• Areas of expertise
  • |
  • About me
  • |
  • Principles as a lawyer
  • Tel: 03322 5078053
  • |
  • info@itmedialaw.com
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Ideal partner
      • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Video series – about me
      • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
      • Principles as a lawyer
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Nerd und Rechtsanwalt
      • Ideal partner
      • How can I help clients?
    • Über die Kanzlei
      • How clients benefit from my network of colleagues, partners and service providers
      • Quick and flexible access
      • Agile and lean law firm
      • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
      • Price overview
    • How can I help clients?
    • Sonstige Informationen
      • Einwilligungen widerrufen
      • Privatsphäre-Einstellungen ändern
      • Historie der Privatsphäre-Einstellungen
      • Privacy policy
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Leistungen
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Support with the foundation
      • Games law consulting
      • Advice in e-commerce
      • Support and advice of agencies
      • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
      • Legal compliance and expert opinions
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Arbeitsschwerpunkte
      • Games and esports law
        • Esports. What is it?
      • Corporate law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Consulting for influencers and streamers
        • Influencer & Streamer
      • Contract review and preparation
      • DLT and Blockchain consulting
        • Blockchain Overview
      • Investment advice
      • AI and SaaS
  • Artikel/News
    • Langartikel / Guides
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Law on the Internet
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Online retail
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Labour law
    • Tax
    • Kanzlei News
    • Other
  • Videos/Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Kurz-Podcast
  • Knowledge base
  • Contact
Kurzberatung
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Ideal partner
      • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Video series – about me
      • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
      • Principles as a lawyer
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Nerd und Rechtsanwalt
      • Ideal partner
      • How can I help clients?
    • Über die Kanzlei
      • How clients benefit from my network of colleagues, partners and service providers
      • Quick and flexible access
      • Agile and lean law firm
      • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
      • Price overview
    • How can I help clients?
    • Sonstige Informationen
      • Einwilligungen widerrufen
      • Privatsphäre-Einstellungen ändern
      • Historie der Privatsphäre-Einstellungen
      • Privacy policy
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Leistungen
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Support with the foundation
      • Games law consulting
      • Advice in e-commerce
      • Support and advice of agencies
      • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
      • Legal compliance and expert opinions
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Arbeitsschwerpunkte
      • Games and esports law
        • Esports. What is it?
      • Corporate law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Consulting for influencers and streamers
        • Influencer & Streamer
      • Contract review and preparation
      • DLT and Blockchain consulting
        • Blockchain Overview
      • Investment advice
      • AI and SaaS
  • Artikel/News
    • Langartikel / Guides
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Law on the Internet
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Online retail
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Labour law
    • Tax
    • Kanzlei News
    • Other
  • Videos/Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Kurz-Podcast
  • Knowledge base
  • Contact
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel
Home Online retail

B2B contracts: Link reference to GTC is sufficient

27. March 2023
in Online retail
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
0
20200427 Eugh Diskr o Person
Key Facts
  • The ECJ ruled that a link to the GTC in the contract is sufficient.
  • No checkbox required for acceptance of the GTC.
  • An important note must be included in the contract.
  • GTC must be accessible by the other party.
  • GTC can also be viewed before signing the contract.
  • The storage option is sufficient to fulfill formal requirements.
  • Consumer protection rights were not examined, but BGB regulations remain applicable.

Since I create many software contracts, the question arises again and again whether and how GTC can be included in such contracts, for example whether they have to be attached to the contract. Surprisingly, the ECJ has to deal with this issue and has ruled under case number C-358/21 that it is sufficient for the inclusion of GTCs if the contract contains a link to the website where the relevant GTCs can be viewed and downloaded. This is therefore sufficient for the possibility of reasonable notice. In the present case, the question was whether a specific place of jurisdiction had been agreed.

A separate checkbox, which would have documented the inclusion of the GTC, is not required. The ruling thus corresponds to what I have been communicating to clients for years, namely to finally only refer to T&Cs in online stores and not to still demand the “acceptance” of the T&Cs. Indeed, the latter have been shown to reduce the rate of successful contracting.

