Is broadcasting law still appropriate for streamers?

The question of the amendment of the Broadcasting State Treaty and which standards from broadcasting law apply to YouTubers or even Twitch streamers is currently hot again.

A few explanations can be found in this article. I wrote something specifically about Twitch here and something about the initially reported gamer privilege in this article.

At the Gamescom Congress last week, there was a panel on this topic and thus a lively discussion about the effects on the protection of minors when computer games of all kinds can be downloaded without age control or when they are shown in hundreds of streams without control (see also my articles on the topic of Jusprog).

According to the current state of legislation, a broadcasting service subject to a licence is a linear information and communication service aimed at the general public. It distributes selected offers, which users cannot influence either in terms of time or content, along a transmission schedule. According to the legal opinion of the National Media Institute, this also applies to most Let’s players who use Twitch for live streams. After the use of some celebrities like Piet Smiet in 2017, however, things got quieter again.

This could also be due to the fact that the currently responsible State Chancellery from Rhineland-Palatinate announced at the congress that it would continue to be the goal to launch the media state treaty by the end of the year and thus to comply with the current Broadcasting State Treaty. Replace. The legal term “broadcasting schedule” is to be better defined, broadcasting that is watched by fewer than 20,000! people watch at the same time should be exempt from licensing and the licensing procedure should be made considerably easier for all others.

I find it difficult to judge whether the changes will actually come about or whether there will perhaps only be a duty to notify because of the constitutional disputes. For too long, one has been arguing about the meaning and nonsense of the Broadcasting State Treaty, changes were planned and were rejected shortly before the finalization. It is clear, as has been said many times before, that letters from broadcasters should not be ignored. I am happy to check these letters for streamers and make suggestions for reactions or give instructions for action.

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.