Culture, Sports & Entertainment

Basic Overview

Zhonglun W&D Law Firm has long been committed to delivering high quality legal services for the culture, sports and entertainment (CSE) sectors. As China’s cultural industry undergoes robust expansion and digital transformation, we have supported its evolution from traditional content creation to end-to-end IP operation and digital entertainment ecosystem development. Our clientele covers the entire industry chain, ranging from independent studios and MCN agencies in the creative incubation or high-growth phase to large state-owned media groups, leading internet entertainment platforms, and world-renowned sports clubs and artist management firms.

After years of extensive hands-on practice, Zhonglun W&D Law Firm has gained an in-depth grasp of the driving forces shaping the pan-entertainment industry—a sector where “content is king”, the fan economy thrives, and stringent regulatory oversight coexists. We precisely pinpoint clients’ core needs spanning content creation, copyright commercialization, investment and financing, as well as compliance risk management. Aligning closely with national policies of the cultural industry and cutting-edge digital technology trends like AIGC and the metaverse, we have established a service framework that seamlessly integrates commercial acumen with legal professionalism.

Drawing on robust cross-industry collaboration, Zhonglun W&D Law Firm delivers comprehensive legal services across key areas, including film and television investment and production, sports event operation, game compliance and global rollout, performance brokerage and talent management, end-to-end intellectual property protection, dispute resolution, and crisis public relations. Armed with profound industry insight and a pragmatic, efficient approach, Zhonglun W&D Law Firm has emerged as a trusted strategic partner to a host of enterprises in the culture, sports and entertainment sectors.

Services

Legal Services for Film, Television, and Performing Arts Projects

We offer end-to-end legal services for films, television series, variety shows, and stage productions, covering the entire lifecycle from script development, investment and financing, production, and shooting to promotion and distribution. Our services include advising clients on structuring co-investment and co-production agreements, as well as drafting contracts for cast and crew recruitment, venue leasing, post-production, and other related matters. In terms of content compliance, we provide professional script review and final-cut evaluation services to ensure that all projects adhere to the regulatory standards of broadcasting authorities and minimize potential risks associated with content censorship.
Legal Services for Compliance Operation of the Game Industry

Specializing in online games, esports, and metaverse-related businesses, we offer end-to-end legal services that cover the entire lifecycle of our clients’ operations. We assist game companies in obtaining key licenses—such as the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and Internet Content Provider (ICP) permits—and help design robust compliance frameworks for virtual item transactions, anti-addiction systems, and user privacy protection. For clients pursuing overseas expansion, we provide tailored research on the legal landscapes of target markets, comprehensive legal services for cross-border data transfer compliance, and localized operations. We also represent clients in civil and criminal right protection affairs such as combating game cheats and shutting down unauthorized private servers.
Legal Services for Sports Events and Club Operations

We provide legal services for professional sporting events, large-scale multi-sport games, and sports club operations. Our services covers event approval and commercial development—including sponsorship solicitation and broadcasting rights transactions—as well as venue operation and security compliance, athlete transfer procedures and salary negotiation, and responses to doping violations. In addition, we assist sports clubs in optimizing their corporate governance, managing multi-stakeholder relationships with sports associations, sponsors and media partners, and ensuring the compliance operation of sports-related commercial activities.
Legal Services for Artists Management and MCN Agencies

For artists, online influencers and multi-channel network (MCN) agencies, we offer comprehensive services covering the drafting and negotiation of talent management contracts, management for right of publicity licensing and commercial endorsement. With a targeted focus on addressing core pain points, we specialize in addressing artist contract termination disputes, safeguarding clients’ reputations through anti-defamation public relations strategies, and ensuring compliance with advertising and product quality regulations in live-stream commerce activities. Furthermore, we provide tailored services to help establishing behavioral norms and crisis response mechanisms for artists and live streamers, thereby mitigating potential commercial risks stemming from inappropriate personal conduct.
Legal Services for Comprehensive Layout and Protection of Intellectual Property

Leveraging the IP-driven essence of the sports, culture, and entertainment sectors, we deliver strategic planning services covering copyrights, trademarks, and derivative products—assisting clients in IP registration for assets like scripts, music, game codes, and event footage, establishing robust IP licensing and franchising systems, and building a comprehensive online infringement monitoring network. In response to issues such as content piracy, plagiarism, and short-video infringement, we further offer swift solutions ranging from takedown notices and administrative complaints to civil litigation, all geared toward unlocking the maximum commercial value of clients’ intellectual property.
Legal Services for Investment, Financing, M&A, and Capital Market Operations

To meet the expansion needs of cultural and media enterprises, we offer legal services for investment, financing and mergers and acquisitions. This includes designing financing frameworks such as film and television funds and game industry funds, conducting legal due diligence on target entities including production studios and live-streaming guilds, and managing critical contractual terms like valuation adjustment mechanisms and equity incentive schemes. We also assist high-potential sports and cultural enterprises in listing on domestic and international capital markets (A-share, HKEX, and U.S. stock markets), focusing on key regulatory concerns such as IP ownership clarity, related-party transactions, and revenue recognition compliance.
Legal Services for Internet Content Compliance and Data Security

We develop compliance frameworks covering new media formats such as live streaming, short videos, and online audio. We also establish clear content review standards and procedures to help platforms and content creators identify redlines—such as vulgar and pornographic content and inappropriate themes. In terms of user data collection and usage, we formulate targeted privacy policies and compliance solutions in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Law, mitigating risks of data breaches and misuse to ensure the operational security of platforms.
Legal Services for Dispute Resolution and Crisis Public Relations

We offer efficient dispute resolution services for common issues including copyright infringement, unfair competition, contract breaches and reputation rights disputes. Our expertise extends to handling complex cases such as investment disputes in film and television, game asset cloning and plagiarism, as well as artist contract violations. In the event of major public relations crises, we collaborate closely with PR teams to draft legal statements, secure evidence, and develop litigation strategies, effectively integrating legal measures with public communication to minimize negative impact.

Service Performance

Providing long-term legal services to China Film Co., Ltd.
Providing long-term legal services to Alibaba Pictures Group Limited
Providing long-term legal services to China Oriental Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd.
Providing long-term legal services to Beijing Dongfang Xindalu Culture&Arts Co., Ltd.
Providing legal services for Beijing Aito Entertainment Culture Media Co., Ltd. and representing the client in special matters
Providing long-term legal services to Beijing Junli Culture Brokerage Co., Ltd.
Providing long-term legal services to Golden WinerJasmine Media Co. Ltd.
Providing long-term legal services to Kunming Dynamic Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Providing legal services for the major revolutionary-themed TV series “United as One”
Representing Hunan Jiexi Culture Media Co., Ltd. in a contract dispute case
Representing Hunan Heguang Media Co., Ltd. in a contract dispute case
Representing Hunan Heguang Tonghui Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. in a contract dispute case
Providing long-term legal services to Shanghai Aiteo Digital Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd.