Federal government and esports: no own expert opinion on recognition as a sport

Key Facts

The federal government has not commissioned any separate expert opinions on the recognition of esports.
It follows legal and sports science reports as well as the socio-political debate in Germany.
Particular attention is paid to the positions of the parties in the Bundestag and the International Olympic Committee.
The recognition of esports is subject to the autonomy of organized sport.
There is no need for additional expert opinions from the Federal Government.
Recognizing esports as a sport is not a government task.
The legal situation is being further analyzed by esports lawyers.

According to its own statement, the federal government has not commissioned any separate expert opinions on the issue of Esport recognition. With regard to the possible recognition of esports, the German government is closely following legal and sports science reports and publications, case law, developments in other countries, and the socio-political discussion in Germany, which is conveyed by the media, among other things. This applies in particular to resolutions and position and argumentation papers of the parties represented in the Bundestag, the International Olympic Committee, the German Olympic Sports Confederation, the eSport Bundes Deutschland e.V. and the “game” association.

There was therefore no need for additional expert opinions from the federal government. This is especially true since the framework conditions for the recognition of esports are subject to the autonomy of organized sports and the recognition of esports as a sport is not a state task.

The entire answer to the small question of the FDP faction can be found here. Who the current legal situation from the point of view of an Esport lawyer interesting finds two of my contributions here and here.

Author: Marian Härtel

Marian Härtel ist Rechtsanwalt und Fachanwalt für IT-Recht mit einer über 25-jährigen Erfahrung als Unternehmer und Berater in den Bereichen Games, E-Sport, Blockchain, SaaS und Künstliche Intelligenz. Seine Beratungsschwerpunkte umfassen neben dem IT-Recht insbesondere das Urheberrecht, Medienrecht sowie Wettbewerbsrecht. Er betreut schwerpunktmäßig Start-ups, Agenturen und Influencer, die er in strategischen Fragen, komplexen Vertragsangelegenheiten sowie bei Investitionsprojekten begleitet. Dabei zeichnet sich seine Beratung durch einen interdisziplinären Ansatz aus, der juristische Expertise und langjährige unternehmerische Erfahrung miteinander verbindet. Ziel seiner Tätigkeit ist stets, Mandanten praxisorientierte Lösungen anzubieten und rechtlich fundierte Unterstützung bei der Umsetzung innovativer Geschäftsmodelle zu gewährleisten.

Tags: Bundestag Case law Development Esport Esports