• Mehr als 3 Millionen Wörter Inhalt
  • |
  • info@itmedialaw.com
  • |
  • Tel: 03322 5078053
Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel - ITMediaLaw

No products in the cart.

  • en English
  • de Deutsch
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
Kurzberatung
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel - ITMediaLaw

GDPR and Legal Entities: The ruling of the OLG Dresden

5. June 2023
in Data protection Law
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
0
dsgvo 3669706 1280
Key Facts
  • Legal entities are recognized by law as independent entities and can conclude contracts.
  • The Higher Regional Court of Dresden ruled that GDPR rights do not apply to legal entities.
  • judgment makes a clear distinction between natural and legal persons in data protection.
  • Information about trade secrets must have economic value in order to be legally protected.
  • The GDPR only protects the personal data of natural persons, not legal entities.
  • The ruling has implications for companies that need to rethink their data protection practices.
  • The ruling could lead to legal discussions about the scope of application of the GDPR.

Legal entities are entities recognized by law as separate legal entities. They can own property, enter into contracts, and sue or be sued in court. Examples of legal entities are companies, associations or foundations. Personal data is information that relates to an identifiable natural person. This can be anything from names, addresses, email addresses to IP addresses. The ruling by the Dresden Higher Regional Court that the General Data Protection Regulation does not apply to legal entities may come as a surprise to some, as it makes a clear distinction between natural and legal persons with regard to data protection.

Content Hide
1. The ruling of the OLG Dresden: No GDPR protection for legal entities
2. The case before the Dresden Higher Regional Court: Company v. Defendant
3. The impact of the ruling: What does it mean for legal entities?
4. Legal reasons for the ruling
5. Conclusion: The Limits of Data Protection and Trade Secret Protection
5.1. Author: Marian Härtel

The ruling of the OLG Dresden: No GDPR protection for legal entities

The Dresden Higher Regional Court ruled on 14.03.2023 that legal entities cannot claim injunctive relief under the GDPR. This is because the GDPR protects personal data that typically relates to identifiable natural persons, not legal entities. This ruling contrasts with an earlier ruling by the Hamburg Regional Court, which had ruled that legal entities are entitled to request deletion if the information in question refers to the natural persons behind the legal entity.

The case before the Dresden Higher Regional Court: Company v. Defendant

A company brought an action before the Dresden Higher Regional Court against a defendant who had used data from its payroll accounting. The company claimed that this violated the Trade Secrets Act and the GDPR. However, the court dismissed the claim, holding that no claims could be brought under the GDPR.

The impact of the ruling: What does it mean for legal entities?

The ruling of the Dresden Higher Regional Court has far-reaching implications for legal entities. It clarifies that the GDPR does not apply to the processing of personal data of legal persons. This could lead to companies having to rethink their data protection practices, especially with regard to the processing of personal data. However, it remains to be seen how this ruling will be applied in future cases and whether it will lead to further legal discussions about the scope of the GDPR.

Legal reasons for the ruling

The OLG Dresden based its decision on the wording of Art. 4 No. 1 GDPR and Recital 14 p. 2 GDPR. Under these provisions, the protection of “personal data” refers only to information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (“data subject”). Legal persons cannot therefore rely on the claims contained in the GDPR. This is also confirmed by recital 14 p. 2 GDPR, which clarifies that the protection granted by the Regulation is intended to apply to the processing of personal data of natural persons, but not to legal persons.

The court also clarified that the plaintiff could not base her claims on the Federal Data Protection Act. Although, as a legal entity under private law, it is a non-public body within the meaning of Section 1 para. 1 sentence 2, § 2 para. 4 BDSG and is thus an obligated party within the meaning of the BDSG, this does not lead to a claim of the plaintiff’s own as a legal entity against a third party.

The court also pointed out that the GDPR and the BDSG are protective laws within the meaning of Section 823 para. 2 BGB, but only in favor of the individual concerned. Since the GDPR is directly legally binding and takes precedence over national law, national law only has a scope of application if the material scope of application of the GDPR is limited or if the European legislator has granted the Member States the power to specify the GDPR or deviate from its provisions by means of an opening clause.

In conclusion, the court found that the plaintiff also could not rely on §§ 823 para. 1, 1004 para. 1 S. 2 BGB analogously in conjunction with their general right of personality. Although legal entities under private law generally enjoy protection of personality under civil law, the plaintiff, as a legal entity, is not covered by the protective content of the guarantee of the right to informational self-determination. This protective content also constitutionally relates solely to natural persons, whose free development it seeks to ensure.

Conclusion: The Limits of Data Protection and Trade Secret Protection

The ruling of the Dresden Higher Regional Court has brought important clarifications to data protection law and the protection of trade secrets. It made clear that legal persons are not entitled to protection under the GDPR. This applies regardless of whether they attempt to base their claims on the GDPR itself, the BDSG or general personal rights.

In addition, the court ruled that payroll information that has no economic value is not considered a trade secret. In the case at hand, the emails at issue contained information about vacation and sick days of employees of the plaintiff company as well as information about bonus payments and the hours worked by a specific employee. Although this information is not generally known and the company has a significant interest in keeping it confidential, particularly to protect the personal information of its employees, the court ruled that it does not enjoy the protection of the Trade Secrets Act.

