Copyright & Media Law · Lithuania
Find a copyright lawyer in Lithuania who protects what you create
Rights disputes in Lithuania follow a continental civil-law framework, with defined court routes, time limits and cost rules. Tell us what happened and we match you, free of charge, with an advocate who works on copyright, media and digital rights matters.
- Advocates entered on the register of the Lithuanian Bar Association
- Infringement, licensing, publishing and digital rights disputes
- Free matching, no obligation to instruct
Free matching · No obligation · First response within 24–48 hours
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
The problem you are facing
A rights dispute needs the right advocate, not just any advocate
Copyright is only as strong as the system that enforces it. If a work you own is copied, streamed, sold or licensed without your permission in Lithuania, the practical questions are who represents you, in which court, at what cost and within what time limit. Lithuania is a continental civil-law jurisdiction: statutes such as the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure govern the dispute, claims are heard by the courts of general jurisdiction, and the uniform case law of the Supreme Court of Lithuania guides interpretation. A copyright lawyer in Lithuania works inside that framework every day. We match you with an advocate enrolled with the Lithuanian Bar Association who handles rights and media disputes, so you deal with one specialist instead of searching alone.
How it works in Lithuania
The Lithuanian framework in practice
Lithuania is a continental civil-law country, so disputes are decided on the basis of statutes and the uniform case law of the Supreme Court rather than binding precedent. The notes below describe the practical setting an advocate works in when a rights dispute arises.
Where these claims are heard
Civil claims in Lithuania are heard at first instance mainly by the twelve district courts (apylinkių teismai), with appeal to the Court of Appeal of Lithuania and, on points of law, cassation before the Supreme Court of Lithuania, the sole court of cassation, which also forms uniform case law. Administrative matters go to a separate administrative court system.
Who may act for you
The title of advocate (advokatas) is reserved to persons entered on the register kept by the Lithuanian Bar Association under the Law on the Bar (No IX-2066). Applicants must hold a university law degree, be of impeccable reputation, command the state language, pass the advocate’s qualification examination and take the advocate’s oath, usually after practice as an advocate’s assistant.
Representation rules in civil proceedings
Natural persons may generally act in person at first instance, while legal persons act through their statutory organs or an authorised representative. Representation by an advocate is, however, required for cassation appeals before the Supreme Court of Lithuania. Lawyers qualified in another EU Member State may provide services in Lithuania under the temporary or permanent establishment rules of the Law on the Bar.
What the court fee looks like
The main court fee is the stamp duty (žyminis mokestis) regulated by Articles 79–80 of the Code of Civil Procedure. In pecuniary cases it is calculated as a percentage of the amount of the claim; in non-pecuniary cases it is a fixed lump sum. Filing exclusively by electronic means attracts 75% of the amount due, with a minimum of EUR 5.
Fees, cost recovery and legal aid
Advocates’ fees are freely agreed between advocate and client; there are no binding official tariffs, although non-binding Ministry of Justice recommendations set maximum amounts that may be reimbursed to a winning party. As a rule the losing party bears the successful party’s litigation costs. Free primary legal aid is available to everyone through the municipalities.
Language and the EU dimension
Lithuanian is the language of the courts, so documents and hearings are conducted in Lithuanian and an advocate handles that for you. Lithuania restored its independence in 1990 and aligned its legal order with EU law following its accession to the European Union in 2004, which shapes how cross-border rights, media and licensing matters are handled.
All figures, court names and procedural rules on this page come from official Lithuanian sources (National Courts Administration, the Lithuanian legal register, the State Tax Inspectorate and the European e-Justice Portal), consulted in 2025.
- Judicial system of the Republic of Lithuania (National Courts Administration)
- Law on the Bar (Advokatūros įstatymas, No IX-2066) and register of advocates
- Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania and Code of Civil Procedure — time limits and notarial requirements
- State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) — stamp duty (žyminis mokestis)
- European e-Justice Portal — legal aid in Lithuania
Common situations
What usually brings people to us
Most enquiries about rights in Lithuania start with one of these three problems.
Your work is being used without permission
A platform, publisher or competitor is reproducing your text, photograph, software or music, and you cannot tell whether you have a claim or what pursuing it would involve.
A licence negotiation feels one-sided
You are being asked to sign a distribution, publishing or software licence and the grant of rights, territory or termination terms do not match what you understood was agreed.
You do not know which route or deadline applies
Lithuania has its own court structure, stamp duty rules and limitation periods, so it is hard to judge how urgent your situation is without advice from someone who practises there.
Why use the matching service
How we help you find the right advocate
We are not a law firm. We introduce you to specialists and let you decide.
Specialists rather than generalists
We look for advocates whose practice focuses on intellectual property, media and technology disputes, so the person you speak to already works in this field rather than in general civil litigation.
One conversation, one clear route
You explain the situation once. We help you identify the type of claim, the likely court route in Lithuania and the questions worth asking before you commit to anything.
Straight information about cost
You can ask how advocates in Lithuania agree their fees, how the stamp duty is calculated in your type of case and whether an exemption or legal aid might apply to you.
Cross-border matters handled
If you are based outside Lithuania but your rights are affected there, we match you with an advocate who is used to working with foreign rights holders and Lithuanian proceedings.
European coverage
Matters that cross borders
Rights are often exploited in more than one country. If your situation touches another European jurisdiction as well as Lithuania, matching can take that into account.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
I am based abroad — do I need a copyright lawyer in Lithuania?
If the infringement, licensing or distribution happens in Lithuania, the dispute will normally be heard there, in Lithuanian, before the Lithuanian courts. You can instruct an advocate entered on the register of the Lithuanian Bar Association. Lawyers qualified in another EU Member State may also provide services in Lithuania under the Law on the Bar.
Can I handle a copyright dispute in Lithuania without a lawyer?
Natural persons may generally act in person at first instance in civil proceedings, and legal persons act through their statutory organs or an authorised representative. However, representation by an advocate is required for cassation appeals before the Supreme Court of Lithuania, and the language of the proceedings is Lithuanian.
What does it cost to start a claim in Lithuania?
The main court fee is the stamp duty under Articles 79–80 of the Code of Civil Procedure: a percentage of the claim in pecuniary cases and a fixed lump sum in non-pecuniary ones. Filing exclusively by electronic means costs 75% of the amount due, minimum EUR 5. Advocates’ fees are freely agreed.
Is free legal aid available in Lithuania?
Yes. Primary legal aid — information, consultation and help drafting simple documents — is free for everyone and provided through the municipalities. Secondary legal aid, which covers procedural documents, representation and litigation costs, is granted to applicants whose income and property fall below the statutory levels; the state pays 100% or 50% depending on their situation.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
It depends on the type of claim. General contractual claims are subject to a ten-year period, while interest and other periodical payments fall under a five-year period. Employment dismissal claims must be brought within one month and general labour claims within three years. A specialist will identify which period applies to your case.
How do I know the person is properly qualified?
The title of advocate is reserved to those entered on the register kept by the Lithuanian Bar Association. To be enrolled, a person must hold a university law degree, be of impeccable reputation, command the state language, pass the advocate’s qualification examination, take the advocate’s oath and generally complete practice as an advocate’s assistant.
Next step
Tell us about your situation
Describe what happened in a few lines — what work is involved, where it is being used and what you want to achieve. We will match you with an advocate who handles copyright and media matters in Lithuania, free of charge and with no obligation to instruct.