The court on this:

In the present case, it is apparent from the documents before the Court that the clause conferring jurisdiction at issue in the main proceedings is contained in Unilever’s general terms and conditions, to which express reference is made in the written contract concluded between the parties. Since the situation is one in which, as in the present case, the general terms and conditions in which the jurisdiction clause is contained are not directly attached to the contract as an annex, it must be stated that such a clause cannot be considered as a jurisdiction clause under the rule set out in para. 37 to 45 of the present judgment, if the text of the contract itself, signed by both parties, expressly refers to these general terms and conditions containing this clause.

And further

However, this only applies in the case of a clear indication that a party can follow up by exercising normal diligence and only if it is established that the general terms and conditions containing the jurisdiction clause were actually received by the other party (judgment of 7 July 2016, Hőszig, C-222/15, EU:C:2016:525, para. 40). In the present case, it is not in dispute that the text of the contract at issue in the main proceedings contains such a clear indication, which the plaintiff in the main proceedings is entitled to pursue, but that is a matter for the referring court to determine. Therefore, it is necessary to verify whether the General Terms and Conditions have actually been received by this contracting party.

This was the opinion of the court:

Since pursuant to Art. 23 para. 2 of the Brussels I Regulation, as interpreted by the Court of Justice, the transmission of the information in question takes place when it can be made visible via a screen, the reference in the written contract to general terms and conditions by indicating the hyperlink to a website via which it is in principle possible to take cognizance of those general terms and conditions, provided that that hyperlink functions and can be opened by a party with normal diligence, must a fortiori be regarded as proof that that information has been received. In such a case, that result cannot be called into question by the fact that there is no box on the website in question that could be clicked to declare that those general terms and conditions are accepted or that the page containing the general terms and conditions does not open automatically when that website is accessed (cf. in this sense, judgment of 21 May 2015, El Majdoub, C-322/14, EU:C:2015:334, para. 39), since it is possible to access these general terms and conditions before signing the contract and the acceptance of these terms and conditions takes place by means of signature by the contracting party concerned.

Moreover, since the mere possibility of saving and printing out general terms and conditions prior to the conclusion of the contract is sufficient to satisfy the formal requirements, it is irrelevant whether the information transmitted has been “issued” by the company concerned or “received” by the contractual partner.

The provisions of Art. 23 para. 1 of the Brussels I Regulation is based on the desire to take into account commercial practices, but to deprive such jurisdiction clauses of their effect, which could be introduced unnoticed into the contractual relationship, such as such clauses that are found on business correspondence forms or on invoices, if they have not been accepted by the party to whom they are referred (cf. in this sense, judgments of 24 June 1981, Elefanten Schuh, 150/80, EU:C:1981:148, para. 24, and of 7 July 2016, Hőszig, C-222/15, EU:C:2016:525, para. 36).

 

This should be a nice relief for contractors and also make contracts a bit shorter.

Although the ECJ has also made it clear that it has not examined and did not have to examine the requirements of consumer protection law, the fairly clear provisions in the German Civil Code do not give any reason to view this legal issue differently for consumers, at least not as long as it is not a matter of concrete indications in the area of gambling and the like.

Tags: AGBCase lawConsumerGeneral Terms and ConditionsInformationJudgmentsLegal questionRegulationSoftwareVerträge

Beliebte Beträge

Automated pricing and dynamic pricing in e-commerce

automatisierte preisgestaltung und dynamic pricing im ee28091commerce 1
2. April 2025

In the digital economy, automated pricing and dynamic pricing strategies are now part of everyday life. Whether for online shopping,...

Read moreDetails

Cancellation buttons in focus: a recent ruling and its impact on online retail

abmahnung
8. February 2025

I have already reported several times on the requirements for unsubscribe buttons. This topic is particularly important for SaaS providers...

Read moreDetails

Internationalization of SaaS products

9f8d6fee06ef9f57635cfc2792644595
9. November 2024

International expansion is a natural growth step for many SaaS start-ups. However, entering new markets brings with it complex legal...

Read moreDetails

Avoid legal pitfalls when founding an online start-up

Avoid legal pitfalls when founding an online start-up
10. October 2024

Founding an online start-up requires not only entrepreneurial skill, but also a solid legal foundation. Company founders are confronted with...

Read moreDetails

E-commerce law: legally compliant design of online stores for the self-employed

E-commerce law: legally compliant design of online stores for the self-employed
10. October 2024

Creating an online store offers self-employed people enormous opportunities, but also harbors numerous legal pitfalls. A legally compliant design is...

Read moreDetails

Cancellation button must be possible without login

Online services: Don’t forget the cancellation button!
24. September 2024

In its final judgment of 30.07.2024 (Ref. 3 U 2214/23), the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court made important clarifications regarding the...

Read moreDetails

When is the contract concluded in the online store or with SaaS services

2b14342543cc4e965f96a23212cffb88
26. June 2024

The time of the conclusion of the contract in online stores and for SaaS services is for providers of largehe...

Read moreDetails

Prepayment in the online store: Attention to your own terms and conditions

GTCs are not invalid solely because of their length!
14. June 2024

As a lawyer specializing in IT law and contract law, I regularly draft general terms and conditions for various SaaS...

Read moreDetails

ECJ: Online order button also mandatory if consumer only enters into payment obligation under one condition

Lego brick still protected as a design patent
31. May 2024

Online orders: The order button or the corresponding function must clearly indicate that the consumer enters into a payment obligation...

Read moreDetails

5.0 60 reviews

  • Avatar Mikael Hällgren ★★★★★ vor einem Monat
    I got fantastic support from Marian Härtel. He managed to get my wrongfully suspended Instagram account restored. He was … Mehr incredibly helpful the whole way until the positive outcome. Highly recommended!
  • Avatar Lennart Korte ★★★★★ vor 2 Monaten
    Ich kann Herrn Härtel als Anwalt absolut weiterempfehlen! Sein Service ist erstklassig – schnelle Antwortzeiten, effiziente … Mehr Arbeit und dabei sehr kostengünstig, was für Startups besonders wichtig ist. Er hat für mein Startup einen Vertrag erstellt, und ich bin von seiner professionellen und zuverlässigen Arbeit überzeugt. Klare Empfehlung!
  • Avatar R.H. ★★★★★ vor 3 Monaten
    Ich kann Hr. Härtel nur empfehlen! Er hat mich bei einem Betrugsversuch einer Krypto Börse rechtlich vertreten. Ich bin sehr … Mehr zufrieden mit seiner engagierten Arbeit gewesen. Ich wurde von Anfang an kompetent, fair und absolut transparent beraten. Trotz eines zähen Verfahrens und einer großen Börse als Gegner, habe ich mich immer sicher und zuversichtlich gefühlt. Auch die Schnelligkeit und die sehr gute Erreichbarkeit möchte ich an der Stelle hoch loben und nochmal meinen herzlichsten Dank aussprechen! Daumen hoch mit 10 Sternen!
  • Avatar P! Galerie ★★★★★ vor 4 Monaten
    Herr Härtel hat uns äusserst kompetent in einen lästigen Fall mit META betreut. Er war effizient, beharrlich, aber auch mit … Mehr uns geduldig. Menschlich top, bis wir am Ende Dank ihm erfolgreich zum Ziel gekommen sind. Können wir wärmstens empfehlen. Und nochmals danke. P.H.
  • Avatar Mosaic Mask Studio ★★★★★ vor 5 Monaten
    Die Kanzlei ist immer ein verlässlicher Partner bei der Sichtung und Bearbeitung von Verträgen in der IT Branche. Es ist … Mehr stets ein professioneller Austausch auf Augenhöhe.
    Die Ergebnisse sind auf hohem Niveau und haben die interessen unsers Unternehmens immer bestmöglich wiedergespiegelt.
    Vielen Dank für die sehr gute Zusammenarbeit.
  • Avatar Philip Lucas ★★★★★ vor 8 Monaten
    Wir haben Herrn Härtel für unser Unternehmen konsultiert und sind äußerst zufrieden mit seiner Arbeit. Von Anfang an hat … Mehr er einen überaus kompetenten Eindruck gemacht und sich als ein sehr angenehmer Gesprächspartner erwiesen. Seine fachliche Expertise und seine verständliche und zugängliche Art im Umgang mit komplexen Themen haben uns überzeugt. Wir freuen uns auf eine langfristige und erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit!
  • Avatar Doris H. ★★★★★ vor 10 Monaten
    Herr Härtel hat uns bezüglich eines Telefonvertrags beraten und vertreten. Wir waren mit seinem Service sehr zufrieden. Er … Mehr hat stets schnell auf unsere E-mails und Anrufe reagiert und den Sachverhalt einfach und verständlich erklärt. Wir würden Herrn Härtel jederzeit wieder beauftragen.Vielen Dank für die hervorragende Unterstützung
  • Avatar Philipp Skaar ★★★★★ vor 8 Monaten
    Als kleines inhabergeführtes Hotel sehen wir uns ab und dann (bei sonst weit über dem Durchschnitt liegenden Bewertungen) … Mehr der Herausforderung von aus der Anonymität heraus agierenden "Netz-Querulanten" gegenüber gestellt. Herr Härtel versteht es außerordentlich spür- und feinsinnig, derartige - oftmals auf Rufschädigung ausgerichtete - Bewertungen bereits im Keim, also außergerichtlich, zu ersticken und somit unseren Betrieb vor weiteren Folgeschäden zu bewahren. Seine Umsetzungsgeschwindigkeit ist beeindruckend, seine bisherige Erfolgsquote = 100%.Ergo: Unsere erste Adresse zur Abwehr von geschäftsschädigenden Angriffen aus dem Web.
  • ●
  • ●
  • ●
  • ●

