Dr. Marc Heinkelein
Founder | CEO
Dr. Marc Heinkelein, born in 1972, studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian’s University in Munich from 1993 to 1997. He completed his first state law exam in 1998. After successfully completing his second state law exam in 2000 (bar exam), he was admitted to the bar in 2001.
Between 2001 and 2002 – under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Gerhard Schricker – Marc wrote a dissertation on the topic “Copyright Protection for Creators of Television Shows and Television Show Formats” that was funded by a scholarship from the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law in Munich and was later published by the Nomos publishing house as a comprehensive practical manual for the film and television industry.
From 2003 to 2016 Marc worked as a lawyer mainly focusing on entertainment, sports and media law with presentations during this period on the issue of “format protection” at the international film and television festivals in Cannes, Monte Carlo, Lucerne, Marseille to name a few.
Together with the English entertainment lawyer Jonathan Coad, Marc was a founding member of the “International Format Lawyers Association” (IFLA), an international network in the entertainment sector of globally leading lawyers, at the beginning of 2005.
After running his own law firm “Heinkelein | Voigt Attorneys-at-Law” specialized in entertainment, sports and media law including management of artists and athletes for almost 20 years, Marc decided in 2017 to operate the management business solely through his own management company StageField Management & Productions GmbH.
Marc has a longstanding sports and entertainment background (German cup winner in men’s gymnastics, competing in First League for FC Bayern Munich, acting, dancing, choreographing as well as hosting several galas and shows including the show format “Sport meets Art”, created and produced among other formats by Marc’s own production company), which has not only led to a broad access to the sports and entertainment industry, but also to a special understanding of the concerns of artists and athletes.
Languages: German, English
Sports Career
12 years of competitive sport gymnastics at the Bavarian Centre of Excellence in Munich.
- German cup winner in men’s gymnastics
- Participation in the German federal gymnastics league of the teams for FC Bayern Munich.
Entertainment Experience
Hosting
Numerous engagements as a host at sport and show galas, company shows, dance shows, fashion shows, etc. including major events such as:
- The variety television format “Sports meets Art” since 2006
- Several sports and show galas, among others, a 4-hour sports gala (2000 spectators) of the Bavarian Gymnastics Association with various world champions from the gymnastics sector and a 2-hour sports and show gala (6000 spectators) of the Bavarian Gymnastics Association with a successful rerun of the “bar bet” which initially failed during the TV show “Wanna Bet…?”
- Several aerobic show galas at Oberhaching Sports School.
Producer
Since 2006, producer of various entertainment formats, among others:
- The variety television show format “Sport meets Art”
- The live event format “KKE – Das kulinarische Konzerterlebnis” (“The Culinary Concert Experience”).
Munich Entertainment Productions GmbH
Dance Vision
Dancer and Choreographer
Numerous engagements and television appearances with jazz, rap, tap-dance, breakdance, funk, hip-hop, video clip dancing and original Michael Jackson choreographies, among others:
- Several engagements as choreographer and dancer in the Munich Olympic Hall, including a “starpower event” alongside artists such as ‘N Sync, Boyzone, Peter Andre, Mr. President and many more
- Three-week engagement in the musical “Annie Get Your Gun”
- Member of the German Television Show Team at the 1st federal basketball league
- Engagements as a dancer in television and film productions, among others, in the film “The Dream Number”
- Choreographer, dancer and model at various fashion shows and appearances at various cooperate events, including SwissCom and Debis.
Actor
Several engagements in television productions, including:
- “Watch Out” (ZDF)
- “Dr. Stefan Frank” (RTL)
- TV ad “Independence Day – Watch”
- “Hidden Camera” (ZDF). Victims: Katja Eppstein, Christian Neureuther, Andreas Brehme, Klaus Hafenstein.
Publications
Copyright Protection for Creators of Television Shows and Television Show Formats
Dr. Marc Heinkelein
Practical manual, 451 pages
Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft
Baden-Baden 2004
ISBN 3-8329-0560-X
The Protection of Television Formats in German Copyright Law - regarding the Decision by the Federal Court of Justice: "Broadcasting Format"
Dr. Marc Heinkelein | Christoph Fey
Essay, GRUR Int. 05/2004, p. 378 et seq.
To Be on the Safe Side: Legal Protection of Formats
Dr. Marc Heinkelein | Christoph Fey
Essay, Discovery Campus Masterschool Yearbook 2004/2005
Presentations
Copyright Protection for Creators of Television Shows and Television Show Formats
Dr. Marc Heinkelein
Presentation at the MIP-TVCannes, 2004
So is it Time to Stop Stealing the Show?
Dr. Marc Heinkelein
Presentation at the Rose d’Or FestivalLucerne, 2004
To Be on the Safe Side - How to Protect Your Format?
Dr. Marc Heinkelein | Christoph Fey
Presentation at the Discovery Campus´ SymposiaMarseille, 2004
Format Protection - Legal Situation and Protection Possibilities in Germany
Dr. Marc Heinkelein | Christoph Fey
Presentation at the House of DocumentariesStuttgart, 2004
The Launch of the International Format Lawyers Association
Dr. Marc Heinkelein | Jonathan Coad
Presentation at the Rose d’Or FestivalLucerne, 2005