Allgemein

File sharing warning letters (Abmahnung) continue to be big business. In 2013, almost 109,000 copyright infringement notices were sent. This is despite new legislation introduced in October 2013 to stop the so-called warning letter madness (Abmahnwahn).

The German Federal Court of Justice has ruled that newspaper advertorials should be clearly labelled with the word “advertisement”.

The social media network, Facebook, has bought the messaging service WhatsApp for $19bn. With the deal comes concern over privacy and data protection. Some users have already turned their backs on the messaging service.

One of our clients has contacted us to say that he has received two warning letters for file sharing. The unusual thing about this case is that the letters relate to the same piece of music, despite one copyright holder claiming exclusive rights.

Protecting trade secrets in the modern commercial world can be difficult. Across the EU there is discord as to what counts as a trade secret. While some member states have concrete definitions on the statute books, others have no clear legislative rules.

Das Sperren von Kundenkonten aufgrund von angeblich erhöhten Retouren durch Amazon hat für erhebliche Kritik gesorgt. Jetzt geht die Verbraucherzentrale NRW gegen Amazon vor und wollen das Online-Versandhaus nach erfolgloser Abmahnung verklagen. Nach meiner Einschätzung ist diese Sperrung von Kundenkonten rechtlich sehr bedenklich.

Die Bezeichnung als „durchgeknallte Frau“ ist unter Umständen nicht mehr durch die Meinungsfreiheit gedeckt. Von daher sollte man mit einer derzeitigen Äußerung in den Medien oder im Internet – z.B. auf Facebook – sehr vorsichtig sein. Dies ergibt sich aus einer aktuellen Entscheidung des Bundesverfassungsgerichtes vom 11.12.2013 (Az. 1 BvR […]

In 2012, the German law firm Urmann + Collegen threatened to publish on its website of the personal details of the people to whom it had sent file sharing warning letters. A court in Germany has ruled that such action would be illegal.

In the wake of the wave of streaming warning letters which were sent by German law firm Urmann + Collegen before Christmas, WILDE BEUGER SOLMECKE has pressed criminal charges against all those involved. Here is an overview of the legal basis.

File sharing law was recently changed in Germany. Copyright holders no longer have the option to choose the court in which to bring their copyright infringement claim. However, a court has ruled that the choice of jurisdiction still applies to old cases.

Mieter dürfen ihre Wohnung nicht ohne Weiteres an Touristen untervermieten. Dies gilt normalerweise auch dann, wenn der Vermieter ihnen eine generelle Erlaubnis zur Untervermietung erteilt hat. Vielmehr muss der Vermieter hierfür eine spezielle Erlaubnis erteilen. Denn Touristen sind keine gewöhnlichen Untermieter. Dies ergibt sich aus einem aktuellen Grundsatzurteil des BGH.

Many businesses use standard terms and conditions to regulate their contractual relationships. Standard terms can make trading easier when a series of similar transactions are to be completed. Under German law there are several aspects to consider when designing standard terms.

The European Commission has published a revised version of the so-called ‘Cinema Communication’. The communication lays down assessment criteria for state aid in the film industry, including the production of films and other audio-visual works.

E-Zigarette ist kein Medizinprodukt Durch E-Zigaretten werden nikotinhaltige Flüssigkeiten (sog. Liquids) verdampft und inhaliert. Diese Liquids sind keine Arzneimittel, mangels therapeutischer Wirkung. Folgerichtig sind auch E-Zigaretten selbst keine Medizinprodukte. Dies entschied das Oberverwaltungsgericht (OVG) Nordrhein-Westfalen in Münster in drei Verfahren (Az.: 13 A 2448/12, 13 A 2541/12, 13 A 1100/12) […]

For years the collecting society VG Media has been calling for private broadcasters to receive a share of the copyright levy which is paid to cover the right to make private copies by individuals of copyright-protected material. VG Media’s new director recently gave the debate new impetus.

According to a Munich judge, the presumption of guilt in file sharing cases applies to the actual owner of the internet connection and not to those who use the connection. Find out more about the presumption of guilt in file sharing cases here.

Are you allowed to try a grape in a supermarket? Can you flick through a magazine? We answer legal questions on supermarket theft and criminal damage.

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice ruled in a recent case that a driver who parked his van in front of a speed camera sensor so that it could no longer record people speeding was innocent of any offence (case ref.: 1 StR 469/12).

A court in Germany has ruled that a hotel review describing the establishment as a “chicken coop” is acceptable. The court found that the statement did not amount to defamation (case ref.: 4 U 88/13).

The media carries almost daily reports of phishing scams aimed at online banking customers. The fraudsters use elaborate tricks to dupe internet users. However, if you are aware of the methods used to commit online banking fraud, you can adapt and protect yourself when online.

The European Court of Justice recently held that it is legal for the authorities to require individuals to have their digital fingerprints taken before issuing a passport. The practice does infringe citizens’ personal rights, but is justified by the need to fight fraud.

In einer neueren Entscheidung musste sich das OLG Frankfurt mit der Frage auseinandersetzen, ob ein negativer Schufaeintrag nach der Erhebung der Verjährungseinrede statthaft ist (AZ. 23 U 68/12).

The advantages of social networks are apparent. They allow people to stay in contact with millions of people worldwide by posting entries, links and comments. But what happens if the social network is used against you? Can you defend against Facebook bullying?

In September 2013 Google received 21.5 million requests from copyright owners or their representatives to delete links from its search index which lead to illegal content. This represents the most requests Google has ever received.

Travel law and delayed trains: The European Court of Justice has handed down a judgment on passengers’ rights to a refund where trains are delayed by events beyond the train operators’ control. Passengers are entitled to receive a partial refund of the ticket price (26.09.2013 case ref.: C-509/11).

A former Northwestern University student in the US has brought a lawsuit against a doctor at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital for posting photos on facebook of her which he had taken without her consent.

A US federal court in Delaware has rejected a class-action lawsuit against Google. A group of consumers had claimed that Google had caused them harm by circumventing the privacy settings on Apple’s web browser Safari.

Under e-commerce law, strict rules apply to the design of commercial websites. It is important that the “buy now button” is clearly visible. Recent decisions by the courts in Germany show that a strict approach is being taken.

Several months ago, the vehicle rental company Sixt vowed to bring a court action against the new TV licence fee in Germany. The company has now filed the relevant court documents.

Der u. a. für das Bankrecht zuständige XI. Zivilsenat des Bundesgerichtshofs hat aufgrund der Unterlassungsklage eines Verbraucherschutzverbands entschieden, dass die nachfolgende Bestimmung in Nr. 5 Abs. 1 (Erbnachweisklausel) der Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen der beklagten Sparkasse im Bankverkehr mit Privatkunden (Verbrauchern) nicht verwendet werden darf, weil sie diese unangemessen benachteiligt und deswegen […]

From 2015 minors in California will obtain the “right to be forgotten”. It means they will be able to request that content is deleted from Facebook or other similar social networks.