Video-Galerie

Legal advice for game developers
Legal advice for game developers
Founder advises Founder
Founder advises Founder
What do I love about my job?
What do I love about my job?
Cybergrooming

Cybergrooming

16. October 2024

Cybergrooming refers to the targeted initiation of sexual contact with minors via the internet. Perpetrators use digital means of communication...

Read moreDetails
Advance sales tax return

Advance sales tax return

16. October 2024
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (GmbH & Co. KGaA)

Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (GmbH & Co. KGaA)

16. October 2024
873791ae540d259b4d4959867dfb8097

Burden of proof

10. November 2024
Successive delivery contract

Successive delivery contract

16. October 2024

Podcast Folgen

238a909c26a0302cbd4792cbd18e4922

Global challenges for start-ups – A legal guide

10. October 2024

This informative podcast offers a comprehensive insight into the legal challenges faced by start-ups when expanding internationally. The experienced lawyer...

c9c5d7fd380061a8018074c2ca5a81bf

Startups and innovation in Germany – challenges and opportunities

26. September 2024

This insightful podcast episode takes an in-depth look at the startup and innovation landscape in Germany and Europe. The discussion...

75df8eaa33cd7d3975a96b022c65c6e4

Life as an IT lawyer, work-life balance, family and my career

26. September 2024

In this captivating episode of my IT Medialaw podcast, I, Marian Härtel, share my personal journey as a passionate IT...

3c671c5134443338a4e0c30412ac3270

“Digital law decoded” with lawyer Marian Härtel

26. September 2024

In this exciting 30-minute podcast, lawyer Marian Härtel decodes the complex world of digital law for the self-employed, start-ups and...

  • Home
  • Imprint
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • Agile and lean law firm
  • Ideal partner
  • Contact
  • Videos
Marian Härtel, Rathenaustr. 58a, 14612 Falkensee, info@itmedialaw.com

Marian Härtel - Rechtsanwalt für IT-Recht, Medienrecht und Startups, mit einem Fokus auf innovative Geschäftsmodelle, Games, KI und Finanzierungsberatung.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Contact
  • Leistungen
    • Support with the foundation
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Games law consulting
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
    • Investment advice
    • Booking as speaker
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Contract review and preparation
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Focus on start-ups
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus on start-ups
    • How can I help clients?
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Videos
    • Video series – about me
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos on services
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Shorts
    • Third-party videos
    • Podcast format
    • Other videos
  • Knowledge base
  • Podcast
  • Blogposts
    • Lange Artikel / Ausführungen
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Labour law
    • EU law
    • Corporate
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • Tax
    • Internally
    • Other
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
Kostenlose Kurzberatung