This ruling underscores the need for companies to carefully review their privacy practices and trade secret handling. It also shows that the protection of personal data is primarily aimed at natural persons and not legal entities. It remains to be seen how this ruling will be applied in future cases and whether it will lead to further legal discussions on the scope of application of the GDPR and the Trade Secrets Act.

Marian Härtel
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: Data protection LawDresdenE‑mailHamburgInjunctive reliefLawsuitLegal entityMailNatural personPersonal dataPrivacyRegulationVerträge

Weitere spannende Blogposts

What is the Artificial Intelligence Act?

What is the Artificial Intelligence Act?
6. January 2023

Introduction The Artificial Intelligence Act is a proposal for a European law on artificial intelligence (AI) - the first law....

Read moreDetails

Cologne District Court considers online contract generator to be illegal

Cologne District Court considers online contract generator to be illegal
15. October 2019

On 08.10.2019, the Regional Court of Cologne (file number 33 O 35/19) issued a landmark ruling for the assessment of...

Read moreDetails

Porn shoot or filmed prostitution?

Spree killings announced over the Internet?
7. November 2022

It is always exciting to see what German courts have to deal with. But it's great. The following is my...

Read moreDetails

Designing your SaaS solution in compliance with data protection regulations as a US company!

Designing your SaaS solution in compliance with data protection regulations as a US company!
5. January 2021

In its judgment of July 16, 2020 (Case C311/18), the European Court of Justice declared the European Commission's Decision 2016/1250...

Read moreDetails

Online shops and payment services supervision law

Online shops and payment services supervision law
18. March 2019

Some online services offer a fiduciary process for your business model when customers interact with each other. This is also...

Read moreDetails

Client portal under test

Client portal under test
7. November 2022

As announced, I activated the client portal for my clients over the weekend and it is now running stably in...

Read moreDetails

Paid number in disclaimer inadmissible

Online shops: Attention to advertising with EIA
28. May 2019

Following the ECJ decision on the use of paid numbers to contact an online retailer (CJEU, judgment of 02.03.2017 –...

Read moreDetails

BGH: is Adblock dominant as a provider?

No more free tissues at the pharmacy?
18. October 2019

Adblock provider Eyeo is involved in numerous litigation and has now also lost a case in the Federal Court of...

Read moreDetails

Valve + 5 game publishers and violation of geoblocking/antitrust law

Valve + 5 game publishers and violation of geoblocking/antitrust law
12. April 2019

I hinted at it in this post on the geo-blocking regulation. Now the European Commission has informed Valve, as owner...

Read moreDetails
Contractual regulations for no-code/low-code software development
Other

Contractual regulations for no-code/low-code software development

21. May 2025

No-code and low-code platforms enable rapid software development without extensive manual programming. Applications are increasingly being developed on the basis...

Read moreDetails
Erotic content on OnlyFans: Copyright and personality rights protection for creators

Erotic content on OnlyFans: Copyright and personality rights protection for creators

20. May 2025
Goodbye hustle culture? Startup life between 24/7 grind and work-life balance

Goodbye hustle culture? Startup life between 24/7 grind and work-life balance

19. May 2025
Startup buzzwords 2025: Bullshit bingo in marketing German Introduction: Bullshit bingo in marketing German

Startup buzzwords 2025: Bullshit bingo in marketing German Introduction: Bullshit bingo in marketing German

18. May 2025
From the metaverse boom to AI euphoria – a tech lawyer in the hype cycle

From the metaverse boom to AI euphoria – a tech lawyer in the hype cycle

17. May 2025

Podcastfolge

9e9bbb286e0d24cb5ca04eccc9b0c902

Legal challenges of innovative business models

1. October 2024

In this captivating podcast episode, I dive deep into the world of legal challenges associated with innovative business models as...

Read moreDetails
8315f1ef298eb54dfeed2f5e55c8b9da 1

First test episode of the ITMediaLaw Podcast

26. August 2024
7c0b449a651fe0b81e5eec2e23515012 2

Copyright in the digital age

15. January 2025
Legal challenges in the gaming universe: A guide for developers, esports professionals and gamers

What will 2025 bring for start-ups in legal terms? Opportunities? Risks?

24. January 2025
AI in law: opportunities, risks and regulation – the IT Media Law Podcast Episode 3

AI in law: opportunities, risks and regulation – the IT Media Law Podcast Episode 3

24. September 2024

Video

My transparent billing

My transparent billing

10. February 2025

In this video, I talk a bit about transparent billing and how I communicate what it costs to work with...

Read moreDetails
Fascination between law and technology

Fascination between law and technology

10. February 2025
My two biggest challenges are?

My two biggest challenges are?

10. February 2025
What really makes me happy

What really makes me happy

10. February 2025
What I love about my job!

What I love about my job!

10. February 2025
  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • Contact
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
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? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

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

Log In
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
Kostenlose Kurzberatung