B1 Recordings GmbH (Berlin)
Asserts rights in particular sound recordings used in a Reel, TikTok, story or Short — typically on commercially used profiles. In Austria so far the most frequent case from this quarter.
Urgent · IPPC LAW cease-and-desist Received a cease-and-desist letter from IPPC LAW?
Received a cease-and-desist letter from IPPC LAW?
Don't pay, don't sign without checking.
Have you received post from IPPC LAW Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Berlin) demanding that you licence a sound recording from a Reel, TikTok or video retrospectively? IPPC LAW acts for a whole range of rights holders — among them B1 Recordings GmbH (Berlin) and the producers of the Christmas track “Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)”. The demands often sit in the typical range of €3,000 to €10,000 and are frequently excessive against the background of the actual use. What matters is the right strategy, so that you pay as little as possible and the risk of a claim stays as low as possible.
- Fast on business days — within 24 hours
- Review of your letter: €200 net flat fee
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AI Awards 2024 Leading Civil Litigation Lawyer of the Year — Austria
What it is about
Which rights holders IPPC LAW acts for
IPPC LAW does not act for a single rights holder. The letterhead is always the same firm — who stands behind it changes. That makes little difference to your starting position, but a good deal of difference to the right response.
“Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)”
The Christmas track by Melanie Thornton. The producers, lyricists and composers named are Marc Klammek (artist names “Mitchell Lennox”, “Marc Lennard”) and Florian Richter (artist names “Julien Nairolf”, “Judge Flow”). The track is placed under millions of TikToks and Reels during Advent — the letters follow afterwards.
The Other Songs Records Limited (London)
British label for which IPPC LAW has also been acting since 2026.
DEFEND MUSIC, Inc. (Los Angeles)
US rights holder, same mechanics, same letters.
Mach I Records and B.D.B. Media
Two further labels among the firm's clients.
What they all have in common
What is demanded is a cease-and-desist undertaking and a retrospective licence payment, usually with a short deadline — in the letter before us, only one week. Once the post has travelled, often only one to three days remain. The letters are based on the argument that the platform's music library does not cover commercial use. It is precisely that gap which is pursued systematically.
The current wave
One track, a whole wave: “Wonderful Dream”
The Christmas song by Melanie Thornton can be selected from the music libraries of TikTok and Instagram and is used millions of times during Advent — by hotels, restaurants, shops, medical practices, clubs and self-employed people who think nothing of it. IPPC LAW pursues these uses for the rights holders consistently and has already obtained preliminary injunctions before the Berlin Regional Court. In Austria we see demands from around €5,000 upwards even for comparatively limited use. The upper end is open, depending on reach and use; in Germany demands well into five figures are documented.
What the amount depends on
At first glance the sums look like a flat rate, and the period of use is often what is relied upon above all. In our view the reach of the post, the number of views and likes and the commercial character of the posting play an equally decisive role. That is precisely why, with every letter, we examine in particular whether the amount claimed matches the actual use — because against that background the sums demanded are frequently excessive.
A practical tip
Anyone who sets a Christmas posting to music from the platform library should delete the post once it becomes uninteresting in January anyway, rather than simply leaving it up. That lowers the risk of receiving post years later.
How we work
From the first call to a tailored strategy and solution
An IPPC LAW letter often comes with short deadlines and can trigger cost risks. The enclosed cease-and-desist undertaking should therefore never be signed unchecked. We keep the free initial assessment clearly separate from any further legal work — that only follows if you actually instruct us after the conversation.
- 01
Free initial assessment
You call, we take the time for a short general assessment — how plausible the demand is, the rough range and how urgent action is.
The initial assessment is free and without obligation. Only then do you decide whether to instruct us.
- 02
Review of the file & the facts
Once instructed, you send us the letter, the link to the Reel or video concerned and the background to the publication (commercial? reach? how long published?). On that basis we examine whether the claim is justified, in particular the amount, and the strategic room for response.
- 03
Strategy & cease-and-desist undertaking
In many cases a modified cease-and-desist undertaking is the commercially smartest route. It removes the risk of repetition. In parallel we settle on the best strategic response to the payment demand — matched to your actual scope of use and your appetite for risk.
- 04
Out-of-court solution — and only if necessary: court
The aim is to settle the matter quickly, as cost-effectively as possible and out of court. If, contrary to expectations, the other side does turn to the courts, we represent you with decades of litigation experience — from interim injunction proceedings through to full court proceedings, through every instance if need be.
What you can realistically expect
Transparent fees — realistic expectations
We don't promise outcomes — that would not be serious. What we can tell you: from our experience with numerous letters of this kind, the demands can usually be reduced significantly.
Fees
Initial assessment by phone: free of charge. Review of your cease-and-desist letter, including discussion and options: flat fee of €200 net. If you then instruct us to act: hourly rate of €380 net — in our experience often around 2 hours, covering strategy, the cease-and-desist undertaking and the response to the other side. If a claim has already been served, the effort depends on the proceedings.
