TLÜ ÕIS

Legal Aspects of Media and Communication

Course code

BFF6273.FK

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Meedia ja kommunikatsiooni õigusruum

Course title in English

Legal Aspects of Media and Communication

ECTS credits

4.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

Brief description of the course

Copyright: General principles, rights holders, duration of economic rights, licensing, fair use/free use exceptions, inheritance, and related rights.
Industrial property and trademarks: The concept of trademarks, differences from copyright, and the scope of legal protection.
Privacy and personal data: Legal grounds for personal data processing, obligations of data controllers/processors, representation of individuals in the media, and protection of privacy.
Advertising and freedoms: Legal restrictions on advertising, guarantees of freedom of expression and creative freedom, source protection, and liability for defamation and insult.
Legal remedies and sanctions: Filing claims (e.g. compensation for damages, late payment interest), contract termination, and criminal law provisions relevant to the field.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- analyzes and applies the key principles of media and communication law and identifies relevant legal sources;
- exercises and protects their rights as an author in an informed manner (including licensing and economic rights) while taking into account the legitimate interests of other parties (e.g. data subjects, trademark owners);
- critically evaluates legal risks in media production and advertising and identifies situations where professional legal consultation is required;
- distinguishes and explains the guarantees and limitations of freedom of expression and creative freedom (e.g. privacy, personal data protection, source protection, defamation) in the context of media outlet responsibility;
- selects and justifies the use of appropriate legal remedies (e.g. compensation for damages, termination of contract) and understands the criminal law consequences of violations in the field.

Teacher

Study programmes containing that course