LG Bonn on access to WhatsApp messages

As we all know, two blue check marks on WhatsApp mean that a message has not only arrived on the recipient’s device, but that the message has also been opened. But what does this mean for lawyers?

Key Facts

The two blue ticks on WhatsApp indicate that a message has been read.
The Bonn Regional Court ruled that messages are deemed to have been received from this point in time.
A seller withdrew from the purchase contract due to non-payment of the purchase price.
The buyer gave two appointments for a house viewing via WhatsApp.
The seller claimed that he only found out about the WhatsApp message during the proceedings.
The court found that a declaration of intent is received if it can be reached.
It is recommended that communication channels be clearly defined in contracts.

Well, under civil law, this leads to the assumption that the message has been received from this point in time at the latest, according to a recent decision by the Bonn Regional Court.

In the case to be decided, the vendor of a
Property
in August 2019 withdrew from the purchase contract due to non-payment of the purchase price. In this context, he asked the buyer to name three binding dates for a house inspection. The latter named two possible dates via WhatsApp. Shortly thereafter, the seller filed an application for granting a right of access and inspection, claiming to have become aware of the WhatsApp message only in the course of the proceedings. The purchaser acknowledged the claim but did not want to bear the costs of the proceedings. The Bonn Regional Court agreed with this legal opinion.

[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”fqhkn6c977″ question=”Kann das so richtig sein?” opened=”0″]The court stated that a declaration of intent is received when it reaches the recipient in such a way that the recipient has the opportunity to take note of the content of the declaration under normal circumstances. According to this, WhatsApp messages are delivered when they reach the recipient’s device and are stored there permanently and retrievable under normal circumstances and the recipient had in principle opened this communication channel.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

It can therefore only be advisable to carefully check whether and which messages are received via WhatsApp or to clearly designate the permissible communication channels in agreements and contracts.

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.