Range of demands
From our practice: retrospective licence demands of €3,000 – €10,000, with B1 Recordings in a similar range to the other rights holders. In Austria we see demands from around €5,000 upwards even for comparatively limited use, the upper end open depending on reach and use. Against the background of the actual use frequently excessive — what matters is the right strategy.
Strategic aim
To pay as little as possible and minimise the risk of a claim. Which route gets there — a modified undertaking, a wait-and-see defence or targeted counter-arguments — we decide together with you.
The commercial result
Our fee plus the sum you ultimately pay is as a rule noticeably below the original demand — particularly where use was limited and the opening demand was high.
Related topic
Music cease-and-desist letters in Reels, TikToks & Shorts — the overview
B1 Recordings is not the only sender of such letters. For the broader picture — platforms, mechanics, other rights holders such as SoundGuardian GmbH — see: Music cease-and-desist letters on social media.
Your team for copyright law
Two specialised attorneys. One phone number.
Frequently asked
What clients ask about IPPC LAW letters
Who is IPPC LAW — and which rights holders does the firm act for?
IPPC LAW Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Berlin) pursues the unlicensed use of sound recordings in social media videos for a whole range of rights holders — among them B1 Recordings GmbH (Berlin), the producers of the Christmas track “Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)”, The Other Songs Records Limited (London), DEFEND MUSIC, Inc. (Los Angeles) as well as Mach I Records and B.D.B. Media. The letterhead is therefore always the same firm — who stands behind it changes. That makes little difference to your starting position, but a good deal of difference to the right response.
I received a letter over “Wonderful Dream” — what is different there?
“Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)” by Melanie Thornton is the well-known Christmas track from the Coca-Cola advertising. It can be selected from the music libraries of TikTok and Instagram and is placed under millions of posts during Advent — by hotels, restaurants, shops, medical practices, clubs and self-employed people. The producers, lyricists and composers named are Marc Klammek (artist names “Mitchell Lennox”, “Marc Lennard”) and Florian Richter (artist names “Julien Nairolf”, “Judge Flow”); the rights are enforced through IPPC LAW, which has already obtained preliminary injunctions before the Berlin Regional Court. The particular feature is the time lag: posting happens in Advent, the letters follow afterwards — often only months later.
Who is B1 Recordings GmbH — and is the demand justified?
B1 Recordings GmbH (Berlin), regularly represented by IPPC LAW Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Berlin), systematically pursues the unlicensed use of particular sound recordings in social media videos (Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube Shorts). Whether the demand is justified in your case depends on the type of use and on the amount of the retrospective licence claimed. That is exactly what we examine at the start of the engagement — there is no blanket answer here.
Isn't the music library of Instagram, TikTok or Facebook enough?
The platforms' music libraries expressly cover only personal, non-commercial use. As soon as a Reel or video appears promotional, commercial or business-related, that licence cover can fall away — including for seemingly harmless business profiles, restaurants, online shops or self-employed people. It is precisely that gap which is being pursued systematically.
How high are the sums demanded, typically?
From our practice: demands for retrospective licensing range between €3,000 and €10,000 — with B1 Recordings in a similar range to the other rights holders in this field. In Austria we see demands from around €5,000 upwards even for comparatively limited use; the upper end is open, depending on reach and use — in Germany demands well into five figures are documented. Against the background of the actual use, those amounts are frequently excessive. The response deadlines are short: in the letter before us it was one week from the date of the letter — once the post has travelled, often only one to three days remain.
Should I simply pay to get rid of the matter quickly?
Please don't, not without having it checked. The sums demanded are often inflated — particularly with low reach or a short publication period. With the right strategy the economic consequences can usually be reduced significantly. In our experience, paying without checking almost always means overpaying.
What is a modified cease-and-desist undertaking?
A binding promise to refrain in future from the conduct complained of — here: unlicensed use of the sound recording — backed by an appropriate contractual penalty. We draft it so that it covers only the conduct actually objected to and does not restrict your entire marketing practice. With a legally binding undertaking the risk of repetition is generally removed. The question of the amount of damages is then settled strategically.
What does advice from Tonninger Schermaier & Partner cost?
We work in three stages. A short general assessment by phone is free of charge. For the actual review of your cease-and-desist letter — we go through the letter in detail, discuss it with you and set out your options — we charge a flat fee of €200 net. Only if you then instruct us to act on your behalf does our hourly rate of €380 net apply; in our experience, around two hours is often sufficient. This keeps you in control of the costs at every step.
What happens if I don't react, or react too late?
The other side can file a claim with the competent commercial court, often combined with an application for an interim injunction. You would then face not only the original demand but also your own and the other side's legal and court costs — the overall bill is quickly far above the original settlement figure. That is exactly what we want to avoid.
What are my chances of getting the demand reduced?
In our long-standing practice the economic impact can be significantly reduced in most cases — how far depends on the actual scope of use and your willingness to accept risk. We cannot give a guarantee; what we do promise is a well-founded assessment and the right strategy on that basis.
Read on: Music cease-and-desist — overview · Copyright cease-and-desist letter
Cease-and-desist letter from IPPC LAW?
Pick up the phone — we'll discuss your options straight away. A first assessment costs nothing. On business days we react quickly, within 24 hours at the latest.