi-jurisdictional overview covers most European countries, as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan and the U.S. Also available electronically
  • EU Communications Law (2nd ed.) INTL KJE6964 .F37 2006
  • EU Electronic Communications Law : Competition and Regulation in the European Telecommunications Market INTL KJC6964.E84 2004 Appendix lists several legal instruments and national competition and regulatory authorities in Europe.
  • Global Telecommunications Law and Practice (3rd ed.) INTL K4305.L66 2000 Focuses on United Kingdom and European Union, but also includes chapters on other European countries.
  • International Telecommunications Law PLUS INTL Media K4305.I68 2002 Profiles of telecom regimes in over 20 jurisdictions. Typical coverage includes: international telecommunications, history and trends, regulation, licensing, broadcasting, intellectual property law aspects, etc.
  • Law and the Media (4th ed.) INTL KD2870.C76 2002 Focuses on law in Great Britain, but includes chapters on law in Scotland and the U.S.
  • Media Law (3rd ed.) INTL KD2870.C737 2004 Covers media law in Great Britain. Includes the texts of several laws and codes in the appendix.
  • Media Law (2nd ed.) INTL KD2870.M34 2003 Discusses media law in Ireland.
  • Regulating the Global Information Society INTL K564.C6.R44 2000 Collected works on theoretical perspectives, regulation, standards, etc. in the new global society. Also available electronically
  • Russian Media Law and Policy in the Yeltsin Decade : Essays and Documents
    INTL KLB3482.R87 2002 Documents section includes English translations of numerous laws and regulations.
  • The Telecoms Trade War : The United States, the European Union, and the World Trade Organisation INTL K4305.N34 2000 Discusses the impact of the WTO on telecom competition and presents case studies.

Periodical Indexes

Periodical literature is a good way to find commentary and scholarly discussion on your topic. Sometimes, periodicals are your only source for treaties, text of foreign laws, or case summaries. Indexes are the most efficient and comprehensive means of locating articles. Remember, Westlaw and Lexis have limited full-text journals and limited international coverage.

Below is a brief list of selected periodical indexes. See our guide, Locating Journal Articles : Foreign & International for more detailed information on periodical indexes.

Selected Web Sites

  • Hieros Gamos: Communications Law Lists media law sources from several countries, including the U.S., along with commentary and links.
  • International Journal of Communications Law and Policy A new and innovative electronic journal. It covers a wide range of topics relating to structural and behavioral regulation and policy in the covering sectors of computing, telecommunications and broadcasting. Also available electronically
  • International Telecommunication Union The ITU is the international organization within which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. The ITU is the leading publisher of telecommunication technology, regulatory and standards information.
  • Media Know How Resource Centre Media Know How provides in-depth resources for UK and European Union media law. Also has media ownership reports for a number of European countries with citations to relevant legislation.
  • Media Law Workstation This university site provides comprehensive materials primarily on Australian media law with links to full-text codes, statutes, bills, treaties, legal commentary and judgments. There is an international section with information on Canada, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (Current as of 1998)
  • European Commission: ECommunications Telecoms in the European Union Includes details of the EU regulatory framework, implementation in member states, committees and working groups, and more.

Other Research Guides

Comparative media law touches on several related topics. Here are some suggested research guides in relevant areas.

Revised January 2007 (aeb)
Links revised August 2008 (RAS)

Page last saved 23-Sep-2011